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20 September 2018
Drug User Who Possessed Sawed-Off Shotgun Sent to Prison for Violating ProbationRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who was sentenced to three years of probation on November 10, 2016, for possession of a sawed off shotgun and being an unlawful user of drugs in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison today for violating his probation.
Mario Jerel Harper, age 41, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a probation revocation hearing. Evidence at the hearing showed that Harper used controlled substances on a number of occasions, failed to tell the truth to his probation officer, and refused to participate in drug testing.
At Harper’s guilty plea in 2016, he admitted he was an unlawful user of marijuana and that he had a sawed-off shotgun that was not registered to him in accordance with federal law.
Harper was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Harper was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment, and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Harper is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Harper was under supervision by the Northern District of Iowa United States Probation Office in Cedar Rapids.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 16-00040-LRR.
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Drug Task Force Operation in Central NebraskaRead the Press Release
Today, the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force conducted a multiple agency operation in the Central Nebraska region that led to the federal arrests of 12 individuals for charges including possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, distribution of methamphetamine, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. One defendant was also arrested on a state charge of distribution of cocaine. The operation included the execution of 4 federal search warrants and 1 state search warrant in Grand Island, which resulted in the recovery of a significant amount of U.S. Currency, over 2 pounds of methamphetamine, and a yet to be determined amount of cocaine. Court appearances for defendants arrested on federal charges will occur in Lincoln.
The Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force consists of the following agencies: The Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Hall County Attorney’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office.
Other law enforcement agencies involved in the operation include the Aurora Police Department and the Merrick County Sheriff’s Office.
Arrested Individuals:
Rodrigo Bolanos
Juan Corado Arriaza
Gustavo Cruz Hernandez
Jose Donato
Daniel Espinoza-Garcia
Arturo Javier Garcia
Judith Leyva-Reynoso
Erick Lozano
Miguel Luna
Juan Medina
Miguel Mendez
Manuel Sanchez
Lynie Chanthavong
Donora Woman Played Role in Lightfoot/Mendoza Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa – A resident of Donora, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to a narcotics charge, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Renee Kinder, age 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distributing cocaine before United States District Judge Mark Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from March 2017 to December 2017, Brandon Thomas, a mid-level distributor in the Lightfoot/Mendoza Drug Trafficking Organization, would receive large quantities of cocaine from Jamie Lightfoot, Jr. before redistributing the cocaine to Kinder and other co-conspirators. Kinder’s role in the conspiracy was to travel Brandon Thomas’ home in Donora, PA on multiple occasions to purchase cocaine. After purchasing the cocaine from Brandon Thomas, Kinder would then redistribute it to other co-conspirators.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2019. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior record, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation - The Monongahela Valley Residential Agency and the Pennsylvania State Police, with assistance from the South Strabane Police Department, the Elizabeth Borough Police Department, the Penn Hills Police Department and the Perryopolis Police Department, conducted the investigation that led to the guilty plea in this case
Dominican National Charged with Making False Statements and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was indicted today in federal court in Boston in connection with making false statements in an application for a replacement Social Security card and aggravated identity theft.
Francis Yohan Mateo Guerrero, 29, a Dominican national formerly residing in Lawrence, was indicted on one count of making a materially false statement and one count of aggravated identity theft. Mateo Guerrero was previously charged by complaint and arrested on Aug. 22, 2018, and has been in custody since.
According to charging documents, in August 2017, Mateo Guerrero applied for a replacement Social Security card by submitting the name of a U.S. Citizen from Puerto Rico. As proof of identity to support his application, Mateo Guerrero provided a Massachusetts Driver’s License in the name of a U.S. Citizen from Puerto Rico as his own.
The charge of making materially false statements provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendants Plead Guilty to Conspiracy and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
Eddie Balderramas, Michael Balderramas, and Michelle Martinez-Marte Assisted Illegal Aliens in Obtaining Michigan Driver’s Licenses in the Identities of Other Individuals
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Michelle Martinez-Marte, 37, of Rhode Island, Eddie Michael Balderramas, 51, and his son, Michael James Balderramas, 28, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, recently pled guilty to a federal indictment charging conspiracy to transfer identification documents and the means of identification of others to obtain Michigan driver’s licenses. According to the plea agreements, between at least April 4, 2016, and July 20, 2017, defendants conspired to assist illegal aliens, mostly from the Dominican Republic, in obtaining Michigan driver’s licenses using the identities of others. Martinez-Marte acquired Puerto Rican birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and social security account number cards in the names of actual individuals from a source in Puerto Rico. Martinez-Marte then referred the illegal aliens to Eddie Balderramas. Either Eddie Balderramas, or his son Michael Balderramas, would travel to New York City and transport the illegal aliens to Michigan where they would be harbored at a home in Kalamazoo. Eddie Balderramas produced false leases, paystubs, and other documents to make it appear as if the illegal aliens were truly Michigan residents. Eddie and Michael Balderramas would then transport the illegal aliens to Michigan Secretary of State Offices and would use the Puerto Rican documents, the social security numbers, and the counterfeit documents of Michigan residency, to acquire an authentic Michigan driver’s license for the illegal aliens using the names and personal identifiers of other individuals. The illegal aliens paid Eddie Balderramas and Michelle Martinez-Marte for their assistance so that they could live in the country under the names of others and avoid detection by immigration authorities.
Eddie Balderramas will be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids on January 22, 2019. Michael Balderramas will be sentenced on January 28, 2019, and Martinez-Marte on February 1, 2019. All defendants face up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy charge. Martinez-Marte and Eddie Balderramas both face an additional penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for their aggravated identity theft convictions, which sentence must be served consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed for the conspiracy conviction. Finally, Martinez-Marte faces up to 2 years’ imprisonment for her additional conviction of illegally reentering the United States after her prior removal from the country.
The investigation of the case is being handled by the Department of Homeland Security- Homeland Security Investigations, Grand Rapids; Michigan Department of State-Office of Investigative Services; Southwest Enforcement Team; Michigan State Police; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Stella is handling the prosecution.
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David Larson Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Possession of Pseudoephedrine Knowing it Would Be Used to Manufacture MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – David Larson, 35 years old, of Shelby, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen to 87 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to knowingly possessing pseudoephedrine knowing it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, from 2012 through 2017, Larson purchased a total of 120 grams of pseudoephedrine, with the purchases occurring on 58 separate occasions at 10 different pharmacies in 4 different counties, with Larson knowing the psuedoephedrine would be used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the DEA, Indiana State Police, Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, and Newton County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Dean R. Lanter.
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DOJ Office on Violence Against Women Awards $700,593 to Jefferson County’s One PlaceRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women has awarded One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center $700,593 to support its mission as the comprehensive service provider for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in Jefferson County. U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and One Place Executive Director Allison Dearing announced the grant.
OVW issued the award through its Improving Criminal Justice Responses grant program. One Place, in collaboration with Jefferson County, will use this award to provide a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner to coordinate and manage the SANE program operated by the Crisis Center at One Place. The grant funding also enables One Place to provide trauma-informed advocacy training for Rape Response medical advocates and law enforcement; support a staff attorney from the YWCA Central Alabama to work onsite at One Place and provide comprehensive legal assistance; and sustain quarterly events to promote community awareness and engagement with One Place.
“One Place is a vital resource in our community to ease the impact and trauma that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault suffer,” Town said. “Often victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are forced to relive horrific experiences as they recount the story of their assault to healthcare providers, crisis managers, law enforcement, and prosecutors. One Place is a national model where all domestic violence and sexual assault responders are gathered to coordinate services and limit the additional trauma suffered by victims. This grant will further enhance One Place’s ability to address the harm suffered by victims of violent crime and to best support their recovery.”
“The awarded funds will allow One Place to expand its current on-site resources to offer increased support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault,” Dearing said. “This award affirms and advances the mission of our collaboration — which is to make the process less intimidating and more efficient for the survivors we serve.”
OVW’s Improving Criminal Justice Responses program is designed to encourage partnerships between state and local governments, courts, victim service providers, coalitions, and rape crisis centers to ensure that sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking are treated as serious violations of criminal law.
At One Place, victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault receive wraparound services from one central location, with an emphasis on maintaining a survivor-centered approach, which reduces barriers to seeking help in the Birmingham area.
The mission of One Place is to provide coordinated services to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault through a multi-disciplinary team of agency professionals who are co-located and working together under roof. The founding agencies at One Place include the Birmingham Police Department, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, the YWCA Central Alabama and the Crisis Center, Inc.
One Place is the only agency in the state of Alabama to receive this OVW grant award in 2018.
For more information on One Place and its services contact (205) 453-7261.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who has repeatedly unlawfully possessed firearms was sentenced on September 19, 2018, to more than two years in federal prison.
Dezarris Shemeek Wilkerson, age 26, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 5, 2018, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In a plea agreement, Wilkerson admitted he possessed a pistol on June 4, 2017. At the time he possessed the pistol, Wilkerson was a convicted felon. When officers made contact with Wilkerson on June 4, he was drunk and possessed marijuana.
Previously, in 2011, Wilkerson was convicted in federal court with being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm. In that case, he admitted to stealing a shotgun from a vacant house. In 2012, Wilkerson was convicted of carrying weapons in state court. In that case, he was found with a loaded revolver that had the serial number scratched off. In his plea agreement in the current case, Wilkerson also admitted that police found him in a vehicle on January 5, 2016, and that officers found a handgun under the seat in that same vehicle.
Wilkerson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wilkerson was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Wilkerson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-cr-02082.
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Columbia Man Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for receiving child pornography.
Steven D. French, 60, of Columbia, Mo., was charged by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., with one count of receiving or distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
The federal indictment charges French with downloading child pornography from, and uploading child pornography to, the internet. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at French’s residence on Aug. 29, 2018. Officers seized computers and other electronic media from his residence and submitted them for forensic examination. Forensic examination revealed images depicting child pornography as well as evidence of receipt of child pornography.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the FBI and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 168 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Terron Taylor, 23 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E DeGuilio after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, announced U. S. Attorney Kirsch.
Taylor was sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Kirsch said, “Drug dealers target areas of cities and towns for drug distribution. We are targeting them. As we catch them, we will seek lengthy penalties for spreading poison on our streets. This case is a prime example of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together to combat the drug epidemic.”
According to documents in the case, from March 2017 up to and including October 2017, Taylor conspired with a group of other dealers to distribute over 1 kilogram of heroin to drug customers on the streets of South Bend. Customers would call a drug phone and order heroin. Whichever dealer had the phone at the time would arrange to meet with the customer and complete the heroin sale. The business model was efficient: transactions were quick and without hassle. All of the heroin was pre-packaged in ½ gram quantities. The price remained uniform regardless of which dealer showed up to sell. Investigators conducted numerous controlled purchases by calling the drug phone and ordering heroin. Investigators met with and identified different dealers, most of which were from Chicago. On four occasions in September 2017, Taylor was involved in selling heroin to the investigators. Taylor has a lengthy criminal history that qualifies him as a career offender under the guidelines.
This case was investigated by the ATF and DEA with assistance from several local law enforcement agencies including the Elkhart Police Department, Indiana State Police, the St. Joseph County Drug Investigations Unit and the St. Joseph County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel R. Gabrielse and Molly E. Donnelly.
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Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for a federal drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Baylee Gibson, age 19, of Bench Road, previously pled guilty in April 2018 to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Stuart praised the investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
“This young woman made a terrible decision when she decided to sell meth,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “But make no mistake, we prosecute drug dealers – young, old and every age in between – for peddling their poisons in our communities.”
On August 25, 2017, an agent with MDENT arranged to meet Gibson and purchase one ounce of methamphetamine for $1200. The agent had spoken to Gibson on the telephone and had arranged the price and quantity.. Gibson told the agent to meet her at a parking lot just off the campus of West Virginia State University (WVSU) on Baron Drive in Institute, West Virginia.. This was the site of a previous methamphetamine sale by Gibson.
The agent met Gibson as planned. After a brief discussion, Gibson took $1200.00 of prerecorded buy money, got out of the agent' s car and walked towards the campus of WVSU. Additional MDENT agents were positioned around the campus conducting surveillance. Gibson then met with another individual, later identified as her co defendant, Kyle Keith Russell, and returned to the agent's car. There, Gibson provided the agent with a clear plastic bag with a substance that field tested positive as methamphetamine. The substance was sent to the Mid-Atlantic DEA laboratory where it was tested. The testing showed the substance was 23.39 grams of pure methamphetamine. Gibson arranged and sold methamphetamine to the same undercover agent on August 22, 2017, and twice on August 30, 2017. The agent arranged all three of those additional sales directly with Gibson. Those sales took place in the same manner and at the same location as the count of conviction. Kyle Keith Russell was Gibson’s source of supply for those sales. Russell pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Russell’s sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2018.
United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the case. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution.
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Byron Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MACON: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that Charlie Lee Harvey, Jr., age 45, of Byron, Georgia was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine before U.S. District Court Judge Marc T. Treadwell in Macon, Georgia on September 19, 2018.
In his plea agreement, Mr. Harvey admitted to being a passenger in a truck that was stopped for a window tint violation on July 15, 2016. A drug detection dog alerted on the truck, and a search revealed a gallon-size Ziploc bag containing suspected methamphetamine in the center console. Mr. Harvey told the police that the driver knew nothing about the drugs. A subsequent search of Mr. Harvey’s residence revealed $2,700 (all in one hundred dollar bills), two sets of digital scales, two boxes of plastic heat seal food bags, and one vacuum food sealer. Lab test results from the DEA confirmed the drugs were 986.2 grams of d-methamphetamine hydrochloride (“Ice”) with an 89% purity. Mr. Harvey waived his Miranda rights and confessed to possessing the methamphetamine and intending to sell it. Mr. Harvey has previous felony convictions for Sale of Cocaine, Trafficking in Cocaine, and Criminal Attempt to Commit Trafficking in Cocaine.
“Methamphetamine is pure poison in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Charles E. Peeler. “I commend the DEA, the Georgia State Patrol, the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, the Byron Police Department, and the Fort Valley Police Department for their investigation and efforts to bring Mr. Harvey to justice and to get this poison off our streets.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia State Patrol, the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, the Byron Police Department, and the Fort Valley Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Easterling is prosecuting the case.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Brother and Sister Charged with ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jeriel Slay, 28, of Brooklyn, NY, and his sister, Angela Slay, 28, of Jamaica, NY, were charged by criminal complaint with engaging in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that between December 2016 and September 2018, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to defraud multiple victims. As a part of their scheme, Jeriel and Angela Slay, who are siblings, stole the identities of unsuspecting victims and created fictitious Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), with company names indicating ownership by the victims. The defendants then opened bank accounts under the names of the LLCs and fraudulently transferred money from a victim’s actual bank account to the LLC bank account.
In August 2018, search warrants were executed at two residences occupied by the defendants in Miami Beach and Miramar, Florida. During those searches, investigators recovered:
• dozens of fraudulently created credit cards in the names of multiple individuals, including blanks, partially completed cards, and fully completed cards; • dozens of fraudulently created driver's licenses including licenses with pictures of Jeriel Slay; • over $45,000 in cash; • financial statements including bank statements, utility bills, retirement account information, and other identifying information which corresponded with fraudulently created ID's and credit cards; • financial documents including statements for fraudulently created bank accounts and LLC documentation; • a card embosser, card printer, stamping machine, and supplies including blank cards, security chips, and ink; and
• a social security card for an individual not tied to the residence.The defendants made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and were released.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Brooklyn Man Sentenced for Stealing from a Disabled Army Veteran and the VARead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kevin Green, age 57, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 3 years of probation for his theft of disability compensation benefits from a disabled and elderly Army veteran and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”).
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Sean Smith of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office.
Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy also ordered Green to pay $39,500 in restitution and a $6,000 fine.
A federal jury convicted Green following a 5-day trial in April 2018. The evidence established that Green received approximately $71,000 in disability compensation benefits from the VA as fiduciary for a disabled 73-year-old Army veteran between March 2011 and May 2013, and was required to spend the money solely for the benefit of the veteran. The veteran initially lived in a cottage on Green’s property in Kerhonkson, New York, but moved into a Vermont veterans’ home in April 2012. All of the veteran’s expenses at the veterans’ home were paid by the VA, but Green continued to collect the veteran’s disability compensation benefits. When asked for an accounting, Green misrepresented how he had spent the VA benefits, and the evidence demonstrated that he had spent tens of thousands of dollars on himself.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.
Bloomington man indicted for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
Public encouraged to notify law enforcement if they have any further information
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis-United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today that a Bloomington, Indiana, man has been indicted for possession of matter containing child pornography. James Hans Huffman, 47, was arrested this morning by local and federal law enforcement officials. He had an initial appearance before a federal magistrate this afternoon and remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
“Protecting minor victims from sexual predators will always remain a top priority of this office,” said Minkler. “Those who are not able to protect themselves are the victims for which we will advocate the hardest.”
According to the indictment, from November 6, 2017, through December 19, 2017, Huffman possessed one or more matters which contained visual depictions of minors under the age of 12 years old engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
The public is encouraged to call law enforcement officials if they have any reason to believe Huffman may have had inappropriate contact with their children or other youth in the community. The FBI’s toll-free number is 800-CALLFBI (225-5324) or www.fbi.gov/tips. Concerned citizens may also call the Bloomington Police Department at 812-339-4477.
This case is being investigated by the Bloomington Police Department and the FBI.
“Today’s charge illustrates the FBI’s ongoing commitment to protect the most vulnerable in our society, our youth, from those who would attempt to exploit them,” said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “This arrest also demonstrates the strong partnerships we have with our law enforcement partners and our continued efforts to identify and hold accountable those who prey on children.”
According to Assistant United States Attorney Bradley P. Shepard who is prosecuting this case for the government, Huffman faces up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who exploit or harm children and to work closely with Project Safe Childhood. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 4.1 and 4.2
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Atwater Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children Through Instagram, Omegle, Kik, and Other AppsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Nikko Adolfo Perez, 26, of Atwater, charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of children, one count of coercion or enticement of a minor, and one count of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Perez, using the Instagram screen name captainamerica272018, victimized two boys, ages 8 and 10, in Utah by coercing them into creating and then sending to him images of them engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Perez offered to pay the boys with Google Play credits if they engaged in requested sexual acts or poses. When one of the victims said he would “call 911,” Perez threatened to disseminate images of the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He also threatened to harm family members of the victims. Perez used Omegle, Instagram, Snapchat, Kik, and other social media apps.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Salt Lake City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation offices in Salt Lake City and Fresno. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Perez faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for the sexual exploitation count, a mandatory minimum of 10 years to a maximum of life in prison for the coercion and enticement count, and five to 20 years in prison for the count of receipt of child pornography. For all counts there is a potential $250,000 fine and a lifetime term of supervised release. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Arkansas Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
Fort Smith, Arkansas – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Austin McMahill, age 30, of Wideman, Arkansas, was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison without the possibility of parole followed by five years of supervised release on one count each of Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. The Honorable Chief Judge P. K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court records, in September of 2017, the Arkansas State Police received a report that Austin McMahill made and distributed via Facebook a video portraying him and a minor female engaging in a sexually graphic act. During the ensuing investigation, law enforcement applied for and obtained a search warrant allowing for the seizure and analysis of McMahill’s cellular phone. A subsequent forensic examination of the device revealed numerous videos and photographs of McMahill and the minor female engaged sexual activity. Per the forensic analysis, law enforcement was able to confirm that several images were taken when the minor female was fifteen-years of age. Law enforcement also located approximately 70 images depicting other minors, between 5 and 10 years of age engaging in various sex acts. At sentencing, the Government presented the Court with evidence that McMahill had sexually abused and taken images of an approximately 5 year old female.
McMahill was indicted in December 2017 on federal charges and plead guilty in April 2018.
This case was investigated by Arkansas State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case for the United States.
19 September 2018
Weld County Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DENVER – Frank Steven Wietecha, Jr., age 49, of Weld County, Colorado, was sentenced late last week by U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 130 months (over 10 years) in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers announced. Judge Brimmer ordered Wietecha to serve 15 years on supervised release following his prison sentence. The defendant appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody and was remanded at its conclusion.
Wietecha was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on February 7, 2018. He pled guilty to possession of child pornography on May 3, 2018. He was sentenced on September 14, 2018. Wietecha, according to court records, has a prior state misdemeanor conviction for possession of child pornography.
According to the stipulated facts contained in the plea agreement, on November 27, 2017, Wietecha’s daughter was in possession of the defendant’s cell phone and discovered it contained images of child pornography. She surrendered the phone to police. A federal search warrant was obtained to search the device as well as SD cards, which were also recovered.
A forensic review of the cell phone and associated SD cards revealed the presence of child pornography. There were over 1,000 images of child pornography, as well as several thousand images of child erotica. The earliest image located was captured on September 14, 2013. Analysis of the phone also showed internet activity accessing child pornography websites. Wietecha also used his phone to take screen shots of child pornography from his computer.
“Our prosecutors and the FBI leave no stone unturned when it comes to protecting children,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer.
“The FBI remains committed to ensuring those responsible for sexually exploiting innocent children are aggressively investigated and brought to justice,” said Calvin Shivers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Denver Division. "This sentence demonstrates that those who possess child pornography will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
This matter was investigated by the FBI, and the Fort Lupton Police Department with support from the Weld County District Attorney's Office. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Spencer.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Violent Gang Leader Sentenced to Two Life Terms for Ordering Six Murders and an Attempted Murder as Part of RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The longtime leader of one of Newark’s largest and most violent street gangs was sentenced today to two concurrent terms of life in prison for his role in six murders, an attempted murder, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses as part of a racketeering conspiracy involving the New Jersey Grape Street Crips, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Corey Hamlet, a/k/a “C-Blaze,” a/k/a “Blaze,” a/k/a “Blizzie,” a/k/a “Castor Troy,” 41, of Belleville, New Jersey, the gang’s leader, was convicted in July 2018 following a two-month trial before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
Hamlet was charged in November 2016 in a 22-count indictment charging 14 members and associates with, among other things, seven murders, numerous attempted murders, and numerous other violent and drug trafficking crimes committed as part of the racketeering conspiracy. Twelve of the 14 defendants charged in the indictment have now been convicted. The two remaining defendants, Hanee Cureton and Khalil Stafford, are pending trial.
An additional 68 members and associates of the Grape Street Crips who were arrested in a coordinated takedown in May 2015 were separately charged with drug-trafficking, physical assaults, and witness intimidation. Sixty-six individuals also have been convicted, and charges remain pending against two.
“Today’s sentencing marks the end of Corey Hamlet’s reign of terror on the streets of Newark,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “At this point, close to 70 members of the Newark set of the Grape Street Crips, a violent criminal organization that committed murders and other acts of violence in order to maintain control of a large portion of the illegal drug trade in Newark, have been removed from the streets. In the case of the gang’s leader, Hamlet, it’s for the rest of his life. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue to go after dangerous criminals like this to protect the public.”
“Corey Hamlet, the leader of the Grape Street Crips, chose to order others to kill and now he can serve time for the gang,” Newark FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. “This conduct will not be tolerated and today’s sentence should send a message that the FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will pursue and prosecute members of violent street gangs who seek to inflict violence and fear in our communities. The gang was responsible for four murders, an attempted murder, racketeering conspiracy and drug trafficking. The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue gangs wherever they surface and are steadfast to making Newark and the surrounding communities, a safe place for our citizens.”
“The sentencing of Corey Hamlet closes the chapter on one of Newark’s most violent offenders,” Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division said. “The residents of Newark can be confident that the men and women of DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who choose to violate the rule of law. Every citizen has the right to live without fear, and the conviction and sentencing of Corey Hamlet helps to make that possible.”
According to the documents filed in this case and other cases and the evidence presented at trial:
The Grape Street Crips engaged for years in numerous acts of murder, robbery, extortion, and drug trafficking throughout Newark. As the leader of the New Jersey set of the Grape Street Crips, Hamlet’s orders resulted in six murders committed by members of the gang.
The trial highlighted numerous violent acts committed by Grape Street Crips members as part of the racketeering conspiracy, some of which targeted members of rival gangs and others that targeted Grape Street Crips members whom Hamlet perceived to be a threat to his position as the leader of the gang:
• June 14, 2010: The murder of Leroy Simmons;
• Dec. 23, 2010: The murder of Rodney Kearney;
• Oct. 10, 2011: The attempted murders of eight individuals who were caught in the cross-fire when Hamlet’s second-in-command Kwasi Mack, a/k/a “Welchs,” and another Grape Street Crips member attempted to murder a gang member who they suspected had cooperated with law enforcement;
• May 3, 2013: The murder of Tariq Johnson;
• Oct. 27, 2013: The attempted murders of Almalik Anderson and Saidah Goines.
• Nov. 12, 2013: The murder of Anwar West;
• March 3, 2014: The murders of Wesley Child and Velma Cuttino—an innocent bystander—as well as the attempted murder of Maurice Green;
The trial revealed that Hamlet ordered many of the murders as revenge against Almalik Anderson, a rival with whom he had a long-running dispute. One of Hamlet’s fellow gang-members attempted to broker a truce with Anderson at the Short Hills Mall. After the meeting at Short Hills, Hamlet used his Instagram account to assert that Anderson had cooperated with law enforcement. On Hamlet’s orders, four gang members then hunted Anderson down and sprayed his car with bullets, nearly killing him and passenger Saidah Goines, a relative.
Within two weeks, Hamlet successfully ordered two other gang-members to murder Anwar West, the fellow gang-member who had attempted to broker peace between Hamlet and Anderson. On Hamlet’s orders, co-defendant Rashan Washington left West alone inside a Jeep Cherokee knowing that another gang member intended to walk up and shoot West in the head.
Hamlet then ordered the murder of Maurice Green, Anderson’s brother. On March 3, 2014, Manley and Hamlet, the long-time leader of the New Jersey Grape Street Crips, were riding in Manley’s Jeep Cherokee when they pulled alongside a car being driven by Green. Although Hamlet aimed a firearm at Green and the car’s other occupants, Green pulled off before any shots were fired. A short time later, Ahmad Manley found Green, and a car chase ensued. The chase concluded when Green’s car crashed into other vehicles at the intersection of Irvine Turner Boulevard and Spruce Street in Newark. Numerous shots fired from Manley’s Jeep Cherokee at Green’s vehicle struck Green and killed Wesley Childs, a passenger in Green’s car. In addition, Velma Cuttino – an innocent bystander who was a passenger in one of the vehicles that had crashed at the intersection – was shot through the head and killed.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ehrie in Newark, and special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Nickerson, with the investigation. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino, and the Essex County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Armando B. Fontura, for their long and close collaboration on the case
The government is represented by Osmar J. Benvenuto, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry A. Kamar of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Ramsay of the Appeals Division in Newark.
This case was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Defense counsel: Anthony J. Iacullo, Clifton, New Jersey
Veterans Affairs Official Charged with Taking Bribes to Help Business Associates Rig Federal Contracting ProcessRead the Press Release
DENVER – Dwane Nevins, age 54, of Denver, Robert Revis, age 59, and Anthony Bueno, age 43, were arrested today pursuant to warrants issued in connection with an indictment charging them with conspiring to pay and receive bribes in exchange for creating an opportunity to commit a fraud against the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, announced U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, FBI Special Agent in Charge Calvin A. Shivers, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Central Field Office Special Agent in Charge Gregg Hirstein, and Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Kari Overson. The defendants are also charged with paying and receiving bribes, or aiding and abetting the payment of bribes. Dwane Nevins was separately charged in another count with extortion under color of official right and in two counts with violating the federal conflict of interest statute. All three defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael E. Hegarty, where they were advised of the their rights and the charges pending against them.
As alleged in the indictment, Dwane Nevins — a small business specialist at the VA’s Network Contracting Office in Colorado — agreed to take bribes offered by Revis, Bueno and an undercover FBI agent to help them manipulate the process for bidding on federal contracts with the VA. Revis and Bueno, working with Nevins, agreed to submit fraudulent bids from service-disabled-veteran-owned small businesses under contract with their consulting company so that federal contracts would be set aside for only those companies. As Bueno allegedly explained, they would then “own all the dogs on the track.” Nevins, Bueno and Revis worked to conceal the nature of the bribe payments by either kicking back to Nevins a portion of the payments made to their consulting company, or by asking their consulting company’s clients to pay Nevins for sham training classes related to federal contracting.
The indictment also alleges that, after complaining about not being paid by Revis and Bueno for his participation in the scheme, Nevins used his official position at the VA to extort approximately $10,000 from an undercover FBI agent, telling the agent that “the train don’t go without me. You know what I mean? I’m the engine. I’m the caboose. I’m the engine room.” Nevins also allegedly told the undercover FBI agent “this is a business and businessmen need to get paid . . . . so I can have my Christmas, you know what I’m saying?”
The indictment alleges that the conspirators attempted to rig the process related to two particular contracts, both of which related to medical equipment and not to the construction of any VA facilities. The first contract related to the procurement of LC bead particle embolization products by a VA hospital in Salt Lake City and the second related to the procurement of durable medical equipment for VA facilities located throughout the region.
The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General.
The defendants are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bryan D. Fields.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Upshur County man sentenced for role in a methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Steven Larry Harper, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 135 months incarceration for conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Harper, also known as “Skip,” age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine” in February 2018. Harper admitted to conspiring with others to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The crime occurred in Upshur County and elsewhere from March 2016 to September 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted 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. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
United States Attorney Announces the Hiring of Two New Assistant United States AttorneysRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the appointment of Joy Pittman Thorp as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division and Mark R. Morgan as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division for the Northern District of Oklahoma. They are scheduled to be sworn in Friday, September 21, at 2:00 p.m., at the United States District Courthouse by Chief United States District Court Judge Gregory K. Frizzell.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit, Ms. Thorp will prosecute civil actions on behalf of the United States of America to recover damages for fraud and other offenses and impose civil penalties for violations of the federal health, safety and economic welfare laws. One of her primary focuses will be combating the opioid crisis in northeastern Oklahoma. Previously, Ms. Thorp served as an Assistant District Attorney for the 14th and 27th Districts of Oklahoma and as a Deputy Attorney General with the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General. She received her undergraduate degree from Oral Roberts University and her J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law.
As a Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Morgan will represent the United States of America in the prosecution of criminal cases. He joins the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office where he worked as an Assistant District Attorney. While there, he served as the director of the Robbery Unit, the deputy director of the Gang and Organized Crime Prosecution Unit, and as a member of the Crimes Against Children Unit. Mr. Morgan received his Bachelor of Science (cum laude) from Missouri State University and his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law.
“Joy and Mark will be great additions to our team. Both have worked as public servants and understand the challenges we face here in northeastern Oklahoma. Joy will contribute to the vital work of the ACE unit as it strives to combat the ongoing opioid crisis, while Mark brings his expertise in the fight against violent crime. I look forward to working with both professionals and know their experience will be an asset to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Two Men Plead Guilty to Stealing More than 70 Firearms from Gun StoresRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Ronquieze Head, 36, and Seronte Newby, 30, both of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to crimes related to theft from gun stores in Ohio and Kentucky.
Specifically, the defendants each pleaded to one count of conspiracy to commit theft and two counts of theft from a federal firearms licensee. Head also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the pleas entered into yesterday before U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning.
Head and Newby stole approximately 20 firearms from a gun store in Sharonville, Ohio on July 2, 2017. On July 8, 2017, the defendants stole approximately 22 firearms from a gun store in Florence, Ky. Finally, the pair stole approximately 32 weapons from a third gun store in Springboro, Ohio on July 16, 2017.
The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2017.
Conspiracy to commit theft is punishable by up to five years in prison. Theft from a federal firearms licensee, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm are each crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by ATF and Sharonville, Springfield, Florence, Springboro and Cincinnati police departments, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Gaffney and Matthew Singer, who are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Twenty-Four More Defendants Charged Federally in Surge to Reduce Violent Crime in LouisvilleRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman announced this month’s latest surge efforts to aggressively tackle violent crime in Metro Louisville with the Louisville Federal Grand Jury returning 21 felony indictments charging 24 individuals with numerous counts, including firearms violations and possession and distribution of illegal narcotics.
This month’s federal indictments are in addition to the previous two rounds of indictments against 60 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) defendants, totaling 84 total PSN defendants this calendar year. The charges continue to develop this year through an ongoing partnership between multiple law enforcement agencies to maximize penalties for the “trigger pullers,” the most violent repeat offenders as part of the Department of Justice’s PSN initiative.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods or PSN is more than another bureaucratic program, or a logo,” announced U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman, “It is a commitment to aggressively reduce violent crime in Louisville through true partnerships with ATF, LMPD, and other engaged partners. Much more to come as we are not there yet.”
Defendants charged in the latest surge have previously been found guilty of numerous crimes including: manslaughter, possession of controlled substances, drug trafficking, assault, robbery, receiving stolen property, and wanton endangerment among other charges.
If convicted at trial, the maximum sentence for unlawfully possessing a firearm is no more than ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. If that firearm is possessed or used in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a defendant faces a mandatory minimum five years in prison in addition to the sentence received for the underlying charges, and could receive up to life in prison.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nute Bonner, Terry Cushing, Tom Dyke, Larry Fentress, Amanda Gregory, Jo Lawless, Erin McKenzie, Randy Ream, Mac Shannon, Amy Sullivan, Christopher Tieke, Lettricea Jefferson-Webb, David Weiser, Stephanie Zimdahl and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ebery Haegle with stalwart assistance from Laura Stinson, Western District of Kentucky Grand Jury Coordinator. The cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Louisville Metro Police Department, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Kentucky. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Today’s indictments are part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative in the Western District of Kentucky.
The indictment of a person by a Grand Jury is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Tulsa Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Cherie Michelle Kelley, 36, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty in United States District Court, Tuesday, to participating in a methamphetamine and heroin distribution conspiracy and to possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute.
From August 2017 to April 2018, Kelley conspired with Dannie Dill, 47, of Tulsa, along with others, to distribute illegal narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine, in the greater Tulsa area. Dill was labeled by law enforcement as a “Top Ten” suspect of Operation Alpha, a Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative targeting northern Oklahoma’s most dangerous criminals.
As part of their scheme, Kelley and Dill stored narcotics and drug proceeds at two different houses where they lived together, one in Broken Arrow and one in Tulsa. Kelley would receive narcotics, including heroin, from her source of supply in Tulsa and use some of the heroin herself. Then she and Dill would resell the remainder of the narcotics. Kelley also agreed to allow her narcotics supply source to send illegal drug shipments for distribution from outside the state of Oklahoma to the Broken Arrow location.
“Methamphetamine and heroin continue to plague neighborhoods in northeastern Oklahoma because of criminals like Kelley and Dill. Drug dealers should know that our community is not open for their business,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders in an effort to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
The initiative originally started in 2001 but was revitalized in October 2017 as a result of the rise in violent crime the two previous years. Project Safe Neighborhoods has been upgraded and enhanced with new technologies, better accountability, and stronger partnerships within communities.
Several law enforcement agencies were involved in a coordinated effort to bring Kelley and Dill into custody in connection with the crime, including the Tulsa Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel-lyn A. McCormick and Thomas E. Duncombe prosecuted the case.
Texas Parole Officer Guilty of Federal ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 33-year-old Beaumont, Texas woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Ashley Haley pleaded guilty to an Information charging her with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin.
According to information presented in court, since April 12, 2010, Haley was employed as a parole officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice out of the Beaumont office. Haley’s job duties included supervising parolees who were released from prison. Mandatory conditions of parole for parolees include not using any illegal narcotics, not violating any laws, and submitting to random urinalyses. Haley had access to confidential lists of parolees who would be subject to random urinalyses and provided a parolee the confidential urinalyses lists. In conducting samples for the random urinalyses, Haley also allowed persons other than parolees to submit urine samples for testing. In exchange, Haley received monthly cash payments and other items, such as automobile tires, from parolees
“We place special trust in parole officers and it weakens the entire criminal justice system when one is corrupt,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown. “We will prosecute any public official who abuses that trust placed in them.”
Under federal statutes, Haley faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-OIG, Beaumont Police Department, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Rapp.
Texas Couple Indicted on Forced Labor and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Defendants Mohamed Toure, 57, and Denise Cros-Toure, 57, of Ft. Worth, Texas, were charged today in a five-count indictment with forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, and conspiracies to commit forced labor and alien harboring, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey McGallicher of the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Services’ Houston Field Office. Defendant Toure was also charged with making false statements to federal agents. The defendants were arrested on April 26, 2018, after being charged by criminal complaint.
According to the indictment, in January 2000, the defendants arranged for the victim, then a minor child, to travel alone from her village in Guinea, West Africa, to Southlake, Texas, to work for them in their home. For more than 16 years, the Toures allegedly forced her to work long hours – demanding she handle childcare, cook, clean, and perform yardwork. Although the victim was close in age to their five biological children, the couple denied her access to schooling, medical care, and other opportunities they afforded their own children, and on several occasions Denise Cros-Toure slapped or struck her as punishment. Until neighbors helped the victim escape in August 2016, the defendants allegedly denied her any pay, isolated her from her family and threatened serious harm if she refused to work.
As part of their scheme to compel the victim’s labor, the defendants confiscated her official documents and caused her to remain unlawfully in the United States after her tourist visa expired in March 2000 and threatened to send her back to Guinea if her work was unsatisfactory.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of forced labor, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution. If convicted of alien harboring, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by Diplomatic Security Services’ Houston Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Rebekah Bailey and William Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Wolfe for the Northern District of Texas.
Texas Couple Indicted on Forced Labor ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Defendants Mohamed Toure, 57, and Denise Cros-Toure, 57, of Ft. Worth, Texas, were charged today in a five-count indictment with forced labor, alien harboring for financial gain, and conspiracies to commit forced labor and alien harboring, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox and Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Mohamed Toure was also charged with making false statements to federal agents.
The defendants were arrested on April 26, 2018, after being charged by criminal complaint.
According to the indictment, in January 2000, the defendants arranged for the victim, then a minor child, to travel alone from her village in Guinea, West Africa, to Southlake, Texas, to work for them in their home. For more than 16 years, the Toures allegedly forced her to work long hours – demanding she handle childcare, cook, clean, and perform yardwork. Although the victim was close in age to their five biological children, the couple denied her access to schooling, medical care, and other opportunities they afforded their own children, and on several occasions Denise Cros-Toure slapped or struck her as punishment. Until neighbors helped the victim escape in August 2016, the defendants allegedly denied her any pay, isolated her from her family and threatened serious harm if she refused to work.
As part of their scheme to compel the victim’s labor, the defendants confiscated her official documents and caused her to remain unlawfully in the United States after her tourist visa expired in March 2000. They threatened to send her back to Guinea if her work was unsatisfactory.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of forced labor, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution. If convicted of alien harboring, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Services’ Houston Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Rebekah Bailey and William Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Wolfe for the Northern District of Texas.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Ten Years for Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft Offenses Involving Gas Pump SkimmersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Noel Graveran-Palacios (37, Tampa) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiracy, credit card fraud, and identity theft. A federal jury found Noel Graveran-Palacios and his twin brother, Yoel Graveran-Palacios, guilty on April 24, 2018. Yoel Graveran-Palacios was sentenced on September 4, 2018, to 9 years in federal prison.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Noel and Yoel Graveran-Palacios worked together, and with others, to place skimmers on gas pumps in the Tampa Bay area. Using the account numbers stolen from the skimmers, they made counterfeit credit cards and then used them to purchase merchandise including gas, toys, clothes, and gift cards, at area retailers. They then used the gift cards to purchase merchandise at home improvement stores, and later returned the items for cash. Trial evidence included hundreds of recovered stolen account numbers, as well as dozens of store surveillance videos featuring the conspirators using the counterfeit credit cards.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Springfield Doctor Sentenced for Illegally Sharing Patient Medical FilesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield gynecologist was sentenced today in connection with allowing a pharmaceutical sales representative to access patient records and lying to federal investigators.
Rita Luthra, M.D., 67, of Longmeadow, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to one year of probation. In April 2018, Luthra was convicted by a federal jury of one count of violation of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act and one count of obstruction of a criminal health care investigation.
From January 2011 through November 2011, Luthra allowed a pharmaceutical company sales representative from Warner Chilcott to access protected health information in her patients’ medical files. She later provided false information to federal agents when interviewed about her relationship with Warner Chilcott.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office; Sean Smith, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Leigh-Alistair Barzey of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; and Scott A. Rezendes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Yeager, Chief of Lelling’s Healthcare Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
Southern Meat Market Owner Sentenced to 51 Months Imprisonment for Major Fraud against the United StatesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN– A local man has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for major fraud against the United States. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, Guy Randal Stockard, a/k/a Randy, 59, defrauded the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, of more than $1.2 million over an approximately 28-month period.
As part of the scheme, Stockard owned and operated Southern MeatMarket, a small retail market in Memphis, Tennessee. Southern Meat Market was authorized to accept SNAP benefits from customers as payment for eligible food items.
Beginning in January 2015 and continuing through April 2017, Stockard used Southern Meat Market to conduct fraudulent SNAP transactions totaling $1,206,958.00. To carry out the fraud, Stockard bought customers’ SNAP benefits at a discount in exchange for cash. Stockard then redeemed those benefits at their full dollar value, receiving electronic funds transfers of SNAP funds to his business bank account.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Protection of the U.S. Treasury and taxpayer resources is a top priority for this office. This long term fraudulent scheme caused significant loss to the SNAP Program, and the defendant will now serve a substantial sentence for his crimes of dishonesty."
On September 13, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Stockard to 51 months imprisonment; 3 years supervised release, and ordered Stockard to pay $1,206,958.00 in criminal forfeiture and restitution.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Murre Foster prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Teray Bush, 43 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering, announced U. S. Attorney Kirsch.
Bush was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in October 2017, Bush transported almost 2 pounds of methamphetamine from Michigan to Indiana as part of a plan to distribute it. Bush has four prior felony convictions and two misdemeanor convictions. He has violated his parole or probation twice and has twelve other contacts with the law.
This case was investigated by the DEA with assistance from the Carmel Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
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Six Prosecuted for Illegal Reentry in AugustRead the Press Release
MACON: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that six (6) individuals were prosecuted in August by his office for illegal reentry into the country after having been deported and removed. All defendants convicted of Illegal Reentry are subject to deportation proceedings following their sentences.
Two (2) individuals were indicted by a Grand Jury on August 15, 2018 for Illegal Reentry. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct. All of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. Those indicted were:
FEISAR NAJERA-FLORES, age 40, a citizen of Honduras, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on August 8, 2011 and February 16, 2012, and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Najera-Flores was found unlawfully in Tift County on June 24, 2018. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit.
OTILO PEREZ-ESCOBAR, age 34, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on November 30, 2012 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Perez-Escobar was found unlawfully in Sumter County on June 21, 2018. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Crane.
Four (4) individuals pled guilty to the charge of Illegal Reentry in August. Those who pled guilty are:
JOSE FELIPE CERVANTES-MONDRAGON, a citizen of Mexico, entered a guilty plea to Illegal Reentry on August 8, 2018, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge C. Ashley Royal. Mr. Cervantes-Mondragon was indicted on the charge on June 12, 2018, after being removed and deported from the United States on December 13, 2011 and December 4, 2014, and returning without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. He was found in Morgan County unlawfully on March 29, 2018. Sentencing is set for October 3, 2018. Mr. Cervantes-Mondragon faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
This case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly S. Easterling.
JOSE SERRANO-HERNANDEZ a citizen of Mexico, entered a guilty plea to Illegal Reentry on August 8, 2018 before Senior U.S. District Court Judge C. Ashley Royal. Mr. Serrano Hernandez was indicted on the charge on June 12, 2018, after being removed and deported from the United States on January 22, 2009 and March 31, 2015, and returning without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. He was found in Athens-Clarke County unlawfully on May 3, 2018. Sentencing is set for October 3, 2018. Mr. Serrano-Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
This case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly S. Easterling.
BALDEMAR LOPEZ AGUILON, aka ELIAS LOPEZ-GOMEZ, a citizen of Guatemala, entered a plea of guilty on August 28, 2018 to a Superseding Information charging him with Illegal Reentry after being removed and deported from the United States on July 30, 2003 and July 18, 2012 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. He was found in Butts County unlawfully on June 8, 2018. His sentencing is scheduled for October 17, 2018. He faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. McCommon III.
BRAULIO CARRILLO-CARRILLO, a citizen of Mexico, entered a plea of guilty on August 28, 2018 to Illegal Reentry after being removed and deported from the United States on June 5, 2012, September 16, 2012, June 9, 2013, June 16, 2013 and June 16, 2015, and returning without the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. He was found in Houston County unlawfully on February 7, 2018. He was sentenced on August 28, 2018 to time served.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. McCommon III.
Questions concerning these cases should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Six People Linked to Santa Fe Springs Street Gang Have Been Convicted of Federal Racketeering and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Six members of the Canta Ranas Organization (CRO) – a violent, Mexican Mafia-affiliated criminal enterprise composed of members and associates of the Canta Ranas street gang – have been convicted of numerous federal offenses, including participating in a racketeering scheme.
The six defendants linked to Canta Ranas, a gang that operates primarily in Santa Fe Springs and Whittier, each were found guilty of being part of a conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The convictions came in two jury trials, the second of which ended this week.
“This dangerous organization caused misery in several communities by regularly engaging in acts of violence, drug trafficking and other criminal acts,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “These convictions are part a larger case that illustrates our dedication to improve our communities by combating the mayhem caused by violent criminal gangs. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners, including local police agencies like the Whittier Police Department, who make it possible for us to bring significant criminal cases that reduce the negative impacts caused by groups like the Mexican Mafia.”
After three weeks of testimony, the first trial concluded on August 27 with three CRO members being found guilty of various federal offenses, including violating the RICO Act. The defendants found guilty by the federal jury were:
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Enrique Holguin, also known as “Boxer,” 56, a senior member of the Canta Ranas gang, who was shown to have been in direct communication with the leader of the CRO – Mexican Mafia member David Gavaldon, who is currently serving a life sentence in state prison after being convicted of murder. Prosecutors argued that Holguin played a key role in the CRO, which included acting on behalf of Gavaldon to set up a “mesa” – an ad hoc commission of Mexican Mafia-affiliated inmates designed to control illegal activities – inside the California Institute for Men in Chino. In addition to the RICO conspiracy count, the jury also convicted Holguin of committing a violent act in aid of racketeering (VICAR) for his role in the attempted assault of a fellow inmate at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown because the intended target was perceived to be an informant for law enforcement authorities.
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Donald Goulet, also known as “Wacky,” 31, was a foot soldier involved in drug trafficking, collecting extortionate “taxes,” and committing violent crimes on behalf of Gavaldon and the CRO. At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Goulet was also tasked with helping Gavaldon to expand the CRO’s territory into Riverside. Prosecutors also presented evidence of a home invasion robbery, during which Goulet and a co-conspirator tied up victims with duct tape at gun point while they ransacked the victims’ home. The federal jury convicted Goulet of participating in the RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
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Emanuel Higuera, also known as “Blanco,” 33 – who was a member of the Brown Brotherhood, another gang controlled by Gavaldon – was found guilty of trafficking drugs on behalf of the CRO. In addition to the RICO conspiracy, Higuera was found guilty of methamphetamine-related offenses, one of which involved Higuera attempting to assault law enforcement officers.
On the second day of the August trial, a fourth defendant, Juan Nila, 25, pleaded guilty to his involvement in the RICO conspiracy and drug trafficking conspiracy.
The second trial concluded on Tuesday after a jury heard testimony for one week. After only two hours of deliberations, the jury convicted two more members of the CRO on charges of conspiracy to violate RICO, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The two defendants found guilty were:
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Monica Rodriguez, also known as “Smiley,” 40, one of Gavaldon’s “secretaries,” who passed gang-related messages between Gavaldon and gang members, and generally acted as Gavaldon’s eyes and ears on the street. During the trial, the jury saw a video of a meeting between Rodriguez and Gavaldon, who at the time was being housed in Pelican Bay State Prison, in which Rodriguez asked Gavaldon to order the death of another member of the organization.
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Alexis Jaimez, also known as “Lex,” 30, another CRO “foot soldier,” who was involved in a failed scheme to smuggle drugs into a California state prison. The evidence presented at the trial also showed that that Jaimez was involved in a gang-related assault that resulted in severe, permanent injuries to the victim.
As a result of these convictions, all six defendants face a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Additionally, Goulet, Higuera, Rodriguez, and Jaimez face mandatory minimum prison terms of 10 years, while Nila faces a mandatory minimum prison term of five years. United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner is scheduled to sentence these defendants later this year.
These two trials arise from a federal grand jury indictment charging 48 defendants that was the result of Operation “Frog Legs.” With the recent convictions and guilty pleas from several other defendants, 38 defendants remain scheduled to go to trial in groups beginning in November.
Operation Frog Legs is the result of an investigation by the Southern California Drug Task Force, which is led by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative. The Task Force members that participated in Operation Frog Legs were U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation, the Whittier Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Correctional Safety, Special Service Unit.
The trial prosecutors for the two recent trials were Assistant United States Attorneys Carol Alexis Chen, Jamie A. Lang, Victoria A. Degtyareva, Kathy Yu, and Chelsea Norell, who are all members of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
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Silver Spring Pimp Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of Two MinorsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Roland Chick Akum, age 25, formerly of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for two counts of sex trafficking of a minor. Judge Blake imposed the sentence on September 18, 2018, and also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Akum must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to Akum’s plea agreement, between June and August 2017, Akum, a/k/a “Rayne,” transported two minor females, 15 and 17 years old, respectively, to a motel in College Park, Maryland, in order to engage in commercial sex acts. Akum used Backpage, a website that marketed commercial sex, to advertise the girls and kept a portion of the proceeds that customers paid the girls for commercial sex acts. On July 7, 2017, the 15-year-old girl left Akum and the hotel and contacted law enforcement authorities. Akum continued to traffic the 17-year-old girl until he was arrested on August 10, 2017, as part of an undercover operation targeting Backpage, and was released on bond the following day.
On September 30, 2017, Akum, who is a citizen of Cameroon, purchased a one-way ticket from Dulles International Airport to Cameroon, scheduled to depart on October 12, 2017. Akum was arrested again on October 3, 2017, and remains in custody.
This case was investigated by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks and Chief Tim Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Ray D. McKenzie, who prosecuted the case.
Russellville Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, along with Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Division, announced today that Carson Arcia, 33, of Russellville, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.
United States District Court Judge D. Price Marshall, Jr., sentenced Arcia on Wednesday following an investigation that revealed Arcia had produced child pornography of an infant girl. Judge Marshall also ordered that Arcia remain on supervised release for the rest of his life.
The investigation began on May 11, 2015, when HSI agents discovered images of child pornography being shared on the internet through a photo-sharing website. Agents were able to trace those images to Arcia and obtained a search warrant for his home.
On July 23, 2015, agents conducted a search of Arcia’s home. Arcia admitted to using the internet to download child pornography, and he told agents he was in possession of over one thousand images and videos of child pornography. Agents collected three laptop computers, four hard drives, and a number of other electronic devices. Forensic examination of those devices revealed more than 1800 still photos and more than 600 videos of child pornography.
Among those videos, agents discovered that some of them had been created by Arcia himself. The videos show a progression of deviant sexual behavior. Initially, Arcia went to stores, laundromats, and other locations, where he would sneak up behind women and film up their skirts. He later began masturbating at these locations, and filmed his actions.
More recent videos on his computer included Arcia approaching children in public locations. Arcia would stand near children while the children were in shopping carts or standing with their parents. He would put his penis in front of the children’s faces and film their reaction.
Several videos depicted two young girls, approximately two to three years old. Arcia videoed himself holding candy in his hand to entice a little girl, and then putting his penis in his hand next to the candy. The image that Arcia pleaded guilty to producing was a video of himself with a female baby, described as an infant, on a changing table. Arcia pushed the baby’s diaper to the side, focused his camera on the area exposed, and masturbated next to the baby, touching her leg with his penis.
Arcia was indicted on August 1, 2017, in a three-count indictment charging him with production of child pornography, receipt and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. On April 30, 2018, Arcia pleaded guilty to production of child pornography.
There is no parole in the federal system. When Arcia is released upon completion of his 22-year sentence, he will remain on supervised release for the rest of his life. Conditions of his supervised release include registering as a sex offender and having no contact with minors.
The case was investigated by HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allison Bragg.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line athttp://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter: @EDARNEWS
Rochester Drug Kingpin Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Colin B. Montague, 63, of Greece, NY, who was convicted after a seven-week jury trial of operating a continuing criminal enterprise, drug conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering, was sentenced to serve life in prison by U.S. Chief District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The judge also ordered a $10,000,000 money judgment against the defendant, which represented the gross proceeds Montague obtained from the criminal enterprise.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Marangola and Brett A. Harvey, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that the defendant was the head of a national cocaine trafficking organization involving individuals in Rochester, NY; Arizona; California; and Nevada. Through the organization, Montague was responsible for arranging the transportation of several hundred kilograms of cocaine from the western United States to the Rochester area between 2008 and June 2014. The organization used various methods for transporting the cocaine, including tractor-trailers, drug couriers, and sending packages of cocaine through the U.S mail. After receiving the shipments, the defendant and other members of the organization would distribute the cocaine to other upper-level and mid-level drug traffickers in the Rochester area.
The organization was uncovered by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Rochester Police Department after a wiretap investigation culminated in the seizure of a six-kilogram shipment of cocaine from a courier as the drugs were being transported from Pennsylvania to Rochester. After seizure of that drug shipment, Montague fled to Atlanta, Georgia, where he lived under a false identity for six months until he was captured by the United States Marshals Service.
The defendant also owned and operated Montague Enterprise, Inc., a real estate business in Rochester. During the conspiracy, Montague laundered more than $2,350,000 in drug proceeds through bank accounts associated with the real estate business. Also, the defendant purchased six properties in the Rochester area using drug proceeds. As part of the sentence, Montague was ordered to forfeit of sums of money from the sale of 19 real properties owned by Montague Enterprises, Inc. that were sold by the U.S. Marshals and that represented either proceeds of the narcotics enterprise or were involved in money laundering.
“The life sentence imposed upon this defendant should serve as a warning to those who seek to enrich themselves by selling drugs and, in so doing, destroying the lives of others,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “At this point, all of money in the world would be insufficient to purchase the defendant even one second of freedom, and thus, in the end, his conduct literally cost him everything—in fact, even his own life can be added to the list of those destroyed by his drug-dealing.”
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Mark Simmons; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge; and the United States Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
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Rhode Island Man Charged in Million Dollar Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man was arrested today and charged in connection with a scheme to embezzle over a million dollars from a Massachusetts company.
Michael H. Tran, 34, of Woonsocket, R.I., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Tran was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
According to the indictment, Tran and a product manager for a Bellingham, Mass. company that specializes in manufacturing precision machine parts, worked together to embezzle millions of dollars from the company. From December 2013 to May 2016, it is alleged that the product manager told the company owners that he was purchasing equipment for the company using his PayPal account, which was linked to the company’s credit cards. Instead of making legitimate equipment purchases, however, the product manager used his PayPal account to pay Tran, who withdrew the money in cash and used it to pay for personal expenses. Tran and the product manager concealed the fraud by submitting fraudulent invoices and purchase orders to the company in the name of non-existent vendors, such as “A Plug Tool Supply,” and “MHT Industrial.”
The charging statute for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of Lelling’s Economic Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Physician and Two Clinic Operators Found Guilty for Their Roles in $17 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a physician and two clinic owners and operators guilty yesterday for their roles in a $17 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
John P. Ramirez (Ramirez), M.D., 64; Ann Nwoko Shepherd (Shepherd), 62; and Yvette Nwoko (Nwoko), 30, all of Houston, Texas, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud after a six-day trial. In addition, Nwoko was convicted of three counts of health care fraud, Shepherd was convicted of six counts of health care fraud and Ramirez was convicted of three counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12 before U.S. District Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas, who presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, from approximately December 2011 to August 2015, Ramirez, Shepherd and Nwoko conspired and schemed to defraud Medicare out of payments for medical services. Shepherd owned and operated Southwest Total Medical Inc., a purported medical clinic doing business as Amex Medical Clinic in Houston. Shepherd sold medical orders and other documents signed by Ramirez to home-health agencies in and around Houston. Ramirez falsely certified in these medical orders information about the patient’s medical condition and need for medical services. Co-conspirators at home-health agencies then used the false and fraudulent paperwork signed by Ramirez and sold by Shepherd to bill and receive payment from Medicare for medical services that were not medically necessary or not provided. Later in the conspiracy and scheme, Nwoko acted as the manager of Amex Medical Clinic where she too sold false and fraudulent paperwork used by co-conspirators to bill and receive payment from Medicare for similarly unnecessary medical services, the evidence showed. Shepherd also caused Amex Medical Clinic to bill Medicare for purported physician services that were actually provided by an unlicensed practitioner, if at all, the evidence showed.
In all, Ramirez, Shepherd and Nwoko caused Medicare to pay approximately $17 million on false and fraudulent claims submitted during the charged conspiracy, the evidence showed.
This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Trial Attorney Scott Armstrong of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Ansari of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in 12 cities across the country, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Pennsylvania Man Admits Committing Three Robberies and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man today admitted committing three armed robberies in Salem, Ocean, and Cumberland counties in November 2017, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Terrance Robinson, 31, of Havertown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of bank robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 1, 2017, Robinson and Jeffery Edmonds, 45, of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, drove together to a convenience store in Upper Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey, stopping along the way to pick up a handgun and remove the license plates from the car that Edmonds was driving. After arriving at the convenience store, Edmonds remained in the getaway car while Robinson entered the store with the handgun and stole some money.
Edmonds and Robinson robbed an Ocean First Bank in Upper Deerfield Township, New Jersey, on Nov. 6, 2017, and a Fulton Savings Bank in Alloway Township, New Jersey, on Nov. 14, 2017. Prior to robbing the banks, Edmonds and Robinson removed the license plates from the getaway car. Robinson stayed in the getaway car while Edmonds entered the banks and robbed them with a handgun.
Each of the three robbery counts carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence charge carries a consecutive minimum term of five years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment. Each offense also carries a potential $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2019.
Edmonds previously pleaded guilty for his alleged roles in the robberies, and his sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 16, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster in Philadelphia, special agents of the FBI Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie, and officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara A. Aliabadi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Paterson, New Jersey, Woman Admits Distributing Fake Percocet Pills Containing HeroinRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, woman today admitted conspiring to distribute thousands of pills containing heroin in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Karen Rojas, 28, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of substances containing heroin.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
At their residence in Paterson, Rojas’ boyfriend, Juan Vidal, manufactured pills that were made with heroin and that were made to resemble Percocet pills. Vidal used a press to make the pills and Rojas then sold the pills for approximately $5 dollars per pill. Between February 2018 and April 2018, Rojas sold thousands of pills that were manufactured by Vidal.
On April 18, 2018, for example, in a recorded transaction, Rojas was asked by a cooperating witness for 100-150 heroin pills. Rojas sold the cooperating witness 40 heroin pills, for approximately $200, and Rojas indicated that Vidal needed to “get supplies,” meaning to purchase more heroin, in order to make additional pills.
Rojas and Vidal were previously charged by criminal complaint in April 2018 with conspiracy to distribute these drugs. Vidal entered a guilty plea on Sept. 12, 2018, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18, 2018.
The distribution of narcotics offense carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years imprisonment, a maximum penalty of 40 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $5 million. Rojas’ sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.
Defense counsel: Paul Uhlik Esq., Clifton, New Jersey
Operation Hardest Hit Heroin Supplier Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to life in prison and ordered to forfeit $5.7 million for leading, organizing, and supplying a major heroin trafficking operation that resulted in at least one death.
“Leroy Perdue pumped a massive quantity of heroin into Hampton Roads for nearly a decade,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This eight-time previously convicted drug felon supplied heroin while armed. He supplied heroin to gang members. He even continued to supply heroin after discovering his drugs resulted in a fatal overdose. This case is a prime example of the power of law enforcement collaboration, and a fitting result for a defendant who choose to destroy families by trafficking opioids. I want to thank our prosecutors and our investigative partners for their extraordinary effort and dedication to this important case.”
According to court documents, Leroy Perdue, aka “Dink,” “Big Heat,” 46, served as the primary leader and organizer of a Hampton Roads based heroin trafficking organization distributed in excess of 100 kilograms of heroin (approximately 250,000 doses) over a 10-year period. In May, following a two-week trial, a federal jury found Perdue guilty of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute one kilogram or more of heroin; interstate travel in aid of racketeering; and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
“With this final conviction and life sentence, one of the largest heroin trafficking operations in Hampton Roads has been completely shut down and we have taken one of the biggest drug dealers in the region off the streets,” said Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia. “My team and I have worked alongside both federal and local partners to interrupt the flow of heroin and fentanyl that drug dealers like Perdue pump into our communities. Multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency operations like Operation Hardest Hit continue to put dangerous individuals behind bars while also educating the public on the dangers of these drugs. I want to thank everyone involved with Operation Hardest Hit and securing this important conviction.”
On Aug. 14, 2017, over 300 law enforcement agents made arrests and executed search warrants in Virginia, Georgia, and New York. The takedown was the result of a multi-year, multi-jurisdictional, and multi-agency Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation designated Operation Hardest Hit.
“For years this defendant and his associates preyed on vulnerable people for profit and greed,” said Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division. “They celebrated and bragged about their criminal enterprise, and showed no concern for its impact on the community or remorse when they learned their crimes resulted in death. Their conduct defied basic decency and demonstrates the need for vigilance and collaboration by law enforcement in targeting high level traffickers and violent criminal organizations that poison our community and terrorize our neighborhoods.”
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Leroy Perdue and his drug trafficking organization (Perdue DTO) in early 2016 following the heroin overdose death of a young resident of Chesapeake. With the participation of nearly two dozen Confidential Human Sources, law enforcement infiltrated the Perdue DTO and made 10 undercover controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl. On June 22, the investigative team arrested Rhadu Schoolfield, 33, of Portsmouth, in Norfolk with more than 800 grams of heroin after he returned from a trip to New York. According to the indictment, the Perdue DTO Members of the Perdue DTO were responsible for supplying a violent gang based in Portsmouth and continued to sell dangerous narcotics even after learning that their drugs resulted in death.
Perdue, who described himself as the “Dogfood King” (“dogfood” is slang for heroin), financed the production of a music video for his co-conspirator and cousin, Rhadu Schoolfield, called, “Dumb Hard,” which contained children singing lyrics along with Schoolfield and other co-conspirators that glamorized the drug trade. According to one court filing, Perdue had at least eight prior adult felony drug convictions.
Twelve of Perdue’s co-conspirators, including his son, two cousins, and several close childhood friends were sentenced to a combined total of nearly 170 years of imprisonment. See table below for sentencing details:
Name, Age
Hometown
Date Imposed
Sentence
Rhadu J. Schoolfield, 33
Portsmouth
February 21, 2018
288 months
Abraham A. Atkins, 35
Portsmouth
December 12, 2017
240 months
Tywon McKelvy, 42
New York
April 5, 2018
235 months
Darion D. Perdue, 24
Portsmouth
October 17, 2017
228 months
Eddie L. Tyson, 46
Portsmouth
December 12, 2017
180 months
Dominic Diablo Mosley, 35
Portsmouth
January 30, 2018
180 months
Kevin R. Lawrence, 37
Portsmouth
January 31, 2018
96 months
Nicholas W. Godwin, 37
Portsmouth
September 6, 2017
148 months
Jamars A. Cooper, 26
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
132 months
Victoria A. Waller, 42
Portsmouth
January 3, 2018
126 months
Edward W. Muckle, 32
Portsmouth
December 13, 2017
108 months
Christina N. James, 41
New York
February 7, 2018
60 months
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division, and Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson, Kevin P. Hudson, and Andrew C. Bosse prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-116.
Ohio County man sentenced for cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Kevin J. Pugh, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for a cocaine charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Pugh, age 38, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location” in June 2018. Pugh admitted to selling cocaine near Bloch Playground in October 2017 in Ohio County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, are investigating. The United States Marshals Service made the arrest.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.O'Fallon Bank Robbery Suspect Charged, Remanded to Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
The man accused of robbing the First National Bank of Waterloo in O’Fallon, Illinois, on September 6th is now in federal custody, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today. Daryl A. Smith, 48, of Cahokia, Illinois, was arrested at a friend’s home on Tuesday based upon a federal complaint and arrest warrant issued on September 11.
Earlier today, a federal grand jury in East St. Louis, Illinois, returned a one-count indictment charging Smith with the bank robbery. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Smith made his initial appearance at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis this morning and pleaded not guilty. He was ordered detained until trial, which is currently set to begin on November 5.
The investigation was conducted by the O’Fallon Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Nonprofit Organization and Its Management Company Agree to Pay over $500,000 to Resolve Allegations of Grant FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The National Association of State Chief Information Officers, Inc. (NASCIO) and American Management Resources, Inc. (AMR) have agreed to pay the United States $528,575.82 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by making false and misleading statements in connection with obtaining grants from the Department of Justice’s National Justice Information Sharing Initiative.
This civil settlement resolves allegations that NASCIO failed to disclose conflicts of interest related to its contract with AMR that were required to be disclosed under the grant program’s rules. The United States contends that the failure to disclose these conflicts of interest resulted in the DOJ approving grant funding that NASCIO would not have otherwise been awarded.
“This settlement sends a clear message that recipients of federally funded grants must strictly adhere to the regulations applicable to those grants and fully and fairly disclose the information called for under these grants,” stated Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Both NASCIO and AMR have responsibly and expeditiously addressed the concerns raised by the United States, and we expect other grant recipients who do not follow the applicable regulations will do the same.”
“This investigation demonstrates the DOJ-OIG’s commitment to ensure that tax payer dollars are used appropriately, and that only authorized grant recipients who follow regulations and provide full disclosure to the government receive DOJ grant funds,” stated William J. Hannah, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s (DOJ-OIG) Chicago Field Office.
This case was a result of an investigation by the DOJ-OIG Chicago Field Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer A. Williams handled the matter for the United States. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Extortion ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tony John Evans, 30, formerly of New York, N.Y., pled guilty today to extortion related to a wide-ranging scheme that caused a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his employer in Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Evans pled guilty before the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of interference with interstate commerce by extortion and aiding and abetting and causing an act to be done. Judge Sullivan scheduled sentencing for Jan. 24, 2019. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Evans faces an estimated range of 57 to 71 months in prison and a fine of up to $200,000.
Evans and several members of his family were indicted in April 2018.
In his plea agreement, Evans admitted that from November 2016 through April 2017, he worked with several individuals to extort and defraud others out of money, precious metals, and luxury merchandise. As part of the scheme, he pretended to be a mobster in order to get a Maryland man to provide him and his fellow conspirators with money, luxury goods, and gold. Evans threatened to harm the man and his family if payments were not made.
As a result of Evans and other conspirators’ actions, the man embezzled more than $4 million from his employer in the District of Columbia over a three-month period for the purpose of providing it to Evans and the other conspirators. Towards the end of the conspiracy, the man delivered more than $1 million in gold—which he had purchased with embezzled funds—to a hotel in New York. Evans admitted that he retrieved the gold bars, delivered them to other individuals, and sold several of the bars to a gold dealer in New York in exchange for cash.
In October 2017, the FBI executed a search warrant on Evans’s safe deposit box at a bank in New York. The safe deposit box contained gold and expensive jewelry, including luxury watches and diamonds. As part of his plea agreement, Evans agreed to forfeit his rights to all of the items recovered from the safe deposit box. He also surrendered two additional one-kilogram gold bars to the FBI, along with a Rolex watch, which he purchased with criminal proceeds.
Charges against five co-defendants remain pending.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. They expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas, who is assisting with forfeiture issues, Paralegal Specialists Brittany Phillips and Joshua Fein, former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi and Kristy Penny, and Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kent and Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and are prosecuting the case.
New Haven Gang Enforcer Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS PADILLA, also known as “Chewie,” 25, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 216 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a violent New Haven street gang.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2014, ATF and the New Haven Police Department began “Operation Red Side” through a series of controlled narcotics purchases and firearms seizures. The investigation revealed that members and associates of the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a sect of the Bloods street gang based in New Haven, were engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies. In addition to distributing crack cocaine and other narcotics in and around New Haven, the investigation indicated that members and associates of the RSGB, under the direction of Jeffrey Benton and others, transported the drugs to Bangor, Maine, and sold them in Bangor and its surrounding communities. The RSGB also traded narcotics for firearms, brought the firearms back to New Haven and distributed them to gang members.
PADILLA was an RSGB enforcer who committed shootings and robberies on behalf of the gang. He also traveled to Maine several times at Benton’s direction to watch over the gang’s drug trafficking operation.
PADILLA has been detained since August 18, 2014. On that date, a search of his residence revealed a loaded .45 caliber handgun and a box of .45 caliber auto ammunition.
PADILLA subsequently began assisting the government in the prosecution of this matter.
On September 29, 2015, PADILLA pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity, one count of murder in aid of racketeering, and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
In pleading guilty, PADILLA admitted his involvement in the gang-related murders of Derrick Suggs on March 18, 2011; Kevin Lee on April 20, 2011, and Donell Allick on June 24, 2011. He also admitted that he shot and wounded individuals in New Haven on February 23 and March 29, 2011, and that he participated in a home invasion robbery on Putnam Street in New Haven on May 30, 2012. He further admitted his role in the trafficking of narcotics in Connecticut and Maine, and that, as a convicted felon, he illegally possessed a firearm and ammunition on August 18, 2014.
On March 16, 2017, PADILLA pleaded guilty to the additional offenses of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In pleading guilty, PADILLA admitted that, on March 14, 2009, when he was 16 years old and prior to his membership in RSGB, he shot and killed Thomas Daniels, Jr., during a failed robbery attempt in New Haven.
As a result of this investigation, 21 members and associates of the RSGB were convicted of federal charges in Connecticut and Maine. The investigation has resolved seven murder cases, four attempted murders and four armed robberies that occurred in 2011 and 2012, and the 2009 murder of Thomas Daniels, Jr. PADILLA is the last defendant to be sentenced.
Benton pleaded guilty to various offenses stemming from this investigation and admitted that he participated in four gang-related murders and one attempted murder. On October 4, 2017, he was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their prison term and are not eligible for parole.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hamden Police Department. The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office also provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of the investigation was the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter was prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Markle and Jocelyn Kaoutzanis. A related case in the District of Maine was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey.
Multi-Convicted Felon Charged with Firearms and Drug Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Braddock, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug and firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The three-count indictment, returned on September 18, named Mario Tiller, age 40, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on June 19, 2018, Tiller possessed with intent to distribute cocaine base, commonly known as crack. The indictment further alleges that Tiller unlawfully possessed a Glock 9 millimeter pistol in furtherance of the drug offense, after having been convicted of multiple crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. Those convictions include two convictions for possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, two convictions for terroristic threats, and one conviction for theft by unlawful taking. Federal law prohibits anyone who has been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of $1,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christy C. Wiegand is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, along with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Middlesex County, New Jersey, Man Indicted for Using Phony Payments, False Identity Theft Claims to Obtain FundsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Old Bridge, New Jersey, man was indicted today for allegedly using phony payments and false identity theft claims to deceive credit card companies and banks into giving him funds and extending credit, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Sandy John Masselli, 56, was initially arrested in October 2017 and charged by complaint with bank and wire fraud. Today’s indictment similarly charges Masselli with three counts of bank fraud and three counts of wire fraud.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From June 2014 through July 2017, Masselli engaged in three separate but related schemes to fraudulently obtain credit and funds from various credit card companies and two brokerage firms.
In one, Masselli opened accounts with certain credit card companies, made purchases with these accounts until he had almost reached or exceeded the credit limit, and then purported to send payments from bank accounts that he knew did not have sufficient funds to cover the purchases. Before the fraudulent payments were rejected for insufficient funds, the credit card companies temporarily credited Masselli’s accounts based on those payments, providing him access to additional credit and allowing him to continue to make purchases. Masselli failed to pay these balances and the credit card companies sustained substantial losses.
In another scheme, Masselli opened credit accounts with two credit card companies, made thousands of dollars in purchases, and then falsely represented to these credit card companies that the accounts had been opened fraudulently and used without his authorization, causing these companies to close the accounts and sustain losses.
As part of a third scheme, Masselli attempted to deposit more than $600,000 in checks from a closed account into a new brokerage account, which he then tried to use for various personal expenses. Those transfers were unsuccessful because the checks he deposited were ultimately returned as unpaid.
The bank fraud counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The wire fraud counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Gregory W. Ehrie, with the investigation leading to today’s indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas P. Grippo of the Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Memphis Campaign Targets Illegal Gun PurchasesRead the Press Release
NSSF, ATF, U.S. Attorney, Area Law Enforcement Emphasize ‘Don't Lie for the Other Guy’
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — As part of an ongoing national effort to help prevent illegal "straw" purchases of firearms, the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Tennessee, are reminding the public in the Memphis area that stiff penalties are in place for individuals convicted of such purchases.
Billboard advertisements for the "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program have been purchased by NSSF in key locations throughout the region with the message: "Buy a gun for someone who can't and buy yourself 10 years in jail. Don't Lie for the Other Guy."
The month-long public awareness campaign was officially launched September 18, 2018, with a short program at the Bass Pro Shops, 1 Bass Pro Dr., Memphis, Tenn. Present at the event were representatives of the ATF Nashville Field Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, Shelby County Attorney’s Office, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Memphis, Memphis Police Department and NSSF.
More than 22.5 million impressions will be delivered via billboards, digital and social media advertising around Memphis along with more than a half a million impressions through 30-second radio spots airing on local stations. Memphis was chosen for this special campaign by ATF. No taxpayer dollars are used. The program is funded in full by the firearms industry.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "As part of our violent crime reduction strategy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seeks to keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited and dangerous persons, and to remove violent offenders from our streets. We thank and commend the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the ATF for their shared crime prevention efforts to warn people about the consequences of providing firearms to prohibited persons such as convicted felons. Don’t Lie for the Other Guy, or you will be facing up to 10 years in federal prison."
"As evidenced, the firearms industry is proud of its longstanding cooperative relationship with the ATF and the entire law enforcement community by assisting them in their efforts to combat the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms," said NSSF Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel.
"Don't Lie" is a cooperative programbetween ATF and NSSF, the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry. The effort was developed more than a decade ago to raise public awareness about the seriousness of the crime of purchasing a firearm for someone who cannot legally do so. The program also helps ATF educate firearms dealers so they can be better prepared to deter potential straw purchases. The public campaign drives home the message that anyone attempting an illegal firearm purchase faces a stiff federal felony penalty of up to 10 years in jail or up to $250,000 in fines.
To legally purchase a firearm, a person must be able to pass an FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check and fully comply with state and local laws. When a criminal knows he cannot pass this check, he may try to induce a friend or other person to make the purchase on his behalf, which is known as a straw purchase and is a felony.
This public awareness campaign constitutes only part of the "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" outreach effort. The full "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program, which also involves educating firearms retailers to better detect and prevent straw purchases, has been rolled out in major cities throughout the country. In the retailer segment, federal firearms licensees are provided a "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" retailer kit containing a training video and informational brochure for storeowners and staff, as well as point-of-purchase displays aimed to deter illegal straw purchases.
Some of the Memphis area billboard locations and radio stations airing public service announcements are provided below:
Billboards:
• Several locations along I-240
• Several locations along I-40
• Several locations along I-55
Radio Stations:
• KJMS (V101)
• KWNW (101.9 KISS FM)
• WHRK (K97.1)
• WMC 790 AM
• WREC 600 AM.
Learn more about Don't Lie for the Other Guy at www.dontlie.org.
About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 12,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.