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29 August 2018
International Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Importing Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOEL BRANFORD, a/k/a “Joel Bransord,” a/k/a “Jose Cabeza,” was sentenced on August 27, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods to 168 months in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. BRANFORD pled guilty before Judge Woods on June 22, 2017.
According to the Indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, previous court filings, and statements made at public court proceedings:
In January 2010, BRANFORD, who had previously fled the United States to Panama, conspired to import more than 100 kilograms of cocaine via a container ship to be sent to the Port of New York-New Jersey. In January 2010, law enforcement officers intercepted the container and found inside more than approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine. On January 29, 2010, law enforcement authorities intercepted, pursuant to a Court-authorized wiretap, a telephone conversation during which BRANFORD threatened a co-conspirator, whom BRANFORD believed had stolen the shipment that was seized by law enforcement. Throughout 2010, Panamanian law enforcement intercepted calls by BRANFORD, during which BRANFORD regularly discussed making large shipments of narcotics in containers.
BRANFORD also used weapons in the course of his narcotics trafficking business. In July 2010, Panamanian law enforcement searched BRANFORD’s residence and vehicle and found two firearms, four magazines, and 223 bullets, along with 21 cellphones. Previously, in 2003, law enforcement officers searched BRANFORD’s home in Virginia, where he lived at the time, and recovered two firearms, including a semi-automatic submachine gun, and two bullet-proof vests, as well as cocaine.
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In addition to his prison sentence, BRANFORD, 46, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program and the Special Operations Division, as well as the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and thanked the Customs and Border Protection, the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, and the Waterfront Commission of New York/New Jersey for their assistance in this investigation. Mr. Berman also thanked DEA’s Panama City, San Jose (Costa Rica), and Belgium Country Offices, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Panamanian National Police for their cooperation and assistance.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys David Abramowicz, Amanda Houle, and Matthew Podolsky are in charge of the prosecution.
Indictment: Homeless Man Robbed Credit Union in TopekaRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A homeless man was indicted today on a federal charge of robbing a credit union in Topeka, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Robert Charles Frazier, 63, is charged with one count of robbery. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 20, 2018, he robbed the Azura Credit Union at 1129 South Kansas Ave. An off-duty Topeka police officer working security at the credit union arrested Frazier.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Topeka Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Ruth M. Eidson, formerly known as Ruth M. Moler-Dotter, 27, White City, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with three counts of theft by a postal employee. The indictment alleges she stole DVDs from the mail on Feb. 3, March 3 and March 25, 2016. The crime is alleged to have occurred in Wabaunsee County, Kan.
If convicted, she faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting.
Kyle L. Eidson, 32, White City, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of theft by a postal employee. The indictment alleges Eidson took gift cards and Netflix DVDs from the mail. The crime is alleged to have occurred Feb. 11, 2016, in Wabaunsee County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting.
Travis Eugene Sims, 28, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 14, 2018, in Shawnee County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Independence Business Owner Charged with Arson of Rival Business, ResidenceRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., business owner was charged in federal court today with participating in a conspiracy to commit arson against a rival business as well as a residence.
William “Bill” Joseph Reneau, 41, of Overland Park, Kansas, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Reneau is the owner of Gold Rush Exchange, which has locations on 40 Highway and 24 Highway in Independence.
Today’s federal criminal complaint charges Reneau with one count of conspiracy to commit arson. The complaint alleges that Reneau participated in a conspiracy to destroy an Independence residence and a business, Bobby Jackson’s Trading, a gold-buying business operated by a former employee of Reneau’s at 302 E. 23rd Street in Independence.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, Reneau hired others to damage Bobby Jackson’s Trading in July and August of 2017, then to burn the business as well as a residence owned by his wife’s ex-husband in August 2018.
Reneau allegedly paid R.Y. $800 to damage the Bobby Jackson’s Trading building, the affidavit says. On July 17, 2017, the affidavit says, R.Y. drove a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee into the front of the business, backing into the building and colliding with the front door and the front business windows. The stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee was located later by the Independence Police Department, unoccupied and still running with evidence from the damaged building still attached to the vehicle. The damage was approximately $10,000.
On Aug. 4, 2017, the affidavit says, R.Y. set fire to Bobby Jackson’s Trading. During the investigation, investigators located what appeared to be containers that were used to bring gasoline to the business and set the fire near the front doors and windows. The fire caused approximately $5,000 dollars in damage to the exterior and interior of the business. Reneau allegedly paid R.Y. $800 for setting the fire.
Reneau allegedly also paid $500 to another person, T.T., to have the Independence residence, which was unoccupied, burned down. He obtained details of the residence online and provided that information for the person doing the arson.
On Aug. 13, 2018, police officers responded to the house fire. Investigators determined the fire originated on the exterior of the home on the back deck. An outdoor rug was located within the area of origin that was partially burned and had an odor consistent with that of gasoline. A melted red plastic gasoline container was also observed next to the rug.
A set of keys and a key fob for a Pontiac G6 were located on the ground at the foot of the steps leading up to the rear deck. During the fire scene investigation, a neighbor contacted investigators and advised them that a suspicious vehicle (Pontiac G6) had been left at the intersection of Truman and Ranson Street. The reporting neighbor had observed an unknown male rummaging through the Pontiac G6, immediately after the fire was observed at the residence behind the reporting neighbor. When the unknown male heard the sirens from emergency vehicles, he walked away from the vehicle. The key recovered from the fire scene was able to unlock the abandoned vehicle.
Inside the vehicle, officers found a Missouri temporary driver’s license for T.T., who later told investigators that he intentionally set the fire at the residence. T.T. admitted to burning his legs and sections of his arm in the process of setting the fire and to losing his keys to his vehicle, which he identified as a Pontiac G6 that he had parked a street over from the target residence.
T.T. told investigators that B.E., the store manager at Gold Rush Exchange, to whom he sold stolen gold jewelry, had hired him to commit the residential arson. T.T. indicated he only agreed to set the fire because B.E. threatened to turn him into the police since he held onto all of the stolen gold T.T. had previously sold to him. T.T. told investigators that he began recording his conversations with B.E. using a digital recorder.
T.T. told investigators that B.E. also hired him to torch Bobby Jackson’s Trading Company. T.T. said he poured one jug of gasoline on the ground outside of the business and he threw another jug of gasoline onto the roof. T.T. told investigators that he got spooked and decided not to light the fire.
Independence detectives conducted a controlled sale of purportedly stolen jewelry between T.T. and B.E. on Aug. 24, 2018, in the parking lot of Gold Rush Exchange. B.E. was arrested when he left the business.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in Calcasieu Parish pleads guilty to illegally re-entering U.S.Read the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty Tuesday to re-entering the United States after being deported for the fifth time.
Alfredo Sanchez-Hernandez, 39, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay on one count of illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to the guilty plea, Sanchez-Hernandez was found in Calcasieu Parish on March 5, 2018 to be illegally in the United States. After further investigation, law enforcement agents discovered that Sanchez-Hernandez had been previously removed from the United States on four occasions with the most recent being on February 15, 2010 near San Ysidro, California. The defendant was convicted in California in May of 2000 for possession of heroin and was not allowed to re-enter the United States.
Sanchez-Hernandez faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case.
Illegal Alien Admits to Human SmugglingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A Mexican National illegally in the United States has entered a guilty plea to attempting to smuggle four illegal aliens through the brush which resulted in death, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Sergio Daniel Barba-Rayo, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiring to move an alien illegally in the United States.
Barba-Rayo was guiding a group of illegal aliens around the U.S. Border Patrol (BP) Checkpoint near Falfurrias when law enforcement agents discovered them. Some of the illegal aliens claimed Barba-Rayo was the guide and that a fifth illegal alien was left in the brush after not being able to keep up with the group. Authorities ultimately found the victim whom was already deceased.
Barba-Rayo was arrested at that time. He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing, set for Dec. 4, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. At that time, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Paxton is prosecuting the case.
Henderson Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that yesterday in federal court, Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt sentenced QYDARIUS J. SMALL, a/k/a “Q” and “Peanut,” 20, from Henderson, North Carolina, to 144 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On January 10, 2018, SMALL, was named in a three-count Superseding Indictment returned by a grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The indictment charged Small with Distribution and Possession With Intent to Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing Fentanyl, Causing Serious Bodily Injury or Death on August 28 and 29, 2017. On March 23, 2018, pursuant to a written plea agreement, SMALL pled guilty to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, which resulted in the death of an individual.
On August 30, 2017, officers of the Henderson (North Carolina) Police Department responded to a report of a drug overdose at a residence. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found a deceased individual along with a hypodermic needle, multiple bindles of heroin, and a bindle of heroin uniquely labeled with a green stamp of the word “Thor.” The investigation revealed that the deceased was the victim of an overdose of heroin containing Fentanyl, and the drugs had been purchased from SMALL. A search of the victim’s cell phone revealed multiple text messages between the victim and SMALL discussing drug transactions and specifically a drugs with a “Thor[e] green stamp.”
Later that same day, officers of the Henderson Police Department used the victim’s cell phone to arrange for a controlled purchase of heroin from SMALL. As SMALL drove to the prearranged sale location with the intent to sell heroin to the deceased victim, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found heroin stamped in green with the word “Thor” and a loaded handgun. SMALL was placed under arrest and taken to the Henderson Police Department.
United States Attorney Higdon commented, “Qydarius J. Small has been an active part in the opioid crisis and deaths that is tearing apart our country and destroying good communities like Henderson and Vance County, North Carolina. But now, with the imposition of a 144 month sentence, the people of Henderson can begin to recover from the horrible effects of Small’s actions. The Court’s sentence gives these communities that opportunity and we are very pleased that the United States Justice Department could play a role in achieving that result. I commend the Henderson Police Department for their excellent work in this case and bringing this man to justice.”
The case is a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matter and was investigated by the Henderson Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Gray prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted federally as part of the United States Department of Justice’s Opioid Initiative and the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Implemented in March 2018, the Take Back North Carolina Initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with local, state and federal law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. The initiative targets those organizations and individuals who are responsible for increasing violent crime rates and drug trafficking – quickly routing the cases to federal court when prosecution in that venue would deliver the most significant impact.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Timothy Boerger, 48 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Theresa L. Springmann after pleading guilty to the receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Boerger was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,000.00 to the victims of the offense.
According to documents in the case, between September, 2016 and January, 2017, Timothy Boerger received images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. An FBI Task Force Officer conducting an online investigation of the BitTorrent network for offenders sharing child pornography identified a computer having an internet protocol address later determined to be associated with Boerger’s residence. The task force officer connected to that specific internet protocol address and was able to download and review a portion of the files Boerger had made available for sharing. The files identified contained images of children under the age of 18 in sexually suggestive poses and/or engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Many of these images and/or videos depicted minor girls nude and/or partially nude.
This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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Former postal employee arrested for burglarizing post officeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Zachary Adam Johnson, a former postal employee, has been arraigned on federal charges for allegedly burglarizing a post office, stealing mail, and negotiating forged checks. Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 16, 2018.
“Johnson allegedly abused his position as a former postal employee to exploit the U.S. mail system in order to steal identities and commit bank fraud, said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We are determined to safeguard our citizens from identify theft, as well as protecting the integrity of the postal and banking systems from these types of schemes.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains dedicated to the mission of protecting the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse,” said David M. McGinnis, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division. “By working together with the Snellville Police Department, we were able to apprehend a subject that stole for his personal financial gain. The public can rest assured that Postal Inspectors will continue to maintain America’s confidence in the integrity of the U.S. Postal Service.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 26, 2018, Johnson was captured on a surveillance camera allegedly cashing a forged check at a SunTrust bank in Loganville, Georgia. On June 28, 2018, Johnson attempted to cash another forged check at a Regions Bank in Snellville, Georgia. Alert bank employees at Regions Bank recognized that the account holder’s signature looked suspicious, and called their customer to confirm whether he had written the check. After learning that the check was forged, the bank employees called the local police. Johnson was arrested by the Snellville Police Department and later released on bond.
While on bond, Johnson was captured twice on a surveillance camera, allegedly stealing letters and parcels from a U.S. Post Office on Oak Road in Snellville. A search of Johnson’s car revealed a large quantity of stolen mail.
Zachary Adam Johnson, 41, of Snellville, Georgia was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins, III on federal charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail, postal burglary, and mail theft on August 28, 2018. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana R. Black is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Pasco County Schools Transportation Manager Pleads Guilty to Child Enticement and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that William Matthew Napolitano (35, New Port Richey) today pleaded guilty to enticing and coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity and to possessing child pornography. Napolitano faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the
plea agreement , beginning in 2014, Napolitano, while employed by Pasco County Schools as a Transportation Manager, knowingly enticed a 15-year-old student from a local school to engage in sex acts. Napolitano had met the teen on the mobile application “Grindr.” Napolitano then engaged the student in an ongoing sexual relationship for several years. During that time, Napolitano invited the student to view his collection of child pornography, invited him to watch live productions of child pornography on the internet, and invited him to engage in group sex with other adults and minors. Napolitano also produced and distributed child pornography of the student.Napolitano’s electronic devices contained conversations that addressed Napolitano’s interest in enticing and having sex with minors and detailed his pattern of targeting and achieving those sexual encounters. Napolitano also had amassed a large collection of child pornography and sexually explicit material, which included young children and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
Former Maui Police Department Officer Sentenced for Unlawfully Seizing Money and Conspiring to Obstruct JusticeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii announced today that former Maui Police Department (MPD) Officer Anthony Maldonado, 29, of Kahului, Hawaii, was sentenced yesterday by Senior United States District Judge Helen Gillmor of the District of Hawaii to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and required to pay $1,917.70 in restitution.
On April 19, Maldonado pleaded guilty to one count of violating the civil rights of a civilian by stealing money from him, and one count of conspiring to obstruct the federal investigation of that theft. According to court documents, on Sept. 30, 2015, former Officer Maldonado conducted a traffic stop of J.A. and stole approximately $1,800 during that stop. Officer Maldonado then conspired with several other MPD officers and civilians to intimidate J.A. and bribe him to withdraw his theft complaint. Specifically, Maldonado tasked his former brother-in-law, Damien Kaina, with executing the bribery plan. J.A. initially refused to take money from Kaina, but Kaina insisted. J.A. eventually accepted some money because he was frightened that Kaina or others might retaliate against him and his family if he continued to refuse. Walter Ahuna, a former MPD sergeant, served as Kaina’s getaway driver.
Kaina and Ahuna both previously pleaded guilty to participating in the obstruction plot.
J.A. immediately reported the attempted bribe to MPD and, the next morning, delivered the bribe money to MPD detectives. The day after the bribe, when it became clear that J.A. was not going to withdraw the theft complaint, Maldonado, Kaina, and another MPD officer, Chase Keliipaakaua, called J.A. in an effort to pressure him to withdraw the complaint. Keliipaakaua also pleaded guilty to his role in the crime.
“Defendant Maldonado stole money from a civilian and conspired with others, including other law enforcement officers, to intimidate and bribe his victim, defying the law he swore to protect,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “The Civil Rights Division will hold law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of power accountable under the law.”
“Police officers are sworn to protect and serve; whenever that oath is broken, it is a blow to our community as a whole. That is why our office is committed to vigorously investigating and prosecuting all instances of police misconduct,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price.
“The men and women of the Honolulu FBI would like to thank the Maui Police Department for their diligence and thoroughness in identifying several of their own officers and assisting in this civil rights investigation. It is a sad day when an officer abuses their authority and violates the trust of the public they have been sworn to serve. However, this is a consummate example that these crimes will not be ignored and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean L. Kaul.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Marc Wallenstein of the District of Hawaii and Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Former Maui Police Department Officer Sentenced for Unlawfully Seizing Money and Conspiring to Obstruct JusticeRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii announced today that former Maui Police Department (MPD) Officer Anthony Maldonado, 29, of Kahului, Hawaii, was sentenced yesterday by Senior United States District Judge Helen Gillmor of the District of Hawaii to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and required to pay $1,917.70 in restitution.
On April 19, Maldonado pleaded guilty to one count of violating the civil rights of a civilian by stealing money from him, and one count of conspiring to obstruct the federal investigation of that theft. According to court documents, on Sept. 30, 2015, former Officer Maldonado conducted a traffic stop of J.A. and stole approximately $1,800 during that stop. Officer Maldonado then conspired with several other MPD officers and civilians to intimidate J.A. and bribe him to withdraw his theft complaint. Specifically, Maldonado tasked his former brother-in-law, Damien Kaina, with executing the bribery plan. J.A. initially refused to take money from Kaina, but Kaina insisted. J.A. eventually accepted some money because he was frightened that Kaina or others might retaliate against him and his family if he continued to refuse. Walter Ahuna, a former MPD sergeant, served as Kaina’s getaway driver.
Kaina and Ahuna both previously pleaded guilty to participating in the obstruction plot.
J.A. immediately reported the attempted bribe to MPD and, the next morning, delivered the bribe money to MPD detectives. The day after the bribe, when it became clear that J.A. was not going to withdraw the theft complaint, Maldonado, Kaina, and another MPD officer, Chase Keliipaakaua, called J.A. in an effort to pressure him to withdraw the complaint. Keliipaakaua also pleaded guilty to his role in the crime.
“Defendant Maldonado stole money from a civilian and conspired with others, including other law enforcement officers, to intimidate and bribe his victim, defying the law he swore to protect,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “The Civil Rights Division will hold law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of power accountable under the law.”
“Police officers are sworn to protect and serve; whenever that oath is broken, it is a blow to our community as a whole. That is why our office is committed to vigorously investigating and prosecuting all instances of police misconduct,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price.
“The men and women of the Honolulu FBI would like to thank the Maui Police Department for their diligence and thoroughness in identifying several of their own officers and assisting in this civil rights investigation. It is a sad day when an officer abuses their authority and violates the trust of the public they have been sworn to serve. However, this is a consummate example that these crimes will not be ignored and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean L. Kaul.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Marc Wallenstein of the District of Hawaii and Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Former Lee's Summit Police Officer Charged with Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Lee’s Summit, Mo., police officer was charged in federal court today with armed bank robbery after leading officers on a 100-miles-per-hour vehicle pursuit.
Richard W. Hagerty, 35, was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Hagerty was a police officer with the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department from 2007 to 2016.
Today’s criminal complaint charges Hagerty with one count of bank robbery and one count of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. Hagerty remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Hagerty entered Central Bank of the Midwest, located at 1305 N.W. Arborwalk Blvd. in Lee’s Summit, on Tuesday morning, Aug. 28, 2018. Hagerty, wearing a camouflage balaclava-style mask that covered part of his face and black gloves, pointed a Glock .40-caliber pistol at a customer and yelled, “Everybody get down on the floor, this is a robbery.” He demanded cash from two tellers, pointing the handgun at them while he was demanding money. Hagerty allegedly stole about $7,000 then fled from the bank on foot.
A Lee’s Summit police officer located Hagerty driving a dark gray Mazda on Hook Road and 139th Street shortly after the robbery. When the officer activated his emergency equipment, Hagerty accelerated and a vehicle pursuit ensued. The pursuit stretched from Lee’s Summit to Grandview, Mo., in the middle of the day, on busy thoroughfares. Hagerty drove erratically during the pursuit, the affidavit says, by reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour on those busy roads, passing through school zones, and crossing into oncoming traffic.
After the vehicle was finally stopped, the officer gave verbal instructions for the occupant of the Mazda to exit the vehicle. After a short delay, Hagerty exited through the driver's side door of the vehicle with his hands raised above his head. The officer immediately recognized Hagerty, who was arrested.
Inside the vehicle, officers saw a large amount of cash on the driver’s seat and the front driver’s and passenger’s floorboard. They also recovered the Glock handgun from the vehicle.
The charges contained in this complaint 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 is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragnar. It was investigated by the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Former FIFA Executive, President of CONMEBOL and Paraguayan Soccer Official Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Racketeering and Corruption OffensesRead the Press Release
Juan Ángel Napout, a high-level figure in international soccer, was sentenced today in federal court in Brooklyn by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to nine years’ imprisonment following his trial convictions of conspiratorial racketeering and two counts of wire fraud conspiracy. The crimes of conviction related to Napout’s participation in schemes to accept millions of dollars in bribes in exchange for the media and marketing rights to various soccer tournaments. The Court also ordered Napout to pay $3,374,025.88 in forfeiture and imposed a fine of $1 million. A hearing on victim restitution is scheduled for October 4, 2018.
At the time of his arrest in December 2015, Napout was the president of CONMEBOL, the confederation responsible for soccer in South America, a FIFA Vice President and a member of the FIFA Executive Committee. He had previously served as the president of the Paraguayan Soccer Federation, known as the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol, or APF. Napout was convicted following a six-week trial in November and December of 2017.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and R. Damon Rowe, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office (IRS CI), announced the sentence.
“Napout rose to the highest ranks of soccer, holding FIFA executive positions and running a powerful continental confederation, only to turn his back on the institutions and people he was entrusted to serve,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “For years, Napout fed his greed, joining and furthering a rampant and deep-rooted culture of corruption in the sport. Napout’s conviction, as well as the successful prosecution of other high-level soccer officials, has struck at the core of corruption in soccer and underscores the need for continued vigilance against fraud and bribery in the sport.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the governments of Switzerland, Brazil and Paraguay for their significant assistance in this case. Mr. Donoghue also thanked the Office of International Affairs and the Organized Crime and Gang Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division in Washington, D.C., for their assistance in this prosecution.
“Soccer officials spent years gleefully pocketing money handed to them by companies and agencies hoping to further their own agendas, and they did it thinking no one was looking,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Now Mr. Napout, and other co-conspirators, are paying for their crimes in federal prisons, and the money they took must be repaid. Each investigation the FBI New York and our law enforcement partners brings to an end, we hope will restore a little piece of the game stolen by greed and arrogance.”
“Juan Ángel Napout abused his position of trust and authority in the world of soccer and allowed his appetite for money to lead him into a life of crime,” said IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Rowe. “Soccer fans worldwide will be delighted to see their game cleansed of the exploitation that has marred it for years.”As proved at trial, FIFA and its six continental confederations, together with affiliated regional federations, national member associations and sports marketing companies, constitute an enterprise of legal entities associated in fact for purposes of the federal racketeering laws. The principal, and entirely legitimate, purpose of the enterprise is to regulate and promote the sport of soccer worldwide. The enterprise financed its efforts in significant part by commercializing the media and marketing rights associated with various soccer events and tournaments, often through the sale of multi-year contracts covering multiple editions of the tournaments.
Evidence presented at trial, publicly filed documents and statements made in court established that Napout and his co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to corrupt the enterprise through racketeering activity. Specifically, Napout and his co-conspirators corrupted the FIFA enterprise through the offer and receipt of tens of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks paid by sports marketing companies to soccer officials in exchange for the media and marketing rights to: (a) multiple editions of the CONMEBOL-sponsored Copa América soccer tournament played periodically by South American national teams, including the Copa América Centenario, a special edition of the tournament played in the United States in 2016; (b) multiple editions of the CONMEBOL-sponsored Copa Libertadores soccer tournament played annually by South American club teams and (c) two cycles of World Cup qualifying matches played by the Paraguayan national team and administered by the APF.
The government’s investigation is ongoing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s FIFA Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel P. Nitze, M. Kristin Mace and Keith D. Edelman are in charge of the trial prosecution, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin T. Farrell and Brian D. Morris.
The Defendant:
JUAN ÁNGEL NAPOUT
Age: 60
Citizenship: ParaguayE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-252 (S-2) (PKC)
Former Cottage Grove Police Officer Accused of Stealing Meth from Evidence LockerRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – A criminal complaint was unsealed today alleging Phillip Allan Beach, 48, of Cottage Grove, Oregon, knowingly and intentionally took possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge.
As alleged in the criminal complaint, in May 2015, an evidence coordinator at the Cottage Grove Police Department (CGPD) reported to their supervisor that Beach accessed the department’s evidence locker more frequently than other officers and seemed to do so for no apparent purpose. The coordinator said that Beach would repeatedly access the same evidence bag. A CGPD commander later examined the bag and observed that it was open and two plastic bags inside containing several ounces of methamphetamine crystals had been sliced open.
In June 2015, CGPD began an investigation of Beach’s conduct and placed two hidden cameras inside the evidence locker. On June 11, 2015, Beach was recorded on video entering the locker without signing the evidence log and accessing the evidence bag previously examined by the commander. The video shows Beach taking a small plastic baggie from his pants pocket and using it to take a small portion of meth from the evidence bag. Investigators later weighed the evidence bag and found a 7.3 gram reduction in weight.
CGPD’s investigation revealed that between March 2010 and June 2015, Beach accessed numerous pieces of drug evidence from multiple cases. For example, Beach would indicate at times that he was taking drugs from the secured evidence locker to send to the crime lab for testing, but no drugs were sent. On at least one occasion, Beach is alleged to have replaced methamphetamine he had taken from an evidence bag with salt to conceal his actions.
Beach made an initial appearance today in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo. He entered a not-guilty plea and was released pending trial.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Complaint - BeachFormer Brisbane Resident Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Desean Bailey was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ryan Spradlin.
Bailey, 31, previously of Brisbane, Calif., pleaded guilty on June 13, 2018, to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). According to his plea agreement, Bailey admitted to possessing a loaded Smith and Wesson, Model 39-2, .9mm firearm on the evening of November 6, 2017, when he was stopped by officers of the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). After being told by the officers that he was detained, Bailey fled on foot. He then threw the handgun into the middle of the street where it was later recovered by SFPD. In addition, Bailey admitted he possessed ammunition and that he was a convicted felon at the time he possessed the firearm.
On January 4, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Bailey charging him with one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Pursuant to his plea agreement, Bailey pleaded guilty to the charge.
The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, Senior U.S. District Judge. Judge Breyer also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant will begin serving the sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sailaja M. Paidipaty is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Final Defendant Responsible for Theft of Firearms from Cabela's Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DENVER – Kendall Crockett, aka “Grizzle,” age 23 of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced on August 10, 2018, by U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 80 months in federal prison for theft of firearms from a federal firearm licensee (FFL) and possession of stolen firearms, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and ATF Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Debbie Livingston announced. After serving his prison sentence, Judge Brimmer ordered Crockett to serve 3 years on supervised release.
Two other defendants were also sentenced by Judge Brimmer for participating in the same FFL theft as well as an additional FFL theft. Darnell Hudgens, age 24 of Denver, was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $107,558.61 in restitution. Giavanni Edward Miles, age 21 of Denver was sentenced by Judge Brimmer to serve 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release, and ordered to pay $107,558.61 in restitution, joint and several with defendant Hudgens. All three defendants were members of the Bloods street gang.
The three defendants were first indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on September 25, 2017. Miles pled guilty on January 1, 2018, and was sentenced on April 12, 2018. Hudgens pled guilty on January 1, 2018, and was sentenced on April 20, 2018. Crockett pled guilty February 21, 2018. All three defendants have since appealed.
According to court documents, including the defendants’ stipulated facts in their plea agreements, on August 21, 2017, at approximately 2:05 a.m., the defendants and another suspect broke into the Cabela’s, a federally licensed firearm dealer, located at 14050 Lincoln Street in Thornton. They stole fifty-six firearms. Surveillance video showed that three suspects ran into the store, grabbed the firearms, and placed them in backpacks they were wearing on their chests. They then ran toward the emergency exit, which was obstructed. They then ran through the front door and continued east through a field. Crockett was waiting as the lookout and getaway driver in a second car, and they fled the scene in that car. After the burglary, the defendants distributed the stolen firearms to fellow Bloods gang members, including gang members who the defendants knew were prohibited from possessing firearms.
“These crimes often take tireless work to investigate and prosecute,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “But as this one proves, ATF, our prosecutors, and our local partners do not relent. They find the thieves, and they find the guns. Simple as that.”
“These individuals deserve to be behind bars,” said Debbie Livingston, ATF Denver Special Agent in Charge. “Thefts of this kind will not be tolerated in Denver. I am proud of the work done by our Special Agents and partners that led to their arrest.”
This case was investigated by the ATF. The defendants were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily May.
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.
Federal Officials Remind the Public to Be on the Lookout for Wildfire-Related Disaster FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – In the wake of the Mendocino Complex Fires, U.S. Attorney Alex Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett have stepped up efforts to remind the public to be aware of the potential for fraudulent activity in connection with the cleanup of the fires.
Last year state and federal law enforcement led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation joined with other local authorities to form the North Bay Disaster Fraud Task Force to combat fraud arising from the North Bay wildfires. The task force is a cooperative effort between local, state, and federal agencies to share and disseminate information and collaborate on investigations in an effort to streamline the process for preventing and addressing disaster-related fraud. The task force has worked effectively to combat fraud and will continue to do so as wildfires continue to plague Northern California.
U.S. Attorney Tse stated: “In times of difficulty like the Mendocino Complex Fires, many people respond to their community with a spirit of generosity and a willingness to shoulder the difficulty together. Others, however, take advantage of the vulnerability to unjustly enrich themselves. I urge the public to report any suspected fraudulent activity in the aftermath of the recent wildfires to federal and local law enforcement, so that together we can pursue investigation and prosecution of fraud.”
“The FBI has seen criminals target every step of relief and recovery in the face of natural disasters,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. “The FBI is committed to protecting disaster victims from complex theft and fraud schemes. We ask the public in Northern California to remain vigilant in this time of crisis and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.”
Members of the public are reminded to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before trusting anyone purporting to be working on behalf of disaster victims, and to be especially cautious of anyone who contacts you seeking personal identifying information or financial information. Possible examples of disaster fraud activity may include fake charities claiming to provide relief for victims and individuals submitting false claims for disaster relief. Members of the public who suspect fraud involving disaster relief efforts, or who believe that they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at [email protected] or at 866-720-5721. The telephone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The public can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707. The website for the National Center for Disaster Fraud is www.justice.gov/diaster-fraud. Suspected fraudulent activity also can be referred to local and federal law enforcement.
Federal Jury Finds Jackson Man Guilty of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Jeremy T. Walker, 33, of Jackson, was found guilty Tuesday, after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour, Jr., of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Dana Nichols, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.
On February 5, 2013, the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force of the United States Marshal’s Service was serving an outstanding Hinds County arrest warrant on Walker. He was arrested in a home located on Belvedere Road in Jackson, Mississippi. An AK-style firearm was recovered from the residence along with a 30 round magazine. The firearm was found to have an obliterated serial number. The defendant was previously convicted in Hinds County for Possession of a Controlled Substance in 2010.
On September 9, 2014, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Walker with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant was arrested by the United States Marshal Service on April 11, 2018, after being a fugitive.
Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on November 27, 2018 at 11:00 am and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshal Service, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Chalk and Kimberly Purdie.
Federal Jury Convicts New Bern Man on Federal Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that, DAMIEN LAMONTE BROWN, a/k/a “Dame,” 36, of New Bern, NC, was convicted in federal court following a two day jury trial before United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The jury found BROWN guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one hundred (100) grams or more of heroin, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute one hundred (100) grams or more of heroin.
The evidence presented at trial established that BROWN coordinated multi-kilogram shipments of heroin from New York to New Bern, and then established a network of individuals to transport, distribute, and sell that heroin to the community. The investigation resulted in the seizure of nearly 800 grams of heroin from one house, multiple firearms, and over $6,000 in cash.
At sentencing set for the November 12, 2018 term of court, BROWN faces not less than 10 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment followed by 8 years of supervised release and up to an 8 million dollar fine.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The case was investigated by the New Bern Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Trent Woods Police Department, Jacksonville Police Department, and Bridgeton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Sex Trafficking Two Minor GirlsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Woodbridge man today for sex trafficking two minor girls, ages 14 and 16.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Steve Nowell, 64, was a frequent commercial sex customer of a prostitution ring led by Michael Gunn, who trafficked the two minor girls over the course of two years in the DMV area. Nowell was identified by the minor victims, and by two co-conspirators of Michael Gunn, as a regular commercial sex customer who paid one or both minors for sex on at least 23 occasions. After a search warrant was executed at Nowell’s home, law enforcement found hidden cameras that secretly recorded at least one of the minors and other females in various stages of undress while at his residence for prostitution. Law enforcement also found numerous photographs of one of the minors posing nude in his bathtub and throughout his house, including in his kitchen, on a bear rug, and on exercise equipment. In a recorded interview, Nowell admitted to paying for sex with one of the minors. He claimed he did not know her real age.
Michael Gunn was convicted by a federal jury in September 2017, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison in January 2018. Angel Gunn and Vanessa Dominguez, who assisted Michael Gunn in sex trafficking the minors, each pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 140 months and 120 months in prison, respectively.
Nowell faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on November 30. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Barry M. Barnard, Chief of Prince William County Police, and M. Jay Farr, Arlington County Chief of Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen C. Cain and Kimberly R. Pedersen are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-188.
Federal Jury Convicts Founder of Wind Energy Company in Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the conviction of SHAWN ROBERT DOOLING, 52, for orchestrating a multi-million dollar wind energy fraud scheme. Following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson, the jury found DOOLING guilty on all counts.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Surya Saxena said, “Mr. Dooling wanted to live a life of luxury without earning the money to pay for it, so he lied to and stole from people who trusted him, most of whom were hardworking farmers. Mr. Dooling will now be held accountable for his actions.”
“We are grateful for the work of the jury who deliberated this case and saw what we saw, and that was a scheme crafted by Mr. Dooling to defraud innocent and well intentioned investors of their hard earned money with the empty promise of energy efficiency that would never come to be,” said Jill Sanborn, Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis Division of the FBI.
As proven at trial, in 2009, DOOLING founded Renewable Energy SD, LLC (“RESD”), a wind energy company headquartered in Excelsior, Minnesota. DOOLING, as the owner and president of RESD, marketed and sold wind turbines, as well as wind turbine installation and maintenance services, as a way for customers to save money by reducing or eliminating their energy expenses. RESD’s customers were predominantly farmers who owned and operated farms in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. From approximately 2010 through 2013, DOOLING devised and executed a scheme to defraud his customers by falsely representing that for an agreed-upon contract price, RESD would build and maintain wind energy turbines on customers’ land. However, in reality, DOOLING spent his customers’ money on personal expenses and diverted their money to pay for other customers’ projects.
As part of the scheme, DOOLING told customers that he would send a portion of their money to a third-party manufacturer as a down payment to reserve a specific wind turbine. Then, when the wind turbine was completed and ready to be shipped, he would send the remaining portion of the money to the manufacturer to complete the purchase. DOOLING furthered his scheme by lying to customers about the status of their orders and told customers that RESD’s failure to deliver the wind turbines was due to manufacturer delays. As a result of his scheme, more than 70 customers paid a combined total of more than $13 million to DOOLING and his company and never received the promised wind turbines or a refund of their money. DOOLING withdrew approximately $2 million from RESD’s bank accounts over the course of the scheme for his personal use, including luxury automobile purchases, travel, and college tuition payments for his son.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Surya Saxena and Amber M. Brennan tried the case.
Defendant Information:
SHAWN ROBERT DOOLING, 52
Excelsior, Minn.
Convicted:
- Mail fraud, 3 counts
- Wire fraud, 1 count
- Engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Federal Indictment Targets Inglewood-Based Street Gang that Used Strip Mall Storefront to Cook and Distribute Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Authorities have arrested 10 members and associates of an Inglewood-based street gang on federal narcotics-trafficking and firearms charges contained in a grand jury indictment that outlines how the defendants obtained cocaine, used a purported convenience store to convert it into crack cocaine, and distributed the drugs on the streets of Inglewood and South Los Angeles.
The indictment targets the leadership and key members of the 92 Osage Legend Crips (OLC), a violent street gang that allegedly manufactured and distributed crack cocaine from the “Stop and Shop Market” in a strip mall on South Prairie Avenue. After cooking and packaging the crack cocaine at the Stop and Shop, members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy allegedly delivered drugs to customers at various locations, including at a U.S. VETS office and the Social Security office in Inglewood.
Various defendants charged in this case, some of them previously convicted felons, allegedly possessed firearms in relation to their drug-trafficking activities. The street gang members and their associates “used violence and intimidation, including firearms, to maintain and expand their drug-dealing territory, to protect themselves, their drugs, and their drug proceeds from rival gangs and drug-dealing organizations, and to collect payment from drug customers,” according to the indictment.
The indictment charges 15 defendants, 10 of whom were arrested last night and this morning. Out of the remaining five defendants, one was already in state custody, and four are currently fugitives.
The 16-count indictment charges all 15 defendants in a conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. The indictment also charges various defendants with maintaining a drug-involved premises; possession with intent to distribute, and distribution, of crack cocaine; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime; and felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
“Street gangs use violence and intimidation as tools to control narcotics trafficking in their territory,” said United States Attorney Nick Hanna. “We are committed to making significant improvements in our communities by targeting gangs that bring the dual scourges of drugs and violence into neighborhoods.”
“This multi-year investigation began in partnership with the Inglewood Police Department following a spike in violence in the city involving the Osage Legend Crips and indications that the gang had evolved from a local street gang to an organized criminal enterprise,” said Paul Delacourt, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI and our local partners will continue to target the most violent gangs whose members hijack Los Angeles neighborhoods in furtherance of their illegal narcotics sales and criminal interests.”
The lead defendants in the indictment – Glen Dwight Love, also known as “Big Luck,” 46, of Pasadena; Deshay Lewann King, also known as “Shay Bone,” 45, of South Los Angeles; and Wiley Venoy Ivory II, also known as “Slim,” 38, an Inglewood resident who was already in state custody on unrelated charges – ran the Stop and Shop, which from the exterior appeared to be a convenience store, but in reality was nothing more than a drug processing and storage facility. According to the indictment, several defendants “discussed attempting to make the shop look like an actual retail store and getting window signs to tell drug customers and co-conspirators when to avoid going into the shop.”
Various members of the conspiracy allegedly sold crack cocaine by driving in and around Inglewood, making stops at regular locations where street-level customers knew they could find dealers. Many of the gang’s narcotics sales were for small amounts, but the indictment discusses a series of larger transactions, some involving ounce quantities of crack cocaine. Intercepted communications during the investigation revealed members of the conspiracy discussing a transaction involving four kilograms of cocaine.
The defendants taken into custody since last night are scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If they were to be convicted, each of the defendants would face decades in federal prison. The conspiracy count alone carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life without parole.
The investigation targeting the OLC was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Inglewood Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua O. Mausner of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
D’Iberville Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Dung Anh Nguyen, 35, of D’Iberville, entered a guilty plea today before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Nguyen faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the drug charge and a minimum of 5 years for the firearm charge. He further faces fines up to $250,000 along with 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for November 27, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.
After receiving a tip that drugs were being sold out of a D’Iberville home, Harrison County Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, served a search warrant on Nguyen’s home in March 2018. Agents found approximately 2 kilograms of marijuana, along with several loaded firearms, large capacity magazines, ammunition and a ballistic vest. Nguyen was previously convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in Texas and Harrison County courts.
The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department Coastal Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Dominican Republic National Apprehended at the Red Hook Ferry Dock Appears in Federal Court on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Ezequiel Rivera Gomez aka Francisco Mejia, 48, made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller after being arrested and charged with illegal reentry into the United States, United States Attorney Gretchen Shappert announced. The Magistrate Judge detained Gomez pending preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for August 31, 2018.
According to court documents, Customs and Border Protection officers encountered Gomez at the Red Hook dock where he arrived by ferry boat from St. John. He was previously removed from the United States on March 1, 2016, after having been convicted of a controlled substance offense.
Under federal law Fernandez faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
Doctor Sentenced for Running Pill MillRead the Press Release
DAYTON – David Kirkwood, 62, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release for running a pill mill in Dayton.
In August 2017, Kirkwood and his wife, Beverly Kirkwood, pleaded guilty to health care fraud. David Kirkwood also pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful drug trafficking.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Region and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice.
According to court documents, David Kirkwood owned and operated Kirkwood Family Practice in Dayton beginning in 1986.
David Kirkwood distributed nearly 4,000 units of Oxycodone outside the scope of medical practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. All of these units were paid for by Medicare or Medicaid.
The doctor often used the same billing code for his customers regardless of the service performed, and would accept health care insurance payments for examinations that were not medically appropriate or sufficient for the billing codes submitted. Those bills were submitted on behalf of the practice and with the assistance of Beverly Kirkwood, who has been sentenced to six months in prison.
According to the indictment, David Kirkwood saw up to 100 patients per day, charging $100 per office visit.
“David Kirkwood’s method of distribution was the prescription pad, but make no mistake: he was a drug dealer,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “His prescriptions exposed his ‘patients’ to the risk of overdose and encouraged their addiction.”
“Our mission is to protect Ohio’s families, and we’ve made cracking down on pill mills a priority,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. “David Kirkwood prescribed pills that never should have been prescribed and put his own interests above the health and safety of his patients.”
“Ensuring the appropriate use and prescribing of opioids is essential to protecting the health and safety of patients and the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs”, said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “Dr. Kirkwood’s actions were reckless and criminal and are reflective of a mindset that was polluted by greed. The OIG has made combatting the opioid crisis a top enforcement priority and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who act illegally and put patients’ health and safety at risk.”
David and Beverly Kirkwood have agreed to pay restitution in the amount of nearly $160,000, which represents the loss to Medicare and Medicaid.
“More than three fourths of heroin addiction in the United States begins with prescription pills,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “This case is one example of our commitment to end opioid-related health-care fraud.”
As part of that commitment, an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Ohio has been designated as part of the Attorney General’s Opioid Fraud and Abuse Task Force.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, HHS-OIG and DEA, as well as Special Assistant United States Attorney Maritsa Flaherty and Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Oakley.
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Distributor of Child Pornography Sentenced to 17 Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Yesterday, Joseph Alexander Dashee, 26, of Tempe, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to 17 years’ imprisonment to be followed by lifetime supervised release for distribution of child pornography and abusive sexual contact. Dashee previously pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and abusive sexual contact. Dashee will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In the summer of 2015, FBI agents discovered Dashee was downloading and distributing child pornography through bit torrent file sharing. A search of Dashee’s residence resulted in the seizure of 90 images and seven videos containing child pornography. During questioning, Dashee also admitted sexually abusing two minor victims under the age of 12.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Salt River Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle L. Helart and Brandon M. Brown.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-1001-PHX-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-114_ Dashee
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Department of Justice Reminds the Public to be Aware of Fraud When Disaster Strikes and Report it to the National Center for Disaster FraudRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region, which opened opportunities for criminals to exploit people during vulnerable times. The NCDF, a national coordinating agency within the Department’s Criminal Division, operates a call center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and serves as a centralized clearinghouse for disaster fraud complaints and information relating to both natural and man-made disasters. The NCDF seeks to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for victims of such fraud. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows them to forward on complaints to the appropriate agency for investigation.
“Committing fraud against natural disaster victims is an inexcusable crime,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. “We are now in hurricane season, and it is important for people to be on the lookout for fraudsters who seek to profit from natural disasters through identity theft schemes and solicitations for fake charities. The Department of Justice is committed to detecting this type of fraud, and we will aggressively prosecute the offenders. Through our National Center for Disaster Fraud, and in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we are working to keep Americans from becoming victims of these schemes.”
The recent Carr Fire in California, though largely contained, has caused severe damage; the Pacific Hurricane Season has already proven to be quite active, as demonstrated by Hurricane Lane’s destructive landfall in Hawaii; and we are already 90 days into the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Unfortunately, and inevitably, natural and man-made disasters will continue to occur across our great nation. These terrible and often tragic events leave many people without food, water, or shelter, and often cause devastating damage to life and property. Nevertheless, there are criminals ready to take advantage of victims before, during, and especially after a natural disaster. They are looking to strike those at their most vulnerable time.
While compassion, assistance, and solidarity are generally prevalent in the aftermath of natural disasters, unscrupulous individuals and organizations also use these tragic events to take advantage of those in need. Examples of illegal activity being reported to the NCDF and law enforcement include:
- Impersonation of federal law enforcement officials;
- Identity theft;
- Fraudulent submission of claims to insurance companies and the federal government;
- Fraudulent activity related to solicitations for donations and charitable giving;
- Fraudulent activity related to individuals and organizations promising high investment returns from profits from recovery and cleanup efforts;
- Price gouging;
- Contractor Fraud;
- Debris removal fraud;
- Theft, looting, and other violent crime
Numerous U.S. Attorney Offices in districts impacted by recent hurricanes have established task forces comprised of local, state and federal agencies in their respective areas to combat disaster fraud.
In ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships and better inform the American people of its mission, the NCDF has joined with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who was recently installed as the President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), in an effort to spread the message of the NCDF to more of our partners nationwide. We at the NCDF are collaborating with Attorney General Landry and the NAAG to inform every state Attorney General of the mission and function of the NCDF as part of Attorney General Landry’s presidential initiative on disaster fraud.
“The NCDF has an excellent staff of investigators, analysts, call center operators, and managers who are well prepared to handle the anticipated volume of complaints during hurricane season and help ensure that each report of fraud reaches the appropriate investigative agency,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin for the Middle District of Louisiana, who is also the NCDF’s Executive Director. “Our collaboration with the National Association of Attorneys General and Attorney General Landry is yet another example of our efforts to better serve the American people before, during and after a natural disaster. Raising public awareness by spreading the message of the NCDF through the state Attorneys General is a great way for the NCDF to reach thousands of people who may one day be subjected to fraudulent schemes.”
“As President of the National Association of Attorneys General, my goal is to use the next 18 months to gather as much intel as possible so we may better prepare state and federal leaders for future crises,” said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. “We are fortunate to have the NCDF right here in Louisiana and it has served as a great resource to our citizens through hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters. I am proud to team up with U.S. Attorney Fremin and the great men and women at the NCDF as we continue to look for ways to move our Louisiana and other states forward in terms of emergency preparedness and management.”
Members of the public are reminded to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before trusting anyone purporting to be working on behalf of disaster victims and before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations on behalf of disaster victims as well as being extremely cautious before providing personal identifying or financial information to anyone, especially those who may contact you after a natural disaster. Solicitations can originate from e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, mailings and telephone calls, and similar methods. Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. The telephone line is staffed by live operators 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected] (link sends e-mail). Learn more about the NCDF at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud and watch a public service announcement here. Tips for the public on how to avoid being victimized of fraud are at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/tips-avoiding-fraudulent-charitable-contribution-schemes.
Department of Justice Reminds the Public to be Aware of Fraud When Disaster Strikes and Report it to the National Center for Disaster FraudRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region, which opened opportunities for criminals to exploit people during vulnerable times. The NCDF, a national coordinating agency within the Department’s Criminal Division, operates a call center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and serves as a centralized clearinghouse for disaster fraud complaints and information relating to both natural and man-made disasters. The NCDF seeks to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for victims of such fraud. More than 20 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which allows them to forward on complaints to the appropriate agency for investigation.
“Committing fraud against natural disaster victims is an inexcusable crime,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. “We are now in hurricane season, and it is important for people to be on the lookout for fraudsters who seek to profit from natural disasters through identity theft schemes and solicitations for fake charities. The Department of Justice is committed to detecting this type of fraud, and we will aggressively prosecute the offenders. Through our National Center for Disaster Fraud, and in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we are working to keep Americans from becoming victims of these schemes.”
The recent Carr Fire in California, though largely contained, has caused severe damage; the Pacific Hurricane Season has already proven to be quite active, as demonstrated by Hurricane Lane’s destructive landfall in Hawaii; and we are already 90 days into the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Unfortunately, and inevitably, natural and man-made disasters will continue to occur across our great nation. These terrible and often tragic events leave many people without food, water, or shelter, and often cause devastating damage to life and property. Nevertheless, there are criminals ready to take advantage of victims before, during, and especially after a natural disaster. They are looking to strike those at their most vulnerable time.
While compassion, assistance, and solidarity are generally prevalent in the aftermath of natural disasters, unscrupulous individuals and organizations also use these tragic events to take advantage of those in need. Examples of illegal activity being reported to the NCDF and law enforcement include:
- Impersonation of federal law enforcement officials;
- Identity theft;
- Fraudulent submission of claims to insurance companies and the federal government;
- Fraudulent activity related to solicitations for donations and charitable giving;
- Fraudulent activity related to individuals and organizations promising high investment returns from profits from recovery and cleanup efforts;
- Price gouging;
- Contractor Fraud;
- Debris removal fraud;
- Theft, looting, and other violent crime
Numerous U.S. Attorney Offices in districts impacted by recent hurricanes have established task forces comprised of local, state and federal agencies in their respective areas to combat disaster fraud.
In ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships and better inform the American people of its mission, the NCDF has joined with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, who was recently installed as the President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), in an effort to spread the message of the NCDF to more of our partners nationwide. We at the NCDF are collaborating with Attorney General Landry and the NAAG to inform every state Attorney General of the mission and function of the NCDF as part of Attorney General Landry’s presidential initiative on disaster fraud.
“The NCDF has an excellent staff of investigators, analysts, call center operators, and managers who are well prepared to handle the anticipated volume of complaints during hurricane season and help ensure that each report of fraud reaches the appropriate investigative agency,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin for the Middle District of Louisiana, who is also the NCDF’s Executive Director. “Our collaboration with the National Association of Attorneys General and Attorney General Landry is yet another example of our efforts to better serve the American people before, during and after a natural disaster. Raising public awareness by spreading the message of the NCDF through the state Attorneys General is a great way for the NCDF to reach thousands of people who may one day be subjected to fraudulent schemes.”
“As President of the National Association of Attorneys General, my goal is to use the next 18 months to gather as much intel as possible so we may better prepare state and federal leaders for future crises,” said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. “We are fortunate to have the NCDF right here in Louisiana and it has served as a great resource to our citizens through hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters. I am proud to team up with U.S. Attorney Fremin and the great men and women at the NCDF as we continue to look for ways to move our Louisiana and other states forward in terms of emergency preparedness and management.”
Members of the public are reminded to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before trusting anyone purporting to be working on behalf of disaster victims and before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations on behalf of disaster victims as well as being extremely cautious before providing personal identifying or financial information to anyone, especially those who may contact you after a natural disaster. Solicitations can originate from e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, mailings and telephone calls, and similar methods. Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. The telephone line is staffed by live operators 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected] (link sends e-mail). Learn more about the NCDF at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud and watch a public service announcement here. Tips for the public on how to avoid being victimized of fraud are at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/tips-avoiding-fraudulent-charitable-contribution-schemes.
Cleveland man sentenced to prison for stealing $77,000 in grants designed to help Native AmericansRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was sentenced to prison for stealing more than $77,000 in federal grants designed to help Native Americans.
Robert Roche, 71, was sentenced to four months in prison followed by four months of home confinement by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent. Roche previously pleaded guilty two counts of theft from programs receiving federal funds.
Roche was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $77,097.
“This defendant stole from taxpayers and betrayed the Native American families he purported to help,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “He took tens of thousands of dollars designated for mental health and wellness programs and put the money in his own pockets.”
“Simply put, Mr. Roche stole taxpayer dollars that were intended to help needy children and families and today he was held accountable,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Chicago Region. “The OIG will continue to be diligent in investigating and seeking prosecution of individuals who steal HHS grant funds in order to unjustly enrich themselves.”
Roche served as executive director of the American Indian Education Center (AIEC), a Parma-based nonprofit established in 1995 to support Native American causes in Northeast Ohio, according to court documents.
Craig McGuire operated McGuire & Associates LLC, a company that wrote grant applications and provided evaluation services. Roche entered into an agreement with McGuire & Associates in April 2011 to draft grant proposals on behalf of the AIEC. Later that year, McGuire submitted an application on behalf of the AIEC to receive a Circle of Care grant, offered through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The grant was designed to provide Native American communities with the tools and resources to design programs to support mental health and wellness for children and families, according to court documents.
The AIEC’s application contained numerous false statements including: misrepresenting the date the AIEC was established; falsely claiming the AIEC had a wellness department and a “Positive Paths” afterschool program serving 500 children when no such department or program existed; fraudulently listing people the AIEC allegedly employed and mischaracterizing the description of the AIEC’s building and alleged physical amenities, according to court documents.
SAMHSA awarded the AIEC a Circle of Care grant on Sept. 1, 2012 of approximately $302,340 for FY 2012. On June 26, 2012, SAMHSA awarded the second year of a Circle of Care grant in the amount of $308,040 for FY 2013, according to court documents.
The AIEC received approximately $482,766 from SAMHSA from 2011 through 2013. The AIEC did not receive full funding because SAMHSA placed it in “high risk” status, according to court documents.
Roche paid himself through AIEC on several occasions as a project coordinator for the Circle of Care project. Roche was not identified as the project coordinator on the grant application and such payments were precluded by regulation, according to court documents.
Roche and McGuire embezzled at least $183,703 from the SAMHSA grant. Roche converted approximately $77,097 of that money for his own personal use, according to court documents.
McGuire pleaded guilty to crimes related to his role in the conspiracy.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Patton, Alex Abreu and Suzanna Koch following an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.
Clarksville Man Facing Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – August 29, 2018 – Muhammed Talik Shahid, 25, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was charged yesterday in a criminal complaint with attempting to rob the U.S. Bank in Clarksville, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to the complaint, on August 22, 2018, a masked gunman entered the Fort Campbell Boulevard branch of the U.S. Bank and handed a teller a note demanding at least $50,000. As the teller began gathering the cash, the suspect paced back and forth, looking out the front windows of the bank and then left the bank without the cash.
An alert citizen saw the suspect enter and exit the bank and followed the suspect as he drove away and eventually flagged down a police officer in nearby Oak Grove, Kentucky. The Oak Grove officer surveilled the suspect’s vehicle until he returned to Clarksville and was arrested by officers with the Clarksville Police Department and found to be in possession of a loaded handgun.
If convicted, Shahid faces up to 25 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI; the Clarksville Police Department; and the Oak Grove, Kentucky Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynne T. Ingram is prosecuting the case.
Citizen of the Dominican Republic Sentenced to Prison for Heroin Trafficking and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORGE TAVERAS-DeJESUS, 36, a citizen of the Dominican Republic formerly residing in Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin and for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matters stems from a DEA Hartford Task Force investigation of a heroin trafficking organization that was operating in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and the Dominican Republic. Court-authorized wiretaps and law enforcement surveillance confirmed that TAVERAS regularly traveled to Connecticut to supply distribution quantities of heroin to individuals in Hartford. The investigation revealed that members of the organization were distributing heroin from the Katty Grocery store located at 584 Franklin Avenue in Hartford.
On February 24, 2017, investigators arrested TAVERAS in Hartford and seized from his person approximately 82 grams of combined heroin and fentanyl.
A subsequent fingerprint analysis revealed that TAVERAS had been deported from the U.S. after a 2006 New York state conviction for sale of narcotics, and again after a 2010 federal conviction for illegal reentry.
TAVERAS has been detained since his arrest. On May 23, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of reentry of a reentry of a removed alien.
Ten individuals have been charged with various narcotics and immigration offenses as a result of this investigation.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Charter Captain Pleads Guilty to Misconduct or Neglect that Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
Mauricio Alvarez, 49, of Miami, Florida, pled guilty today, before U.S. District Court Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga, to misconduct or neglect of a ship officer that resulted in the death of an individual, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1115.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney of the Southern District of Florida, Zinnia P. James, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region and Major Alfredo Escanio, Regional Commander, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, South B Region, made the announcement.
“Illegal charter boat operations pose a grave danger to the public’s safety,” stated U.S. Attorney Benjamin Greenberg. “Before embarking on an excursion, we implore all passengers to confirm that the charter boat company and captain are authorized to operate. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our USCG and FWC partners will continue to enforce all federal criminal laws and maritime regulations and hold the violators accountable, so that residents and visitors can safely enjoy South Florida’s open waters.”
"Tragically people have lost their lives on illegal charters, as was seen in the case of the vessel Jaguar in the Tampa Bay area and in the case of the Miami Vice yacht in Miami," said Capt. Ladonn Allen, Chief of the Coast Guard Seventh District Prevention Department. "The unsafe atmospheres that these types of companies and unlicensed captains, who knowingly engage in illegal activity, create on their boats show a complete disregard for passenger safety and have been responsible for multiple deaths in Florida alone. We cannot stress enough to anyone looking to charter a boat to verify the captain’s license and safety of the vessel."
"The results of this case send a strong message to anyone looking to operate a charter boat illegally," said Capt. Michael Fazio, Staff Judge Advocate for the Coast Guard's Seventh District in Miami. "We will continue to work with our Department of Justice partners to investigate, enforce, and hold accountable these reckless companies and operators who take shortcuts and care only about the money they can make while subverting the regulations and licensing designed to prevent tragedies such as this one."
“The work performed by investigators with all of the agencies involved in this case was exemplary, and we at the FWC appreciate the work done by the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office to reach a lawful resolution to this tragedy,” stated Major Alfredo Escanio, FWC.
According to the court record, including the agreed upon factual proffer, on April 1, 2018, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) received a report from a Miami-Dade 911 operator that a person was trapped under the motor yacht (M/Y) MIAMI VICE, near Monument Island. USCG and local law enforcement units arrived at the scene of the reported incident and located M/Y MIAMI VICE adjacent to Monument Island. An investigation by FWC revealed M/Y MIAMI VICE was chartered for a four-hour period on April 1, 2018 and departed a marina with approximately seven passengers. Alvarez was employed as the vessel captain of M/Y MIAMI VICE and had a first mate on board the vessel. M/Y MIAMI VICE had been chartered for a four-hour trip for $3,000 and Alvarez was to be paid $150 per hour.
Two passengers were reportedly in the water in close proximity to the stern of M/Y MIAMI VICE when Alvarez engaged the engines of M/Y MIAMI VICE in reverse. One of the individuals, who was swimming in the water, was struck by M/Y MIAMI VICE’s propellers and killed. Alvarez, as the operator of the M/Y MIAMI VICE, could not see the stern of the vessel or ensure the safety of any remaining swimmers in the water while engaging the engines from this location without assistance from another individual. Alvarez did not have a United States Captain license at the time of the incident.
Alvarez is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Altonaga on November 19, 2018 at 9:00 a.m., in Miami.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of CGIS and FWC in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet and Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Jones.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Candia Woman and Manchester Man Plead Guilty to Participating in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Meghan Bowers, 31, of Candia, New Hampshire and Albert Gordon, 45, of Manchester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the course of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation that included wiretaps of certain telephones, investigating agents learned that on March 7, 2018, an individual intended to travel from New Hampshire to a location in Massachusetts to purchase fentanyl. Agents conducted surveillance in the area of the transaction and observed a hand-to-hand exchange between a known drug trafficker and the driver of the car at the driver’s side window. The vehicle left Massachusetts and agents followed it directly to New Hampshire. A New Hampshire State Trooper stopped the vehicle. During the traffic stop, the Trooper subsequently located an orange bag containing approximately 184 grams of fentanyl. Gordon and Bowers admitted that another individual had asked them to drive him to Massachusetts to buy drugs and that they had agreed to do so.
Gordon is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10, 2018. Bowers sentencing has not been scheduled by the court.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to the aggressive prosecution of those who are bringing fentanyl and other deadly drugs into New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In order to protect the citizens of our state from further harm, we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who transport and distribute these deadly substances.”
The case was a collaborative investigation that involved the DEA; the New Hampshire State Police; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the Nashua Police Department; the Massachusetts State Police; the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office; the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; the Internal Revenue Service; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; United States Customs and Border Protection Boston Field Office; the United States Marshals Service; the United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Manchester Police Department; the Lisbon Police Department; the Littleton Police Department; the Seabrook Police Department; the Haverhill (MA) Police Department; the Methuen (MA) Police Department; the Lowell (MA) Police Department; and the Maine State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky, Seth R. Aframe and Debra M. Walsh.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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CEO of Two Bellevue Information Technology Companies Arrested on Visa Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
The CEO of two Bellevue, Washington information-technology firms was arrested yesterday afternoon at Sea-Tac Airport on a charge relating to a multi-year visa-fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. PRADYUMNA KUMAR SAMAL, 49, a citizen of India, was taken into custody as he arrived from an international flight. The criminal complaint describing the visa-fraud scheme was filed under seal in April 2018, soon after SAMAL fled the United States while the investigation was ongoing. SAMAL remained out of the country until yesterday when he was arrested by law enforcement. SAMAL will make his initial appearance on the charges in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 PM today.
The criminal complaint describes how two companies incorporated by SAMAL in 2010 and 2011, engaged in a scheme sometimes referred to as a “bench-and-switch” scheme, to exploit foreign-national workers, compete unlawfully in the market, and defraud the U.S. government. According to the investigation that began in 2015, SAMAL served as the Chief Executive Officer of ‘Divensi’ and ‘Azimetry.’ Both companies were in the business of providing information-technology workers, such as Software Development Engineers, to major corporate clients. The complaint alleges that SAMAL submitted, and directed his employees to submit, forged and false application materials to the United States government, making it appear as if two corporate clients already had agreed to use several foreign-national employees named in the applications. In fact, neither client had agreed to do so. The forged documents included forged letters and fraudulent statements of work, which appeared as if they had been signed by senior executives at the two clients. After USCIS relied on the false representations and approved the applications, SAMAL’s companies “benched” the foreign nationals – i.e., the companies left those foreign nationals unpaid – until and unless they were able to place those employees at actual end clients.
Nearly 200 workers may have been brought in under the phony applications. The employees were forced to pay SAMAL’s companies a partially-refundable “security deposit” of as much as $5,000 for the visa filings, regardless of whether they were assigned to any projects that provided them with income.
Visa Fraud is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Siddharth Velamoor.
Butler Drug User Illegally Possessed 7 Firearms, Six of Which he Purchased for Others in Exchange for Drugs and CashRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Craig Evers Cyphert, 47, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that beginning in February 2011 and continuing until February 2016, Cyphert, an unlawful drug user or drug addict, possessed seven firearms. The law prohibits any person who is an unlawful user of, or is addicted to any controlled substance from possessing any firearm in or affecting commerce. The court was further advised that from 2014 to 2016, Cyphert made false statements when he acquired six of these firearms, by advising a federally licensed firearms dealer that he was purchasing said firearms for himself, when he was in fact purchasing said firearms at the direction of another person, in exchange for heroin, crack cocaine and cash.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2019. At each of the three counts, the law provides for a total maximum sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Cyphert’s bond.
This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cyphert.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Bergen County, New Jersey, Man Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged today with distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Barry Goldstein, 46, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, was arrested at his home. He is charged by complaint with one count of distributing child pornography. Goldstein made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer this afternoon in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2018 through August 2018, an undercover law enforcement officer (the “UC”) communicated over an instant messaging mobile application (the “IM App”) with Goldstein. The IM App allows users to transmit and receive content after users register a username. Goldstein maintained an account on the IM App, which was accessed from Internet Protocol addresses associated with Goldstein’s home.
In May and June 2018, after engaging in explicit conversations with the UC regarding the sexual abuse of children, Goldstein used his account on the IM App to share with the UC multiple files depicting child sexual abuse. On Aug. 29, 2018, law enforcement officers searched Goldstein’s residence, interviewed Goldstein and arrested him.
The count of distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Intrater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Barbour County woman admits to methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Chelsey Farley, of Philippi, West Virginia, has admitted to a methamphetamine distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Farley, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Farley admitted to possessing crystal methamphetamine, also known as “Ice,” in November 2016 in Barbour County.
Farley faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Bank Robber Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Mitchum L. Pastor, 52, was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for the bank robberies of First Hawaiian Bank and Hawaii State Federal Credit Union. As part of his sentence, Pastor must pay $320 in restitution, and serve 3 years of supervised release following his incarceration.
U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price stated that, according to court documents and information presented in court, on April 12, 2018, Pastor entered First Hawaiian Bank, told the teller he had a weapon, and demanded money. He received $320 in cash and fled on foot. The incident was captured on bank surveillance. The next day, Pastor entered Hawaii State Federal Credit Union, demanded money from the teller, and stated he had a gun as he reached into his back pocket. The teller placed $2,000 in cash in a bank envelope and handed it to Pastor. Pastor again fled the scene. Shortly thereafter, Honolulu Police Department officers identified Pastor from First Hawaiian Bank surveillance footage and arrested him. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of $2,000 in cash.
Pastor has two previous felony bank robbery convictions in two entirely separate cases. In 1993, Pastor received a prison sentence of 12 years for one bank robbery. In 2005, approximately a week after Pastor completed that prison sentence and while he was on supervised release, Pastor committed another bank robbery. He pled guilty and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 10 years. In addition, Pastor has two prior New York state robbery convictions.
The case was investigated by the Honolulu Police Department and the FBI, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara D. Ayabe.
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Baltimore County Man Who Enticed Children to Send Him Sexually Explicit Videos of Themselves Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Greenbelt, Maryland – Keith Edward Taylor, age 33, of Kingsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to Taylor’s plea agreement, in 2017, Taylor used an instant-messaging software application to communicate with minors throughout the United States and internationally. Specifically, Taylor admitted that he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with at least five minor male victims, ranging from 12 to 15 years old, and residing in various states, including Texas, Massachusetts, Iowa, Michigan, and Colorado. During the course of his conversations with the boys, Taylor typically portrayed himself as a woman. Taylor repeatedly requested that the boys send sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Taylor sent some of the boys sexually explicit photos of women, falsely claiming that they were photos of himself.
Taylor further admitted using the messaging app to distribute and trade child pornography with adults. For example, during December 2017, Taylor traded child pornography with a user who sent Taylor a live photo of a child that the user claimed was his own stepchild. Taylor repeatedly requested sexually explicit photos of the child and discussed the other user engaging in sex acts with the child. Taylor also maintained digital collections of child pornography in multiple cloud storage accounts and electronic devices.
As part of his plea agreement, Taylor 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).
Taylor faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for November 30, 2018 at 3 p.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI-Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox, who is prosecuting the federal case.
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Atlantic Mobile Imaging Services, Inc. Agrees to Pay More Than $320,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Operating Without A LicenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces today that Atlantic Mobile Imaging Services, Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $321,388.50 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing the government for services while it was unlicensed.
The settlement relates to the expiration of Atlantic Mobile’s license with the State of Florida in 2015. Atlantic Mobile allegedly billed federal healthcare programs for mobile x-ray services it had provided at various locations without a valid license. According to the settlement agreement, from June 9, 2015, through December 28, 2015, Atlantic Mobile billed over $160,000 for services it was not licensed to provide, in order to receive payment from the United States.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office seeks to protect Medicare, TRICARE, and other federal health care programs from unlicensed providers,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “We will continue to protect the people in our district from providers who do not follow the law.”
“Medicare licensure requirements help to ensure that patients receive services from competent providers,” said Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of HHS OIG. “On behalf of patients and taxpayers, we will hold violators accountable who fail to meet those requirements.”
This settlement resulted from an investigation coordinated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor, with assistance from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The settlement resolves the United States’ claims. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The government’s action in this matter illustrates the emphasis on combating health care fraud, and one of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Amaurys Mendez Campanon Sentenced to Serve 57 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On August 29, 2018, Amaurys Mendez Campanon, 40, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Judge, to serve a total of 57 months in federal prison for his role in a wire fraud and aggravated identity theft conspiracy involving credit card skimmers. Upon his release from prison, he will be supervised by U.S. Probation for three years. Campanon was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $21,114.84.
In April 2018, Campanon pleaded guilty to three counts of a September 2017 federal indictment. Details of the scheme are outlined in his plea agreement on file with U.S. District Court. According to the plea agreement, between August 7, 2017 and August 10, 2017, Campanon and Odemnis Prats Leiva purchased credit and debit card account information pertaining to numerous persons without their knowledge. They used the fraudulently obtained information to re-encode unloaded gift cards, which they shoplifted from various retail establishments. The re-encoded cards – which were, in effect, converted credit cards bearing the account information of the victims - were then used to purchase loaded gift cards and other consumer items at various retail establishments across east Tennessee and elsewhere.
As a result of an ongoing investigation by law enforcement, Campanon and Leiva were arrested in Rogersville, Tennessee, on August 10, 2017. At the time of their arrest, Leiva was in possession of nine unlawfully re-encoded devices, $7,020.25 in cash, numerous gift cards, all of which he had obtained as part of the conspiracy, as well as other items used in furtherance of their conspiracy. Leiva also pleaded guilty to these charges and was sentenced in July 2018 to serve 54 months in prison.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, Johnson City Police Department and Rogersville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney TJ Harker represented the United States in court proceedings.
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Alien Sentenced for Illegal Reentry Subsequent to Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that LUIS LAURO ZAMORA-ESPIRIQUETA, age 53, of Mexico, was sentenced in Raleigh by Senior United States District Court Judge W. Earl Britt to 21 months imprisonment for reentry of a removed alien.
ZAMORA-ESPIRIQUETA was named in a one-count Indictment returned by a grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of North Carolina on August 16, 2017. ZAMORA-ESPIRIQUETA pled guilty on May 22, 2018 to reentry of a removed alien.
According to information presented in court, ZAMORA-ESPIRIQUETA was previously deported three (3) times and found in Johnston County, North Carolina, due to his arrest for possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine. As presented in court, ZAMORA-ESPIRIQUETA had sold cocaine to an individual and a search of a hotel room occupied by ZAMORA-ESPIRIQUETA in Selma, North Carolina, revealed 11 grams of cocaine. In addition, a search of ZAMORA-ESPIRIQUETA’s residence in Clayton, North Carolina, uncovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
The case was investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Bank Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ronald P. Lopez, 25, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court to a bank robbery charge. Lopez entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.
The FBI arrested Lopez on March 14, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with robbing the US Bank branch located at 2015 Eubank Blvd., in Albuquerque on Feb. 26, 2018. Lopez subsequently was indicted on April 10, 2018, and was charged with bank robbery on Feb. 26, 2018, in Bernalillo County, N.M.
At sentencing, Lopez faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Lopez has been in federal custody since his arrest and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito is prosecuting the case.
Alameda Laboratory to Pay $1.25 Million to Settle Claims of Conducting Unnecessary TestingRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISO – Laboratory testing services company Singulex, Inc. of Alameda, Calif., has agreed to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by billing federal health care programs for medically unnecessary testing, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse, Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Chris D. Hendrickson of the Western Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett of the Federal Bureau of Investigation San Francisco Field Office. Under the settlement, which stems from a whistleblower action filed under the federal False Claims Act, Singulex will pay $1.25 million.
As alleged in the lawsuit, Singulex caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and TRICARE by pressuring health care providers to select certain diagnosis codes without regard to the patient’s medical condition, and/or added such codes to laboratory test orders without the health care provider’s knowledge or consent. In addition, the lawsuit alleged that Singulex knowingly pressured health care providers to order laboratory tests without regard to medical necessity, made misrepresentations to health care providers to convince them to order additional laboratory tests, and/or added certain procedure codes to laboratory test requisition forms without health care provider’s knowledge or consent. As a result, the United States alleges that Singulex billed federal health care programs, including Medicare and TRICARE, for medically unnecessary tests.
“This settlement reflects the continuing commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute improper Medicare and TRICARE billings by companies that are looking to increase their profits at the expense of taxpayers and without regard to proper patient care,” said U.S. Attorney Tse.
“Health care companies that use illegal shortcuts to boost profits undermine the financial integrity of federal health care programs,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan. “Our agency will continue to hold those who engage in such fraudulent schemes accountable.”
“Today's result resolves serious allegations of fraud against Singulex and is a victory for the U.S. taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Hendrickson. “DCIS and its law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those who attempt to defraud the U.S. military's health care program and other health care programs in order to ensure the health care system works for U.S. military personnel and their families.”
The lawsuit was filed by Vicki Swartzell and Jim Vandermeer under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, private individuals can bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government for false claims. The individual then shares in any recovery. The act also permits the United States to intervene in and take over a whistleblower suit, as it has done here.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca A. Falk is handling the matter on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, with the assistance of Garland He. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of California, HHS-OIG, DCIS and the FBI.
Afton Man Charged with Possessing a "Pipe Bomb"Read the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.— Richard C. Cole, 36, of Joplin, Missouri, was charged today by way of criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered destructive device discovered at a residence in Afton, Oklahoma, from which he was recently evicted.
According to the Complaint affidavit, on August 25, Delaware County Sheriff’s deputies were called to 27950 South Highway 25, Unit 27-1, in Afton, OK, when a landlord discovered a suspected improvised explosive device. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad was contacted, and upon arrival, they observed two, one pound canisters of what appeared to be “mixed Tannerite,” two boxes of ammunition, along with the explosive device in an ammunition container.
United States Attorney Trent Shores stated, “I am thankful no one was injured by the pipe bomb. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are to be commended for quickly handling the situation in order to protect the public and render this destructive device safe.”
Agencies involved in the investigation and arrest included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma
A Complaint is a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Afton Man Charged with Possessing a "Pipe Bomb"Read the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.— Richard C. Cole, 36, of Joplin, Missouri, was charged today by way of criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered destructive device discovered at a residence in Afton, Oklahoma, from which he was recently evicted.
According to the Complaint affidavit, on August 25, Delaware County Sheriff’s deputies were called to 27950 South Highway 25, Unit 27-1, in Afton, OK, when a landlord discovered a suspected improvised explosive device. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad was contacted, and upon arrival, they observed two, one pound canisters of what appeared to be “mixed Tannerite,” two boxes of ammunition, along with the explosive device in an ammunition container.
United States Attorney Trent Shores stated, “I am thankful no one was injured by the pipe bomb. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are to be commended for quickly handling the situation in order to protect the public and render this destructive device safe.”
Agencies involved in the investigation and arrest included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma
A Complaint is a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
28 August 2018
West Mifflin Woman Gets Probation, Ordered to Complete Drug Treatment for Conspiring to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three years’ probation, the first 180 days of which are to be served under home detention, and 75 hours of community service on her conviction of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Jammie Fridley, age 49. According to information presented to the court, Fridley, from March through June 2017, regularly purchased fentanyl and other drugs for personal use and distribution, and was responsible for the distribution of between 32 and 40 grams of fentanyl. In light of her history of drug abuse, the court ordered her to complete drug treatment and mental health programs during the probationary period imposed. Fridley is the fifth of the 21 defendants charged in the conspiracy to be sentenced.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Violent Drug Dealer Receives 15 Year SentenceRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Keith English, 26, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for possession with the intent to distribute more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug dealing activities. English appeared before Judge E. Richard Webber in United States District Court in St. Louis this morning.
English admitted to a string of arrests during which he was found in possession of drugs and weapons in St. Louis County during 2017. The final confrontation involved a sale of two ounces of methamphetamine on a north county parking lot during which English was arrested with a 9 millimeter handgun after briefly trying to outrun the police. In all, English admitted to possessing three different handguns. English also admitted to using straw purchasers to obtain firearms for himself and other convicted felons who are legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
“Drug dealing and illegal weapons are a dangerous combination for our community. This sentence reflects that danger and will keep a violent drug dealer out of the community for a long time,” said U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen.
The case was investigated by the St. Ann Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Hazelwood Police Department, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration – St. Louis Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Koppenaal handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Vinalhaven Man Convicted of Making Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Eric Malmstrom, 40, of Vinalhaven, Maine, was convicted yesterday following a one-day jury trial in U.S. District Court of transmitting threatening interstate communications.
The evidence at trial revealed that on three occasions in February and March, Malmstrom placed telephone calls to an employee of the Swedish embassy in Washington, D.C., threatening to slit the employee’s throat. Between September 2017 and March 2018, Malmstrom placed hundreds of calls to the embassy and to the employee.
Malmstrom faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
“Threats made against public officials, whether those of the United States or of foreign governments serving their citizens in this country, cannot be taken lightly,” said U.S. Attorney Frank. “People who make such threats should expect to be caught, charged and prosecuted.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to ensuring the safety and security of foreign diplomats in the United States,” said Bart Brown, director of DSS’s Office of Protective Intelligence Investigations. “This case is the result of a joint DSS investigation with the U.S. Secret Service and the Knox County Sheriff’s Department.”
U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Agencies Reach Resolution with Northern California Landowner Regarding Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – A federal district court judge approved a settlement resolving alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act in and around the Van Duzen River by Humboldt County landowner, Jack Noble. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resource Division (ENRD) Jeffrey H. Wood, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Michael Stoker, and Assistant Director for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries West Coast Division Office of Law Enforcement Greg Busch.
The settlement, approved by U.S. District Judge Saundra B. Armstrong on Monday, August 27, 2018, includes a consent decree pursuant to which Noble will remove concrete and other debris that he dumped into the Van Duzen River in an attempt to armor the river’s banks. Noble also will create woody alcoves in the river for fish habitat and revegetate the banks to restore the river. Under the decree, Noble also will pay a $10,000 civil penalty and is enjoined from additional work in the Van Duzen without first obtaining a clearance from relevant federal agencies.
The Clean Water Act requires any person who plans to discharge fill in any portion of rivers (or other waters of the United States) to obtain a permit from the United States Army Corps of Engineers or authorized state. Further, the Endangered Species Act protects listed species and prohibits killing listed species, injuring them, or significantly modifying or degrading their habitat. In this case, Noble placed fill and other pollutants in sections of the Van Duzen River, a designated Wild and Scenic River that serves as habitat to protected coho salmon, chinook salmon, and steelhead trout. He did so without obtaining a permit and despite warnings from state and federal officials. These activities altered the reach of the river, had an adverse impact on critical fish spawning areas, and otherwise crushed or stranded fish.
“The federal law has been crafted to protect certain areas from unpermitted construction and dumping,” said U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse. “Today’s settlement would ensure that this critical habitat in Humboldt County will be restored to the condition it was before pollutants were introduced in and around the Van Duzen River. We will continue to use the resources of this office to ensure that federal laws are enforced for the protection of our environment.”
“The Van Duzen River is not only a place for recreation, but also serves as an important water supply for the communities of Humboldt County, California,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resource Division. “Today’s settlement shows that the Justice Department will continue to work closely with its partners at the federal, state and local level to ensure the longevity of our natural resources and make sure that companies, as well as individuals, comply with the Clean Water Act.”
“Today’s settlement will help restore one of California’s Wild and Scenic Rivers and enhance habitat for salmon,” said Regional Administrator Mike Stoker with the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “EPA looks forward to continuing to work with our local, state and federal partners to monitor the restoration work’s success.”
“NOAA is committed to enforcing regulations for the conservation and recovery of threatened and endangered species,” said Greg Busch, Assistant Director for NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, West Coast Division. “This case is an excellent example of how state and federal agencies work together to reduce the harmful effect of human activities on protected species and their habitats.”
This litigation was handled jointly by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pyle of the Northern District of California and Trial Attorneys John Thomas Do, Simi Bhat, and Andrea Gelatt of the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division. The resolution of this case is the result of a joint effort by EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and NOAA who are often aided by their state counterparts as well as groups and individuals who report suspected violations. This matter was brought to the attention of the federal agencies by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and members of the public.