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24 August 2018
Williamson County Man Lands 5-Year Prison Sentence for Federal Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
Bobby A. Commons, a/k/a "Blood," 44, of Herrin, Illinois, was sentenced this week to a 60-month term in federal prison for a firearm offense, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. Commons previously pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that, on November 22, 2017, Commons threatened another person using a stolen rifle and discharged three rounds while inside his Herrin residence. Because he has a prior felony conviction, federal law prohibits Commons from possessing firearms.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, the Herrin Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Williamson County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Westerly Resident on Federal Supervised Release on Child Pornography Conviction Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Westerly man convicted in 2015 for possession of child pornography and sentenced to 36 months in federal prison was ordered detained today by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography.
In September 2015, Paul Estus, 71, having previously admitted to the Court to possessing more than 600 images of child pornography, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 36 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years supervised release. A condition of Estus’ supervised release required him to submit to unannounced examination of his electronic devices.
According to court documents, on August 15, 2018, United States Probation Officers conducted a home visit at Estus’ Westerly residence. During the unannounced visit, Probation Officers inspected two cell phones owned by Estus and allegedly discovered images of child pornography on both phones. The phones were seized for further analysis.
A court-authorized forensic examination of the cell phones by a Warwick Police Detective assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force allegedly revealed 273 images of child pornography and 15 videos of child pornography.
Estus was arrested earlier today.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The arrest of Estus and the filing of a criminal complaint charging Estus with possession of child pornography are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Chief U.S. Probation Officer John A. Marshall, and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
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Waterloo Man Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Mark Brueggemann, 60, of Waterloo, Illinois, has been charged with knowingly receiving a video depicting child pornography, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. The one-count indictment alleges that the offense occurred in Waterloo on or about February 15, 2017.
Earlier today, Brueggemann made his initial appearance in federal court. Brueggemann pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on bond with electronic location monitoring and other special conditions. His trial is currently set for October 23, 2018.
If convicted of the charge, Brueggemann faces at least five years and no more than 20 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000, and a possible lifetime term of supervised release. He may also be asked to make restitution to any identified victims of his offense.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The case is being investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield Electronic Crime Unit/Southern Illinois Cyber Group of the Secret Service. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Prison for Producing Pornography of Children in the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
A Manassas man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for paying women to sexually abuse children in the Philippines via a web camera while he directed and produced numerous images of the abuse, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.
On April 9, Dwayne Stinson, 53, a communications technician, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. According to court documents, from at least October 2011 until February 2012, Stinson used an electronic payment service to pay women in the Philippines he was chatting with to sexually abuse children while he directed the abuse. He admitted that some of the children were as young as six or seven years old. The defendant contemporaneously produced numerous screenshot images of the abuse and stored them on his computer for years. In addition to his prison sentence, Stinson was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from the Prince William County Police Department and Northern Virginia/District of Columbia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia 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 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.
Violent Bank Robbery Results in 30-Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge today sentenced a Chicago man to 30 years in prison for robbing a suburban bank at gunpoint.
MALCOLM CARPENTER and another man robbed a Bank of America branch in Homewood on Dec. 4, 2013. Upon entering the bank, Carpenter announced a robbery and pointed a loaded handgun at a pregnant teller behind the counter. He and the other robber then forced three female bank employees to lie face down on the ground while compelling the bank manager and a teller to open the vault and hand over cash. The pair fled the bank with $80,288, but were soon arrested while hiding in a vehicle parked in a nearby apartment complex.
A jury last year convicted Carpenter, 38, of Chicago, on bank robbery and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer imposed the sentence in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Substantial assistance was provided by the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, the South Suburban Emergency Response Team, and the Homewood Police Department.
“When defendant chose to rob a bank and point a loaded firearm at five innocent individuals, he also chose to put each of their lives at risk,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Greening and Sean J.B. Franzblau argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “The victim bank employees suffered a lasting, human cost.”
The other robber, JUSTIN WILLIAMS, 30, of Calumet Park, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and firearm charges. Judge Pallmeyer in 2016 sentenced Williams to ten years in prison.
Ukrainian Sentenced for Trafficking in Hacked Financial InformationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Ukrainian national was sentenced today to six years in prison for trafficking stolen financial information obtained through computer hacking.
According to court documents, Ruslan Yeliseyev, 42, of Odessa, Ukraine, made his living selling stolen financial information on underground Russian-speaking criminal websites. The information that Yeliseyev sold, which had been stolen from hacked computers, included over 62,000 credit card numbers as well as usernames and passwords to victims’ online banking accounts. Yeliseyev was arrested while vacationing in Israel in 2016 and subsequently extradited to the United States.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Brian J. Ebert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer and Trial Attorney Andrew Pak of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court
Ukrainian Sentenced for Trafficking in Hacked Financial InformationRead the Press Release
A Ukrainian national was sentenced today to six years in prison for trafficking stolen financial information obtained through computer hacking.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Ebert of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
According to court documents, Ruslan Yeliseyev, 42, of Odessa, Ukraine, made his living selling stolen financial information on underground Russian-speaking criminal websites. The information that Yeliseyev sold, which had been stolen from approximately 40,000 hacked computers, included over 62,000 credit card numbers as well as usernames and passwords to victims’ online banking accounts. Yeliseyev was arrested while vacationing in Israel in 2016 and subsequently extradited to the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the extradition. Trial Attorney Andrew Pak of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
Two former Lucas County corrections officers indicted for accepting bribes in return for smuggling contraband items into inmates; third former guard also chargedRead the Press Release
Two former Lucas County corrections officers were indicted in federal court for accepting bribes in return for smuggling contraband items into inmates.
A third former corrections officer was charged with providing contraband to inmates.
Robert Hobson, 31, was indicted on two counts of Hobbs Act extortion and two counts of providing contraband in prison.
Marcus Henderson, 32, was indicted on one count each of Hobbs Act extortion and providing contraband in prison.
Matthew Wiegand, 39, was indicted on one count of proving contraband in prison.
“Corrections officers play vital role in the justice system,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “Those who would accept bribes to break the rules put others at risk. Sheriff Tharp is to be commended for bringing these cases to the attention of federal law enforcement when he discovered this problem.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony said: “Corrections officers willing to take bribes from incarcerated criminals cannot be tolerated. The FBI applauds Sheriff Tharp for his commitment to root out corruption and look forward to our continued partnership with the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office.”
“We received information, we acted on it and we brought it to the attention of the FBI,” said Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp. “We felt these people should not be working with our office or our employees. It was the right thing to do.”
All three men worked as corrections officers at the Lucas County Correctional Center in Toledo.
Hobson in November 2015 accepted bribes from an inmate or their associates in return for providing contraband to inmates, including synthetic cannabinoids and tobacco, according to the indictment.
Henderson in June 2016 accepted bribes from an inmate or their associates in return for providing contraband to inmates, including a cellular telephone and tobacco, according to the indictment.
Wiegand in May 2017 provided contraband tobacco to an inmate, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Freeman following an investigation by the FBI and Lucas County Sheriff’s Office.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Possess with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Dexter Harley, 32, of Tortola, and Jose Squiabro, 44, of St. Thomas, were sentenced for their roles in connection with a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram of cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert, announced.
On August 23, 2018, District Court Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Harley to 36 months in prison and on August 24, 2018, Judge Gomez sentenced Squiabro to 51 months in prison. Both Harley and Squiabro were sentenced to four years of supervised release following their period of incarceration. In addition, Judge Gomez ordered Harley and Squiabro to each pay a $100 special assessment and perform 200 hours of community service.
On April 23 and 25, 2018, Harley and Squiabro, respectively, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram of cocaine. According to the plea agreements filed with the court, Harley and Squiabro conspired with each other between December 15, 2015 and February 9, 2016 to sell one kilogram of cocaine to another individual.
This case was a result of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
Two Men Sentenced for Gas Pump Card Skimming Bank Fraud Scheme Following Their Arrest in Salisbury, NCRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Two men who were arrested last September in Salisbury, North Carolina, in a gas pump credit and debit card-skimming investigation were sentenced to federal prison today, announced Matthew G.T. Martin, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina.
ELIO ARTURO RODRIGUEZ-MENDEZ of Miami, Florida, and JEAN JESUS RODRIGUEZ-SILVA of Louisville, Kentucky, both pleaded guilty on May 10, 2018, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Each was sentenced by United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr., to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. They were also ordered to pay $21,931.09 in restitution.
Authorities began investigating the fraud following a fraud victim’s complaint. By tracing the use of the stolen card information, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office identified two men on store security footage at various Walmart stores associated with purchases using that victim’s card and other cards. That surveillance also showed the two men consistently arrived and left the stores in a silver pick-up truck with Florida license plates. On September 7, 2017, an officer saw a pick-up truck matching that description and followed it to a hotel in Salisbury. The officer recognized one of the persons in the vehicle as a person seen on surveillance video associated with the credit/debit card fraud. Officers stopped the pick-up truck after it left the hotel. The driver was RODRIGUEZ-MENDEZ, 47, with passenger RODRIGUEZ-SILVA, 33. The pair was found to possess devices commonly found in card-skimming activity conducted at gas pumps. Most of the victims had patronized stations in Rockwell and Salisbury. A GPS unit in RODRIGUEZ-MENDEZ’S truck showed it had once stopped at the station in Rockwell while the station was closed, and an audio-recording recovered from the GPS unit captured persons apparently discussing, in Spanish, the proper way to install a gas pump card-skimming device.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Anand P. Ramaswamy, Cybercrime Prosecutor for the Middle District of North Carolina.
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Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Possess with Intent to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Tommy Ramirez, 29, of the Dominican Republic, and Ramon Clavel, 55 of Haiti, were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram of cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert, announced.
On August 23, 2018, United States District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced defendant Tommy Ramirez to 38 months imprisonment. Judge Gomez sentenced defendant Ramon Clavel to 36 months of imprisonment. Each defendant was also ordered to be placed on four years of supervised release upon their discharge from prison. In addition, Judge Gomez ordered Ramirez and Clavel to each pay a $100 special assessment and perform 200 hours of community service.
On April 18, 2018, Ramirez and Clavel pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram of cocaine. According to the plea agreement filed with the Court, on February 12, 2018, Ramirez instructed Clavel to present himself at the Emancipation Gardens post office to claim a package containing a white powdery substance later identified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
This case was a result of an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Services (USPIS), and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It was prosecuted by
Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
Two Eagle Butte Men Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Eagle Butte, South Dakota, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
James Charger, age 21, and Andrew Good Eagle, age 18, were indicted on August 13, 2018. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Gerdes on August 22, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on August 6, 2018, Charger and Good Eagle did unlawfully assault an individual and said assault did result in serious bodily injury to the victim.
The charges are merely accusations and Charger and Good Eagle are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Charger was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial and Good Eagle was released on bond. A trial date of October 16, 2018 has been set.
Towson Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Distributing Oxycodone in Exchange for Sexual FavorsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A licensed pharmacist, Richard Daniel Hiller, age 64, of Owings Mills, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, and to distributing oxycodone
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
“Abuse of oxycodone and other pharmaceutical drugs is one of our most significant drug enforcement challenges. Those who divert pharmaceutical drugs for illegal purposes further the tragic cycle of addiction and the epidemic of opioid overdose deaths,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur.
According to his plea agreement, Hiller was a licensed pharmacist working at a pharmacy in Towson, Maryland. Hiller admitted that he filled fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone for several women in return for sexual favors. On numerous occasions between January 2014 and February 2017, Hiller directed two of the women to come to the pharmacy where he worked prior to the opening of the pharmacy. Hiller would make them engage in sexual intercourse or perform other sexual acts in the rear area of the pharmacy prior to filling their fake prescriptions for oxycodone.
Beginning in 2014, Hiller also distributed oxycodone to a third woman. In return for distributing oxycodone to her, often without any valid prescription, Hiller would ask the woman to send him nude photos and sexual videos of herself, and allow him to grope and kiss her. This woman would sometimes use different names to simultaneously obtain oxycodone prescriptions from two doctors. Hiller would fill both prescriptions knowing they had been fraudulently obtained. When the woman rejected one of Hiller’s advances, he called the woman’s doctors to notify them that she was fraudulently obtaining prescriptions from both of them.
Hiller filled these prescriptions knowing they were fraudulent and outside the usual course of professional practice. Hiller would permit the women to fill additional prescriptions for oxycodone before the previous 30-day window had expired. In an effort to hide the conspiracy, some of the fraudulent prescriptions listed fake names and names of family members. The women were addicted to oxycodone and would resell many of the pills they obtained from Hiller to maintain their addiction. Over the course of the conspiracy, Hiller distributed approximately 20,500 15 milligram oxycodone pills.
Hiller faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy, and a maximum of 20 years in prison for distributing oxycodone. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for Hiller on November 15, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in these investigations. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Burden H. Walker, who is prosecuting the case.
Taking Action on the Opioid Crisis (Op-Ed)Read the Press Release
The latest statistics indicate that 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017 – the highest death toll in a single year and a staggering figure. Nearly 30,000 of those deaths were attributable to one particularly deadly synthetic opioid – fentanyl.
Our great Commonwealth knows the consequences of the crisis far too well. According to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy’s 2017 Overdose Fatality Report, 1,468 Kentucky residents died of a drug overdose in 2017. Fentanyl was involved in 763 of those overdose deaths, accounting for 52% of all deaths – up from 47% in 2016.
Many would confirm the Eastern District of Kentucky is at “ground zero” in the overdose crisis. During 2017, in the 67 counties comprising our District, we had 894 of the Commonwealth’s overdose deaths, which accounts for approximately 61% of the resident overdose deaths for the entire state.
More alarmingly, the top five counties in the Commonwealth, with the highest per capita overdose death rates, are all in our District. Similarly, four of the top five counties, with the most fentanyl related overdose deaths, are also in our District – including Fayette County. Fayette County ranked second in fentanyl related overdose deaths in 2017, with 112 overdoses. Fayette County was also third for overdose deaths related to both heroin and fentanyl, with 33 additional deaths.
The statistics represent real people, who fell prey to the plague of addiction; but these are not just numbers on a page – they are friends and loved ones.
While prevention and treatment are critically important, law enforcement also plays a key role in fighting this crisis. The Department of Justice, under Attorney General Sessions, is fighting back, and is using every tool in the toolbox – and even creating new ones – to do so.
Our Office has received additional resources to combat the drug threat facing our District and we are committed to combatting the crisis with all the tools we have.
Earlier this month, the Attorney General announced Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS). SOS is based on a successful initiative in Manatee County, Florida, where law enforcement aggressively prosecuted fentanyl distribution cases, helping in the reduction of overdose death rates. The Manatee County program resulted in a significant number of federal prosecutions of those trafficking this poison.
As part of Operation SOS, our Office was one of ten selected to receive funding for a new prosecutor that will be dedicated to reducing access to illicit fentanyl. Working in partnership with DEA, the Lexington Police Department, and the Fayette Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, we will aggressively prosecute readily provable cases involving the distribution of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids – because with these drugs, there is no such thing as a small case. In working with our colleagues in law enforcement, we will strive to achieve meaningful results in reducing our overdose rates.
One year ago, the Attorney General also announced the formation of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse and Detection Unit, an innovative DOJ initiative that uses data and analytics to target heath care fraud related to prescription opioids. As a recipient of these resources, our Office will investigate and aggressively prosecute doctors who prey on opioid addiction here in Kentucky and defraud the government in the process.
Finally, as part of our mission to reduce access to all illegal drugs, we will continue our efforts in support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a multiagency effort to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and criminal organizations operating in our District and across the country. Our local OCDETF prosecutions have resulted in the seizure of enormous quantities of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs; the seizure of millions of dollars in drug proceeds; and the convictions of numerous drug traffickers. We will continue to prioritize these important investigations.
The work of law enforcement is critical to our success in combatting this crisis. It will continue to make a difference, reduce crime, and save lives.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr.
Sureno Gang Member Sentenced to 172 Months in Federal Prison for His Involvement in Discharge of a Firearm During Crime of Violence and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Spokane– Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Angel Abel Campos, age 24, of Toppenish, Washington, a documented Sureno gang member, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty in May 2018, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and participating in the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. United States Senior District Judge Lonny R. Suko sentenced Campos to a 172-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 5-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison, and ordered Campos to pay $16,000 restitution to the victims.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, on January 17, 2017, a male and female, who happened to be wearing the color red, were walking in the Yakamart parking lot in Toppenish, Washington. A male approached and asked “what do you bang?” The two pedestrians replied they were not gang members, left the Yakamart parking lot, and walked to a McDonald’s restaurant. Campos, who was driving a blue Mercury Mountaineer, drove another male around Toppenish until they spotted the two pedestrians. Campos slowed down, turned off his headlights, and pivoted his vehicle toward them. Several gunshots were fired at the two pedestrians. Both victims suffered gunshot wounds. The victims were unable to identify the persons involved in the shooting. The Toppenish Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investigation. Law enforcement officers developed leads from surveillance footage recovered from the Yakamart and McDonald’s restaurant.
On March 21, 2017, members of the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Taskforce arrested Campos due to an outstanding warrant. Inside a blue Mercury Mountaineer, the officers observed an assault rifle and high capacity magazine. The assault rifle was not utilized in the January 17, 2017, shooting incident.
Campos is a documented Sureno gang member and has a lengthy criminal history. As an adult, Campos has been convicted of attempting to elude a police officer, second degree assault, fourth degree assault, second degree possession of a firearm, and bail jumping.
United States Attorney Harrington said, “The sentence imposed sends a strong message to gang members that their actions will not be tolerated. These cases are an example of the superb work that that can be accomplished when federal, tribal, and local law enforcement work together. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute violent crimes that occur in the Eastern District of Washington.”
The cases were prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Toppenish Police Department, the Yakama Nation Police Department, the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, the Yakima Police Department, and the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Taskforce participated in the investigation of these two matters. The cases were prosecuted by Tom Hanlon, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Six Ohio Men Charged with Crimes Related to Sexually Abusing Children, Creating Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Six Ohio men who met on Craigslist have been charged with crimes related to producing child pornography and the repeated sexual abuse of at least two 10-year-old girls.
Four of the men were charged in a second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury yesterday. They include: William G. Weekley, 34, of Newark; Timothy F. Sullivan, 49, of Canal Winchester; Franklin Eugene Perry, 62, of Columbus; and Brian S. Perkins, 42, of Mt. Vernon.
A fifth defendant, Grant Michalski, 28, of Columbus, was charged by criminal complaint yesterday.
In a third case, a federal grand jury indicted Eric Zevely, 33, of Columbus. He was also indicted yesterday.
Court documents were unsealed today.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Westerville Police Chief Joseph Morbitzer and other members of the FBI Crimes Against Children Task Force announced the charges.
This investigation began when Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations Special Agent/FBI Task Force Officer Larry McCoy communicated undercover with Weekley online. From that initial investigation into Weekley, investigators were able to discover the additional defendants.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly made online contact with each other and others who shared, or whom they believed to share, their sexual interest in minors, incest and child pornography.
After making initial contact through Craigslist, Weekley communicated with each of the other defendants on an ongoing basis through text and various other apps, including Wickr.
It is alleged that Weekley, who was initially arrested in January and indicted in February, had regular access to a female child (Jane Doe), who was approximately 10 to 11 years old during the offenses detailed. Weekley sexually abused Jane Doe and created images and videos of the molestation, which he shared with others, including some of the co-defendants.
Images of the abuse – which occurred from at least October 2017 until January 2018 – depicted the young girl engaged in oral and anal intercourse as well as bestiality.
Weekley and Perry discussed sexually abusing Jane Doe together, and made plans for Perry to join Weekley in the sexual abuse of Jane Doe. Perry allegedly encouraged Weekley to continue abusing the victim and did eventually sexually abuse the victim together with Weekley.
Likewise, Perkins and Sullivan requested that Weekley bring Jane Doe to meet them for the purpose of sexually abusing Jane Doe, but it is not believed that Perkins or Sullivan actually met with Weekley.
Weekley and Michalski messaged on Craigslist about interests in sexual topics like “family, forced” and “K9 and more.”
Zevely engaged in thousands of communications with numerous other individuals in response to ads placed on Craigslist, including with Weekley. Investigators discovered Zevely allegedly sexually abused a different 10-year-old victim who was not Jane Doe. Zevely is also alleged to have engaged in communications about sexually abusing minors with both HSI and FBI undercover task force officers.
Weekley is charged with one count of attempted coercion of a minor (10 years to life in prison), three counts of production of child pornography (15 to 30 years in prison per count), three counts of distributing child pornography (five to 20 years in prison per count) and one count of possessing child pornography (up to 10 years in prison). He has remained in custody since his arrest in January.
Sullivan is charged with one count each of attempted coercion of a minor (10 years to life in prison), receipt of child pornography (five to 20 years in prison) and advertising for child pornography (15 to 30 years in prison).
Perry is charged with one count of attempted coercion of a minor (10 years to life in prison).
Perkins is charged with one count of attempted coercion of a minor (10 years to life in prison), one count of advertising for child pornography (15 to 30 years in prison) and one count of receipt of child pornography (five to 20 years in prison).
Zevely is charged with attempted coercion of a minor (10 years to life in prison), one count of producing child pornography (15 to 30 years in prison), one counts of distributing child pornography (five to 20 years in prison) and one count of possessing child pornography (up to 10 years in prison).
Michalski is currently charged with receiving (five to 20 years in prison) and possessing child pornography (up to 10 years in prison).
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Assistant United States Attorneys Heather A. Hill and S. Courter Shimeall, who are prosecuting the case.
Indictments and criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Scientist Sentenced to Three Years for Defrauding NASA, U.S. Navy, and Missile Defense AgencyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Akbar Fard (54, formerly of Tampa) to three years in federal prison for wire fraud. The court also ordered Fard to forfeit $ 1,472,082, proceeds which are traceable to of the offense.
A federal jury found him guilty on February 9, 2018.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Fard defrauded the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and the U.S. Navy. He diverted for his personal benefit $1,472,082 that should have been used to research critical national research priorities related to spacecraft, satellites, and the protection of naval assets from fires. With the money, Fard went on an international vacation, paid for a car, funded his retirement, and purchased retail items and groceries.
This case was investigated by NASA’s Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.
Recent Indictments for Illegal Possession of a Firearm for Defendants from Bakersfield and FresnoRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — As part the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced the following recent indictments for previously convicted felons being found in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
On August 23, 2018, James Escandon Jr., 34, of Bakersfield, was charged in an indictment with two-counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Escandon possessed a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver and a Rock Island Armory .45‑caliber handgun. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department.
On June 7, 2018, Marcus Ivey, 35, of Bakersfield, was charged with one-count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Ivey possessed a Heckler & Koch 9 mm pistol. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bakersfield Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth is prosecuting the above cases.
On August 16, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Felipe Barajas, 23, of Fresno, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, during a traffic stop, a police officer saw two rounds of ammunition in Barajas’s lap. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are 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.
Queens Man Sentenced for Distributing Heroin, Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Darnell D. Devaughn, age 33, of Long Island City, New York, was sentenced today to a year and a day in jail for distributing heroin and crack cocaine in Albany County.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and James N. Hendricks, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea in April, Devaughn admitted to distributing heroin and cocaine base (a/k/a crack cocaine) in the Crossgates Mall parking lot on November 9, 2016.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Devaughn to serve a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI and New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Prominent Southwest Washington Fishing Guide Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Disability Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A prominent Southwest Washington fishing guide was sentenced today in U.S. District court in Tacoma to twelve months and one day in prison for a long running disability fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. BILLY JIM SWANN, 53, was convicted on March 29, 2018, following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan. Judge Bryan found SWANN guilty of perjury, wire fraud, and Social Security fraud for his 8-year scheme to obtain disability benefits to which he was not entitled. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Bryan said described SWANN’s activity as a “nefarious scheme” to “lie to get money from the federal government.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, SWANN applied for Social Security disability benefits in 2006, claiming that he had been disabled and unable to work since 2003. When Social Security denied his claim, SWANN appealed and swore before an administrative law judge that his only work activity was as a volunteer for a few weeks in the summer at an Alaska fishing camp. When SWANN’s claims for disability benefits were again denied, SWANN filed an appeal in U.S. District Court, again with numerous false claims about his alleged disabilities. SWANN claimed his disability interfered with his ability to walk, climb stairs and use his hands, and that he needed a cane to walk. SWANN claimed that the accident that caused his disability in 2003, also caused cognitive problems, limiting his ability to carry on a conversation.
Contrary to his claims, between 2006 and 2014, SWANN had a busy and successful business known as Swanny’s Guided Fishing. SWANN offered guided fishing trips in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. SWANN was featured on the cover of Northwest Sportsman Magazine, was sponsored by numerous outdoor equipment brands, and was a regular guest on fishing shows carried on the radio. In 2012, the year he told an administrative law judge that he had not worked at all, SWANN earned $92,503 via his fishing guide business. Investigators also found that, throughout this period, SWANN failed to pay any state or federal taxes on his income from his fishing guide business.
SWANN’s applications for benefits were repeatedly denied by the Social Security Administration. Had SWANN been successful in his scheme, he and his family would have collected more than $200,000 in benefits.
The fraud scheme was uncovered following a 2016 investigation of SWANN’s illegal conduct on the Cowlitz River. On October 1, 2014, SWANN led a promotional fishing trip on the Cowlitz River. The trip was broadcast over the internet. SWANN encouraged his clients to catch two native Coho salmon protected by the Endangered Species Act and Washington law. After his clients landed the fish, SWANN clubbed both of them and then cut off the adipose fins to make it appear they were hatchery fish and therefore legal to catch and keep. However, evidence of the catching and clubbing of the wild and protected fish was caught on the web broadcast, and the illegal conduct was reported to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. SWANN entered a guilty plea to violating the Endangered Species Act. In March 2017, SWANN was fined $7,500 for the federal misdemeanor conviction.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson and Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Diggs. Mr. Diggs is an attorney with the Social Security Administration specially designated to prosecute fraud cases in federal court.
Prattville Man Receives Sentence of Almost Five Years for Shooting a CowRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Thursday, August 23, 2018, Byron Jamar Esco, 30, of Prattville, Alabama received a sentence of 57 months in prison for a illegally possessing a firearm and shooting a cow, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. The prosecution was the result of Esco senselessly using a firearm to shoot and kill a pregnant cow.
On November 29, 2017, Esco, who had been recently released from state prison, was driving his vehicle along country roads near Hope Hull, Alabama. As he drove, Esco, unprovoked, pointed his 9 millimeter handgun at a cow grazing in a field. Esco then fired the weapon and killed the cow, which was pregnant with a calf. Esco drove away. Before he could do so, though, the cow’s owner observed Esco’s vehicle and reported the shooting and the details of the getaway vehicle to law enforcement authorities. Early the following morning, a sheriff’s deputy found Esco driving the car. Inside the vehicle was the handgun used in the shooting.
Because Esco was previously convicted of felony offenses, he could not lawfully possess the firearm. Therefore, a grand jury charged Esco with being a felon in possession of a firearm and Esco later pleaded guilty to the crime.
At the sentencing hearing, Esco received an enhancement for possessing the firearm in furtherance of another felony offense—that felony offense being killing cattle livestock, in violation of Alabama law.
“We often assume that gun violence is a problem that exists only on city streets,” said United States Attorney Franklin. “Sadly, even a rural area can be the scene of needless violence, as this case demonstrates. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to make every part of this district—from city streets to country roads—safe.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case was a part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Drug Law ViolationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on August 15 and unsealed yesterday, named Vernon Jackson, 49, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about March 8, 2018, Jackson possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $2,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Raymond Erfort has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for cocaine trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The indictment, returned on August 21 and unsealed today, charges Erfort, age 42, of Pittsburgh, with (1) possession with intent to distribute cocaine on December 13, 2017, and (2) possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction on December 13, 2017.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $2,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Brentwood Police Department, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Omaha Woman Sentenced for Making False Statements to Federal AgentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that on August 23, 2018, United States District John M. Gerrard sentenced Rita K. Scott to probation for a term of 1 year with special conditions for making false statements to a federal agent in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2). Scott filed a false claim contesting the forfeiture of a truck titled to Scott but used by her son, Chris Hicks, during unlawful transactions involving guns and drugs. An ATF investigation revealed that Hicks purchased the truck with $17,000.00 cash and asked the prior owner to send the title to Scott. Scott later called an ATF agent asking for the location and status of the truck, and claimed she purchased the truck for $12,000.00 earned jointly with her husband.
The case was investigated by the Omaha office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Minor Role in Cocaine Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Coshocton, Ohio, has been sentenced in federal court to 48 months in jail on his conviction of violating money laundering laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Guadalupe Cortez Beserra, 30.
According to information presented to the court, Beserra conspired to commit money laundering by transferring and delivering approximately $914,190.00 in U.S. currency representing the proceeds of the buying, selling and otherwise dealing in cocaine from an Erie, Pennsylvania drug dealing operation. According to the information provided to the court, Beserra received the money from the organization’s drug dealing operation in Erie, and was instructed to count the money and repackage it in vacuum-sealed bags for further transport. Investigators seized the money after conducting a search of a residence in Coshocton, Ohio. The money seized by the investigators is subject to forfeiture.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Coshocton County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Beserra.
Nineteen Foreign Nationals Charged for Voting in 2016 ElectionRead the Press Release
Multiple Defendants Voted In More Than One Election
WILMINGTON, NC – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina today announced that nineteen foreign nationals were charged with, among other crimes, voting by alien for their actions prior to and on November 8, 2016. A twentieth defendant was charged with aiding and abetting a fellow defendant in falsely claiming United States citizenship in order to register to vote.
A federal grand jury in Wilmington, North Carolina returned an Indictment charging the following foreign nationals with false claim of United States citizenship in order to register to vote, and voting by an alien:- Jose Cruz Solano-Rodriguez, age 41, of Mexico;
- Guadalupe Espinosa-Pena, age 63, of Mexico;
- Sarah Emilia Silverio-Polanco, age 35, of the Dominican Republic;
- Elizabeth Nene Amachaghi, age 44, of Nigeria;
- Maria Rufina Castillo-Boswell, age 31, of Philippines;
- Dora Maybe Damatta-Rodriguez, age 64, of Panama;
- Elvis David Fullerton, age 54, of Grenada;
- Olive Agatha Martin, age 71, of Guyana; and
- Kaoru Sauls, age 54, of Japan.
Separately, criminal charges of voting by an alien were filed against the following foreign nationals:- Jose Jaime Ramiro-Torres, age 52, of El Salvador;
- Juan Francisco Landeros-Mireles, age 64, of Mexico;
- Alessandro Cannizzaro, age 46, of Italy;
- Dieudonne Soifils, age 71, of Haiti;
- Hyo Suk George, age 69, of Korea;
- Merius Jean, age 54, of Haiti;
- Rosemarie Angelika Harris, age 60, of Germany; and
- Daniel Tadeusz Romanowski, age 39, of Poland.
Also, a federal grand jury in Wilmington has returned an Indictment charging an eighteenth defendant, Diana Patricia Franco-Rodriguez, age 26, of Mexico, with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and voting by an alien.
Additionally, a federal grand jury in Wilmington has returned an Indictment charging Denslo Allen Paige, age 66, with aiding and abetting Espinosa-Pena in falsely claiming United States citizenship in order to register to vote.
Separately on August 14, 2018, Ramon Esteban Paez-Jerez, age 58, of the Dominican Republic, was charged and pleaded guilty to a two-count Criminal Information charging him with passport fraud and voting by an alien.
According to the Criminal Information, Paez-Jerez in 1988 was ordered deported from the United States and failed to appear for his scheduled removal. According to court records, Paez-Jerez assumed a fraudulent identity and applied for amnesty. Paez-Jerez in 1989 was granted lawful permanent status under the false identity and in 1999 was naturalized contrary to law as a United States citizen. On July 7, 2007, Paez-Jerez registered to vote in North Carolina under his fraudulent identity.
On September 16, 2009, Paez-Jerez made a false statement in an application for a United States passport when he applied under the fraudulent identity and failed to disclose his real name.
On November 8, 2016, Paez-Jerez illegally voted in the General Election of 2016 in Wake County, North Carolina, knowing he had illegally obtained United States citizenship.
Paez-Jerez faces maximum penalties of eleven years’ imprisonment, a $350,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for the term of court commencing on December 11, 2018, in New Bern, North Carolina.
If convicted of false claim of United States citizenship in order to register to vote, and voting by an alien, Amachaghi, Castillo-Boswell, Damatta-Rodriguez, Espinosa-Pena, Fullerton, Martin, Sauls, Silverio-Polanco, and Solano-Rodriguez, would face maximum penalties of six years’ imprisonment, a $350,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of voting by an alien, Cannizzaro, George, Harris, Jean, Landeros-Mireles, Ramiro-Torres, Romanowski, and Soifils would face maximum penalties of twelve months imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and voting by an alien, Franco-Rodriguez would face maximum penalties of twenty-six years imprisonment, a $350,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of aiding and abetting in falsely claiming United States citizenship in order to register to vote, Denslo Allen Paige would face a maximum imprisonment term of five years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments and Criminal Informations are merely accusations. An Indictment is a formal written accusation originating with the United States Attorney and issued by a Grand Jury against a party charged with a crime. A Criminal Information is a formal written accusation filed directly by the United States Attorney. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated under the newly created framework of the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) in the Eastern District of North Carolina lead by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, and assisted by Enforcement Removal Operations, and the Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service. The investigation as to voting fraud is ongoing.Native Mob Gang Member Charged with Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering, Witness RetaliationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced a six-count federal indictment against DAKOTA JAMES LAFAVE, aka “Biggs,” 29, for attempting to murder an individual in retaliation for their testimony given at an official court proceeding. LAFAVE, who was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Saint Paul, Minnesota, will remain in detention pending further proceedings.
According to the allegations in the indictment, LAFAVE is a member of the Native Mob gang, a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engage in acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery, and threats of violence in order to preserve and protect power, territory, reputation, and profits of the enterprise. Members and associates of the Native Mob meet regularly to discuss, among other things, acts of violence and crimes committed against rival gang members, gang rules and by-laws, law enforcement interactions, and to share with one another the identities of individuals who might be cooperating with law enforcement and propose actions to be taken against those individuals.
According to the allegations in the indictment, on or about October 27, 2017, LAFAVE, using a firearm, attempted to murder an individual with the intent to retaliate against that person for their testimony given at an official court proceeding. LAFAVE, who was previously convicted of three violent felonies and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition at any time, is subject to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act, which carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state and local law enforcement to specifically target and combat gun and gang crimes.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter.
Defendant Information:
DAKOTA JAMES LAFAVE, aka “Biggs,” 29
Fond du Lac, Minn.
Charges:
- Attempted murder in aid of racketeering, 1 count
- Assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, 1 count
- Witness retaliation, 2 counts
- Using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to crimes of violence, 1 count
- Felon in possession of ammunition – armed career criminal, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Monticello Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Quinn Alexander Haworth, 23 years old, of Monticello, Indiana, was sentenced by District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Haworth was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment followed by 15 years supervised release and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, between February 2016 and February 2017, Haworth downloaded child pornography from various websites and forums including peer-to-peer networks. Over the course of several years, Haworth collected over 4,000 still images and over 350 videos of child pornography including numerous visual depictions of infants and toddlers engaging in sexually explicit conduct and child pornography depicting torture and violence against children.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Indiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.
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Montgomery “Pill Mill” Doctor Receives a 145- Month Sentence for Drug Distribution, Health Care Fraud, and Money Laundering Offenses; “Pill Mill” Mental Health Counselor Pleads Guilty in Related CaseRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Thursday, August 23, 2018, Dr. Gilberto Sanchez, 56, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 12 years and 1 month in prison for prescribing unnecessary controlled substances to his patients, committing health care fraud, and laundering money, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr.
For years, Dr. Sanchez operated a medical practice located at 4143 Atlanta Highway in Montgomery. At that practice, Dr. Sanchez gave patients prescriptions for controlled substances knowing that the patients did not need the medicine and would, in fact, abuse the drugs. Among the drugs Dr. Sanchez unnecessarily prescribed were dangerous opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl. Dr. Sanchez also gave out illegitimate prescriptions for amphetamines, including Adderall, and benzodiazepines, including Xanax.
To ensure that his scheme was a profitable one, Dr. Sanchez required his patients to return to his office each month and undergo physical examinations before receiving prescription refills. These office visits were unnecessary, as their only purpose was to facilitate Dr. Sanchez giving the patients illegitimate prescriptions. Nevertheless, Dr. Sanchez performed these unnecessary examinations so that he could get money from the patients’ insurance companies. This scheme led to Dr. Sanchez’s health care fraud conviction.
The money laundering charges stem from Dr. Sanchez’s spending the proceeds of his operation of a pill mill. Court documents describe Dr. Sanchez using those proceeds to purchase at least one vehicle and one personal residence located in Montgomery.
When he imposed the sentence, United States District Judge Myron H. Thompson told Dr. Sanchez that he was imposing the strong sentence because of the significant toll Sanchez’s criminal conduct took in the lives of Dr. Sanchez’s patients and employees. The judge noted that many of the patients were unusually vulnerable due to drug addictions. Judge Thompson also stressed the amount of money Dr. Sanchez obtained from his scheme, which was at least $3.5 million dollars.
Also on Thursday, a licensed professional counselor, Johnnie Chaisson Sanders, 48, of Wetumpka, Alabama, pleaded guilty to health care fraud. Court documents state that Sanders worked for Dr. Sanchez and, with Dr. Sanchez, participated in a fraudulent moneymaking venture. Specifically, Dr. Sanchez falsely told patients that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) required any person who received a prescription for a controlled substance to undergo mental health counseling. The DEA had no such requirement. Dr. Sanchez then referred the patients to Sanders. After Sanders provided counseling to a patient, Dr. Sanchez billed the patient’s insurance company for the counseling service. Sanders knew that Dr. Sanchez would do this. Nevertheless, Sanders would collect cash payments directly from the patients. As a result, Dr. Sanchez and Sanders got paid twice for the same services.
“A license to practice medicine does not give a doctor permission to be a drug dealer,” said United States Attorney Franklin. “This white coat criminal poured poison into this community for years and will never know nor be able to undo the harm Dr. Sanchez inflicted upon his patients and their loved ones. We hope that this strong sentence will send a message deter other doctors who might follow Dr. Sanchez down the path of putting profit over care.”
“A doctor takes an oath to do no harm, but Sanchez actively harmed his patients and their families.” stated Bret Hamilton, DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge. No one knows the number of lives that Sanchez destroyed for his own gain. Just because you have a medical degree, you can still be nothing more than a common drug dealer.”
“Sanchez put his patients’ lives at risk and decided to abuse his medical privileges in order to line his pockets,” said Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS- Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue doctors and their employees who illegally divert prescription medications.”
“It’s reprehensible that a doctor entrusted with caring for his community would push unnecessary drugs on patients, knowing full well the ramifications of opioid abuse,”said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. “Dr. Sanchez continuously put his financial gain above the health and safety of our local residents. HHS-OIG continues to focus resources on those who divert prescription medication for profit and abuse.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI). The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency; Montgomery County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners; the Montgomery, Alabama Police Department; and the Opelika, Alabama Police Department all assisted in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross and R. Rand Neeley prosecuted the case.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Role in Painkiller Distribution RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A Michigan resident has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months of incarceration and four years of supervised release on his conviction of conspiring to possess and distribute opiate pain killers, oxycodone and oxymorphone, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Kavon Dawkins, 24, of Clinton Township, MI.
According to information presented to the court, Dawkins participated in a criminal network of drug dealers that obtained opiate painkillers and then illegally distributed them to users in the Pittsburgh area. He served as a key source of bulk quantities of opiate pills for a network of dealers in Pittsburgh. Dawkins obtained the pills from unknown source of supply in Detroit and then transported significant amounts of pills from Detroit to dealers in the Pittsburgh area. He was arrested in a traffic stop on his way back to Detroit from Pittsburgh, in possession of more than $13,000 in cash, multiple cellular telephones, and a loaded magazine for a handgun.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the New Castle Police Department and the Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dawkins.
Michigan Couple SentencedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Ricky R. Wadsworth and Shannon Brown were sentenced on August 23 and 24, respectively, by United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for transferring a firearm to a felon and illegal possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Wadsworth, age 47, from Sturgis, Michigan, was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release for transferring a firearm to a felon.
Brown, age 37, from Union City, Michigan, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release for felon in possession of a firearm.
According to documents in this case, for several months in 2014, Brown and Wadsworth talked to a convicted felon about selling firearms to him. Brown and Wadsworth’s efforts culminated in Brown finding a supplier and making available seven firearms of various types to a buyer who was a convicted felon. Brown and Wadsworth offered several firearms, but they only sold one to him, a Norinco Model SKS 7.62 caliber semi-automatic rifle equipped with a folding bayonet, extended magazines, and 132 rounds of ammunition. The sale took place in the middle of the day in a grocery store parking lot in Michigan City, Indiana.
Brown has three felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine, two convictions for possession of marijuana, and one conviction for purchasing precursors to make methamphetamine. Wadsworth has eleven prior felony counts of conviction and seven misdemeanor counts of conviction, including trafficking or possession of controlled substances, theft, burglary, and weapons offenses.
This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the Hammond Police Department, Michigan City Police Department and New Buffalo Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Donnelly.
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Mexican Nationals Illegally Residing in Kentucky Convicted in Large Cocaine-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Three Mexican Nationals illegally residing in Louisville, Ky. were sentenced today, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. A federal jury found Imanol Pineda Penaloza, 37, and Efrain Villa Villanueva, 24, guilty in May 2018. A third defendant, Sergio Aguilar Piedra, 25, entered a plea of guilty to the same charges. Imanol Pineda Penaloza was sentenced to a term of 340 months, while Efrain Villa Villanueva was sentenced to 200 months. Sergio Aguilar Piedra was previously sentenced to 125 months.
The evidence at trial established that all three men participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy from November 2015 until March 2018. In 2015, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit with the Lexington Police Department executed a search warrant, at an address on Lonan Court in Lexington, and seized nearly 19 kilograms of cocaine, approximately $400,000 in U.S. currency and two firearms. In 2016 and 2017, the defendants continued to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and other drugs, in Louisville and elsewhere. The amount of cocaine involved in the conspiracy was approximately 100 kilograms.
Each defendant must serve 85% of his federal prison sentence. Upon their release from prison, each defendant will face deportation to Mexico.
“The defendants were responsible for distributing an enormous amount of cocaine, and the significant sentences imposed underscore the seriousness of their illegal conduct,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The investigation and prosecution were successful because of the good work of and cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement, and I commend their efforts.”
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Darrell Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington-Fayette County Division of Police; and Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentences.
Mescalero Apache Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ellis Arkie Sago, 24, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to serve ten months in custody, five of which are to be served in prison and the remaining five in a halfway house, for assaulting a federal officer. Sago will be on supervised release after completing his custodial sentence.
The BIA arrested Sago on Feb. 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer. According to the criminal complaint, Sago was arrested on tribal charges after he assaulted a BIA officer. Sago committed the assault on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M., on Sept. 9, 2017, by kicking the officer in the legs while the officer was arresting Sago.
Sago subsequently was indicted on April 18, 2018, and was charged with assaulting a federal officer in Otero County on Sept. 9, 2017.
On May 30, 2018, Sago pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Sept. 9, 2017, he assaulted a BIA officer by kicking the officer in the legs.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Merrillville Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Steven Ruschak, 31 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen on his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Ruschak was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment followed by 5 years supervised release and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, between September 2012 and October 2015, Ruschak downloaded and received child pornography from the internet, including the dark web. Over the course of several years, Ruschak collected over 9,000 still images and over 200 videos of child pornography including numerous visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and child pornography depicting torture and violence against children.
This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Indiana State Police and Michigan City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.
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Mercer County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Felon in Possession of a GunRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid today sentenced a rural Mercer County, Ill., man, Steven Austin Adams, 27, to seven years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon. Adams was ordered to remain on supervised release for three years following his release from prison. Adams has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since he was arrested in July 2017.
On March 14, 2018, Adams, of Keithsburg, Ill., plead guilty to illegally possessing a Smith and Wesson .45 caliber pistol in March 2016. Adams admitted that he possessed the gun in connection with his drug trafficking activity. Agents seized the gun from Adams’ bedroom where it was located in close proximity to drugs and drug dealing paraphernalia such as scales and baggies. At the time Adams possessed the gun, he had a prior felony conviction for meth conspiracy in 2012 in Mercer County.
The case was investigated by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Quad Cities Federal Gang Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney John K. Mehochko prosecuted the case in cooperation with the Mercer County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Memphis Man has Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin Resulting in Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – David Mitchell Murray of Memphis has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in death. Also indicted as a co-defendant in this case is Glenda Aldape, 48, of Cordova. D. Michael Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty plea and indictment today.
According to information presented in court, on the evening of March 28, 2016, the victim, Sean Heywood agreed over the phone to buy half a gram of heroin from Aldape for $75. Aldape texted Sean that she was sending "Mitch" (later identified as 38-year-old David Mitchell Murray) to deliver the heroin. Sean lived with his father, mother and grandmother at the time.
At 10 p.m., Sean told his father he was going to a nearby Huey’s location to have a beer. Surveillance tape showed Sean entering the bar area of the restaurant a few minutes after 10 p.m. and having one beer. During this period, he spoke on the phone with Mitch at least twice. The tape then shows him leaving the restaurant. After a few minutes, he left the bar and got into a car with Mitch, who then sold the heroin to Sean. Mitch then drove Sean home.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., Sean’s father found Sean unresponsive on the bathroom floor. Memphis emergency personnel arrived at the house and pronounced Sean dead at 1:02 a.m. Law enforcement also responded and tagged all of the items as evidence – a plastic bag of heroin in his pocket, syringe, spoon and 0.19 grams of heroin, and Sean’s cell phone. The autopsy results concluded the cause of Sean’s death was a lethal dose of heroin.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Under our district-specific opioid strategy, heroin distribution cases resulting in death receive top priority for investigation and federal prosecution, regardless of quantity of heroin involved or the prior criminal record
of the offender. Our Heroin Initiative also provides time-sensitive case coordination between law enforcement agencies and medical examiners, to ensure that opioid overdose death cases are investigated quickly and thoroughly to identify the nature and source of the drug distribution. Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute and seek the maximum guidelines sentences in these cases in order to disrupt trafficking organizations, hold the distributor accountable for the death of the victim, and to deter others from selling poison to our citizens."
Sentencing is set for November 2, 2018, before U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. Mitchell faces a minimum of 20 years up to life imprisonment.
This case was investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit (OCU).
Assistant U.S. Attorney J. William Crow is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
Media Advisory-Read the Press Release
WHEN: Monday, August 27, 2018 at 3:00 PM
WHERE: Terry Stanford Federal Building
310 New Bern Avenue
Room 158
Raleigh, NC 27601
Re: Sentencing of Medical Doctor Convicted of Unlawfully Distributing Oxycodone
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office announces a press conference to discuss the sentencing of DONOVAN DAVE DIXON. DIXON was a medical doctor at the time of the offenses and he was convicted on April 16, 2018, after a four-day jury trial, of Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Oxycodone and twenty (20) counts of Unlawful Distribution of Oxycodone outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad based in Charlotte began investigating DIXON when they noticed that four (4) of the top ten (10) oxycodone prescribing pharmacies for the State of North Carolina were located in the Lumberton, NC area. The local pharmacists as well as local and state law enforcement identified DIXON as the likely cause.
This case is a key component of the Take Back North Carolina Strategy to combat violent and drug crime in the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative brings the full weight and resources of the federal court system in the fight against crime in this District.
In addition to United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. we anticipate members of law enforcement agencies involved with this case to be present at this event.
Credentialed members of the media are invited to attend. For additional information please e-mail Don Connelly at [email protected]. Please RSVP your intentions to attend the event.
Massena Felon Sentenced to 180 Months for Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Jevar Sturridge, age 25, and a citizen of Jamaica residing in Massena, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for possessing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine with the intent to distribute them, and for possessing a loaded handgun and shotgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered that Sturridge serve an 8-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
As part of his April 10, 2018 guilty plea, Sturridge admitted that on February 15, 2017, he possessed 48 grams of crack cocaine, 42 grams of powder cocaine, and 42 grams of heroin in his apartment in Massena. Sturridge, who has 2 prior drug felony convictions, further admitted to possessing, in his apartment, a loaded Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun and a loaded Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, in order to guard against the potential theft of his drugs and drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Massena Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Emmet O’Hanlon.
Maryland Man Sentenced to a Decade in Prison for Sexually Exploiting 12-Year-Old Girl over the InternetRead the Press Release
A Rockville, Maryland man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for sexually exploiting a minor over the internet, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. field office.
Jose Adalberto Sandoval Quinonez, 26, a laborer, previously pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga presided over the sentencing and ordered Sandoval Quinonez to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Sandoval Quinonez initiated contact with the 12-year-old victim over Instagram and the two later began chatting over Google Hangouts. Over the course of several months in 2017, Sandoval Quinonez groomed, persuaded, and enticed the minor to engage in sex acts, including sexual intercourse. In addition, he repeatedly asked her to produce and send him sexually explicit photos of herself, and he succeeded in persuading her to send him such a photo. Sandoval Quinonez also sent the victim an obscene image of his genitals. During these interactions, Sandoval Quinonez, who was 25 at the time, pretended to be 16 years old.
The investigation was conducted by HSI Washington, D.C. with the assistance of the Manassas Park Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Manchester Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession and Heroin Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RUFUS HOWELL, 40, last residing in Manchester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to gun possession and heroin distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 21, 2017, HOWELL was arrested after a search of the car he was operating in Hartford’s North End contained a loaded Hi-Point 9mm pistol, approximately 14 grams of combined heroin and fentanyl, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, and a quantity of marijuana.
HOWELL’s criminal history includes multiple state felony convictions, and a federal felony narcotics conviction in 2005. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
HOWELL pleaded guilty to one count possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, an offenses that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for November 16, 2018.
HOWELL has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Manassas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Producing Pornography of Children in the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for paying women to sexually abuse children in the Philippines via a web camera while he directed and produced numerous images of the abuse.
On April 9, Dwayne Stinson, 53, a communications technician, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. According to court documents, from at least October 2011 until February 2012, Stinson used an electronic payment service to pay women in the Philippines he was chatting with to sexually abuse children while he directed the abuse. He admitted that some of the children were as young as six or seven years old. The defendant contemporaneously produced numerous screenshot images of the abuse and stored them on his computer for years.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Patrick J. Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from the Prince William County Police Department and Northern Virginia/District of Columbia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Burke IV and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-211.
Man Arrested at Peace Bridge on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced that Ibrahim Dirweesh, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Moellering, who is handling the case, stated that Ibrahim Dirweesh was apprehended by officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection working at the Peace Bridge after being referred to secondary inspection. That secondary inspection revealed videos of child pornography located on Dirweesh’s cell phone.
The defendant made an initial appearance on August 23, 2018, before United States Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. Judge Schroeder ordered Dirweesh detained following a detention hearing.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director Rose Brophy, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Major Fentanyl Distributor Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Hyattsville, Maryland man pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine in the Washington, D.C. area.
According to court documents, Donnell Leroy Williams, 54 (also known as “Bubbles”), his son, Antonio Donnell Shelton, 30 (“Little Bubbles”), and Demetrius Antonio Johnson, 37 (“Bake”), worked together to distribute several different types of controlled substances, including fentanyl, a highly dangerous narcotic. During the course of the conspiracy, Williams and his co-conspirators had the ability to obtain large quantities of fentanyl, and they routinely sold fentanyl and other highly addictive drugs to customers at locations in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Beginning in May 2017, an undercover Fairfax County detective conducted several deals with Williams, eventually working his way to purchasing a ½ kilogram of fentanyl from Williams for $40,000. On November 7, 2017, the FBI arrested Williams and searched his apartment in Hyattsville. Inside the apartment, FBI agents found a large quantity of fentanyl pre-packaged for distribution. Agents also found large quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, as well as a loaded handgun.
Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin, and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when sentenced on November 30. Williams is the last member of the drug conspiracy to plead guilty. Johnson and Shelton pleaded guilty to drug charges earlier this month.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Tyler McGaughey and David A. Peters are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-30.
Lexington Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Damine Alexander Green, 42, of Lexington, pleaded guilty today to the distribution of more than 28 grams of crack cocaine.
In the course of his guilty plea, Green admitted that, on May 2, 2018, he sold more than an ounce of crack cocaine. Green also admitted that he sold crack cocaine on two other occasions in Lexington.
Green had previously been convicted of three felony offenses for trafficking in cocaine, including being convicted of being a Persistent Felony Offender, in Fayette County, prior to the commission of this offense and was on parole at the time he committed this.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Stuart Lowery, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant United States Attorney Roger W. West.
Green is currently scheduled to appear for sentencing before United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, on December 7, 2018. Green faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. However, any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of sentences.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017, as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, local strategies to reduce violent crime.
Leader of Major Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to 16 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The leader of a sprawling drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, from California to Florida to Massachusetts, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison, as part of a coordinated law enforcement takedown codenamed Operation Tin Panda that to date has resulted in the conviction of 39 defendants on federal firearms and drug charges.
“These cases underscore the insidious intersection between drugs, guns, and gangs,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Mr. Carew’s interstate drug trafficking operation not only supplied drugs to violent members of the Bloods gang, but also engaged in the wholesale distribution of drugs to armed street-level dealers in Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic, and elsewhere along the East Coast. The Operation Tin Panda takedown in December 2017 involved over 300 agents and officers from 16 law enforcement agencies, providing a powerful example of the benefits that flow from the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement.”
According to court documents, Nasiru Carew, 36, of Dale City, pleaded guilty on April 13 to conspiring to distribute over 1,000 kilograms (or 2,200 pounds) of marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) edibles since 2012. Carew, who entered the United States as a refugee in 1994, was the leader of a major drug trafficking conspiracy that supplied violent gang members of the Imperial Gangsta Blood set of the United Blood Nation gang, and other non-gang customers. Carew shipped marijuana grown in California to supply his operation in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, and he also coordinated the distribution of THC-laced edibles to sub-distributors in Virginia and elsewhere. A majority of Carew’s business came from supplying wholesale quantities of these drugs to co-conspirators, who were themselves street-level dealers. Many of these co-conspirators distributed controlled substances while armed with firearms.
From 2012 through 2017, the conspiracy netted hundreds of thousands of dollars, much of which was used to purchase luxury vehicles and jewelry, or was laundered through casinos. For example, during a court-authorized search of the defendant’s residences, law enforcement recovered approximately $19,500, as well as gold and diamond jewelry and a BMW i8 vehicle estimated to cost over $100,000.
“Operation Tin Panda has resulted in numerous guns removed from the hands of gang members and drugs taken off the streets of our neighborhoods in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland,” said Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office. “This operation demonstrates the FBI’s ability in coordination with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle significant drug operations, removing the threat posed by the street level dealer to the national level gang leaders.”
“ATF’s top priorities are to protect the public and remove violent criminals from our streets,” said Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “Operation Tin Panda reiterates ATF’s and its federal, state and local law enforcement partners’ commitment to pursuing and bringing to justice those that seek to disrupt communities and harm law abiding citizens.”
Carew was arrested in the early morning hours of Dec. 6, 2017, when over 300 law enforcement agents and officers executed a coordinated takedown as part of Operation Tin Panda. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office began Operation Tin Panda in the spring of 2017. In collaboration with federal and local law enforcement, investigators and prosecutors began jointly investigating Blood gangs and other drug distributors involved in violent crime and other criminal activity in northern Virginia. Multiple criminal acts were tied to gang and drug activity, including homicide, malicious wounding, robbery, shootings, and drug and firearms distribution. During the course of this investigation, more than 40 individuals throughout Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and California, who were illegally selling firearms and controlled substances or were involved in other criminal acts, were arrested on federal firearms and drug charges.
Operation Tin Panda also resulted in the seizure of over 95 firearms, $150,000 in cash, nine vehicles with an estimated value of over $300,000, and approximately 3 pounds of cocaine base, 10 pounds of cocaine, 7 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 5 pounds of heroin, 4 pounds of ecstasy, 227 pounds of marijuana, and 79 pounds of THC.
Operation Tin Panda was led by the ATF’s Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets and Violent Gang Task Force. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Prince William County Police Department, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Stafford County Sherriff’s Office, Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, King George County Sheriff’s Office, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, provided significant assistance during the operation.
Operation Tin Panda was investigated as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Matthew J. DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Carew’s sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carina A. Cuellar and Colleen E. Garcia prosecuted the case.
For more information, please see the table below, which lists the name, age, hometown, respective charge(s), and resulting or potential sentence for each federal defendant charged as part of Operation Tin Panda.
Name, Age, City
Conviction(s)
Result
Sade Anglin, 28, Woodbridge
Maintaining a Drug Premises.
Faces a maximum of 20 years on Aug. 31.
Ishmil Hardwick, 25, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life on Aug. 31.
Rashourn Niles, 37, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base, 5 kilograms or more of Cocaine, and 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life on Sept. 7.
Raheem Kelly, 39, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 28 grams or more of Cocaine Base.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years on Sept. 7.
Michael Lederer, 31, Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Faces a maximum of 10 years on Sept. 14.
Tarvell Vandiver, 29, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base, 5 kilograms or more of Cocaine, 100 grams or more of Heroin, and Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces 20 years on Sept. 28.
Montreus Peterson, 23, Stafford
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base
Faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life on Oct. 19.
Tyus Terrell, 22, Woodbridge
Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Faces a maximum of 10 years on Dec. 14.
Jorge Lozada, Jr., 22, Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life.
Frederick Preston Gaarsoe Turner, 36, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute, two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 40 years.
Nasiru Carew, 35, Dale City
Conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of Marijuana and THC.
Sentenced to 16 years.
Bassam Hassan Ramadan, 31, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 16 years.
Cory Patterson, 34, Fredericksburg
Conspiracy to Distribute one kilogram or more of Heroin, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking.
Sentenced to 15 years.
Marcus Andrei Harris, 27, Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 15 years.
Brandon Edler, 23, Fredericksburg
Conspiracy to Distribute 28 grams or more of Cocaine Base, Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 12 years.
Cydrick Delrosario, 58, Springfield
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
Sentenced to 11 years.
Chennor Bah, 30, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 10 years.
Anthony Lozada, 18, Woodbridge
Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 10 years.
Devon Byrd, 26, King George
Possession of THC with the Intent to Distribute, and Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 112 months.
Teodoro Gonzales, 37, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of a Mixture of Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 9 years.
Tayvon Patterson, 24, Elkridge, Maryland
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 90 months.
Ja’vell Johnson, 26, Falls Church
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Sentenced to 6 years.
Jerry McAllister, 42, Laurel, Maryland
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Mark Ketter, 39, Alexandria
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Nathaniel Bruce Cobbold, 27, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Jamar Cox, 30, Hyattsville, Maryland
Use and Carry of Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Deion Wright, 25, Alexandria
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Kelvin Bennett, 27, Washington, D.C.
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Ezana Demisse, 25, Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Alpha Kamara, 20, Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Orean Anthony Hayden, 29, Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Bryan Matthews, 19, Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 5 years.
Shannon Marie Sisney, 44, Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
Sentenced to 50 months.
Izeah Williams, 31, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC.
Sentenced to 38 months.
Robert Evans, 27, Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute THC.
Sentenced to 30 months.
Tavon Bailey, 27, District Heights, Maryland
Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 30 months.
Tavon Ferguson, 24, Triangle
Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 27 months.
Derek Harden, 22, Woodbridge
False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 18 months.
Kaitlyn McCabe, 19, Woodbridge
False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 6 months.
Samantha Winter, 22, Culpepper
Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm, False Statement to a Licensed Firearms Dealer.
Sentenced to 2 years of probation.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER.
Laurens Man Gets 10 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina-------United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Keandre Armon Connor, age 37, of Laurens, was sentenced in federal court in Greenville for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Connor to a total term of 120 months in federal prison followed by supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on October 6, 2016, Laurens County Sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at Connor’s residence and located over 500 grams of cocaine and multiple firearms.
The case was investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff's Office along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.
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Keshena Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced that Ricki A. Mahkimetas, Jr. (age: 25), of Keshena, was sentenced on August 22, 2018 to 200 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release after a conviction for Abusive Sexual Contact on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The sentence was the result of a June 1, 2018, guilty plea before Chief United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.
The investigation revealed that Mahkimetas, an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, engaged in sexual contact with a Native American female who was under the age of 12. Mahkimetas caused the girl to have contact with his penis for the purpose of his own sexual gratification. Further investigation led to the discovery of at least two other Native American females under the age of 12 with whom Mahkimetas engaged in sexual contact.
In sentencing Mahkimetas, Chief Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, which he described as “horrendous.” Chief Judge Griesbach also observed the impact the offense had on the victims’ families and the Menominee Indian community as a whole. The court also noted Mahkimetas’ abuse of trust, of both the child victims and their parents.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
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For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig at 414 297-1700
Justice Department Obtains $410,000 Settlement of Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against Tinley Park, Illinois, for Refusing to Approve Low-Income Housing DevelopmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it settled a lawsuit against the Village of Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, alleging that it violated the Fair Housing Act when it refused to approve a low-income housing development in response to race-based community opposition.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Illinois, in November 2016, alleged that the Village of Tinley Park discriminated against prospective tenants of a proposed development when it refused to approve the project, despite the Tinley Park Planning Department’s finding that the project was in “precise conformance” with the applicable building requirements. Under Tinley Park’s zoning ordinances, Tinley Park’s Plan Commission should have approved the project and allowed construction to begin. Instead, the lawsuit alleged that in response to race-based community opposition, Tinley Park trustees requested the Plan Commission table consideration of the project. The Plan Commission did so, stalling the project indefinitely.
Under the settlement, the Village will pay a total of $360,000 in monetary damages to the Village’s former planning director who was placed on leave because of her support for the project, as well as a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States. In addition, the Village will also take a number of actions to guard against further housing discrimination, including training elected officials and individuals involved in the planning process, developing a fair housing policy, and hiring a fair housing compliance officer. The developer of the property reached a separate settlement with the Village in April 2017.
“Increasing access to housing, including through affordable housing, is important to the development of our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws, and protect against discrimination, including on the basis of race, with respect to access to affordable housing.”
“Access to housing free from discrimination is a right afforded to all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois. “This settlement is an example of our office’s continuing effort to enforce anti-discrimination laws that protect those rights.”
Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination practices may file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or a lawsuit in federal or state court. Individuals must file their complaint with HUD within one year of a housing discrimination incident or file a lawsuit in federal or state court within two years of an incident. For more information about housing discrimination laws, call (202) 514-4713 or visit the Department of Justice website at https://www.justice.gov/crt/housing-and-civil-enforcement-section
Justice Department Obtains $410,000 Settlement of Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against Tinley ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today announced that it settled a lawsuit against the Village of Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, alleging that it violated the Fair Housing Act when it refused to approve a low-income housing development in response to race-based community opposition.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Illinois, in November 2016, alleged that the Village of Tinley Park discriminated against prospective tenants of a proposed development when it refused to approve the project, despite the Tinley Park Planning Department’s finding that the project was in “precise conformance” with the applicable building requirements. Under Tinley Park’s zoning ordinances, Tinley Park’s Plan Commission should have approved the project and allowed construction to begin. Instead, the lawsuit alleged that in response to race-based community opposition, Tinley Park trustees requested the Plan Commission table consideration of the project. The Plan Commission did so, stalling the project indefinitely.
Under the settlement, the Village will pay a total of $360,000 in monetary damages to the Village’s former planning director who was placed on leave because of her support for the project, as well as a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States. In addition, the Village will also take a number of actions to guard against further housing discrimination, including training elected officials and individuals involved in the planning process, developing a fair housing policy, and hiring a fair housing compliance officer. The developer of the property reached a separate settlement with the Village in April 2017.
“Increasing access to housing, including through affordable housing, is important to the development of our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce federal civil rights laws, and protect against discrimination, including on the basis of race, with respect to access to affordable housing.”
“Access to housing free from discrimination is a right afforded to all Americans,” said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois. “This settlement is an example of our office’s continuing effort to enforce anti-discrimination laws that protect those rights.”
Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination practices may file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or a lawsuit in federal or state court. Individuals must file their complaint with HUD within one year of a housing discrimination incident or file a lawsuit in federal or state court within two years of an incident. For more information about housing discrimination laws, call (202) 514-4713 or visit the Department of Justice website at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/index.html.
Jury Convicts Bank Employee of Aiding and Abetting RobberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A federal jury has convicted a 25-year-old Houston woman for the
robbery of the International Bank of Commerce (IBC) in June 2016, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Mary Mosley following a three-day trial.
At trial, the jury heard that Mosley was as employee at IBC bank in Houston when she gave her then boyfriend, Kendrick Miller, and his brother, Kenneth Glenn, inside information regarding bank operations and procedures. Mosley informed Miller how much money was in the vault, that it took two people to open it and information about when security would arrive.
On June 9, 2016, Miller, Glenn and Mosley’s cousin - Xavier Cain showed up ready to commit the robbery as planned. However, when Mosley and her co-worker arrived early on that morning, the front doors of the bank would not open.
Mosley then told the robbers she had left the back door unlocked so they could enter the building. Miller and Glenn entered the bank with a handgun. Glenn then ordered Mosley’s co-worker to the ground at gunpoint and ordered Mosley and her co-worker to open the vault. Miller, Glenn and Cain drove away with the money from the vault.
Miller, 29, Cain, 27, and Glenn, 24, all of Houston, have previously for their roles in the robbery and are awaiting sentencing. They each face up to 25 years in prison. Miller and Glenn face additional penalties for related firearms offenses. They all remain in custody pending those hearings.
Mosley’s sentencing is set for Dec. 4, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas. At that time she faces up to 25 years in prison. She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Houston Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Stotts and Celia Moyer prosecuted the case.