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Thursday 12 July 2018
Independence Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to producing child pornography.
Travis Howard White, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to the charge contained in a June 1, 2017, federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, White admitted that he used a 13-year-old victim to produce child pornography on May 14, 2016. White met the child victim on Facebook and they engaged in sexually explicit online chats. During one of those chats, White directed the child victim to produce a pornographic image, which she sent to him.
Under federal statutes, White is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOSE MARTINEZ-OSWALDO, age 33, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information charging him with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8 United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the court documents, MARTINEZ-OSWALDO was found in the United States on or about February 21, 2018, after having been previously removed on October 15, 2012.
United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced MARTINEZ-OSWALDO to a term of imprisonment of eight months, a term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson is in charge of the prosecution.
Harrison County man admits to his role in a heroin distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hunter Queen, of Nutter Fort, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a heroin distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Queen, age 22, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin in Proximity to a Protected Location.” Queen admitted to distributing heroin from January to May 2016 in various locations in Harrison County, including near Simpson Elementary School.
Queen is facing up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the conspiracy charge, and he faces up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000,000 for the aiding and abetting charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Hammond Man Sentenced to 110 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Jared Washington, 33, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced before United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on Washington’s guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. The Court imposed a sentence of 110 months in prison followed by3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, Washington and a co-defendant sold heroin over a prolonged period of time in and around Hammond, Indiana. Investigators, assisted by a confidential informant, conducted a series of controlled purchases of heroin from Washington. During the investigation, large amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and drug proceeds were seized from a hotel room used by Washington. Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate, which is 30-50 times more potent than heroin.
This case was investigated by the Lake County HIDTA DEA task force with the assistance of the Hammond Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.
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Guilty Plea in Multimillion Dollar Movie Studio Construction Scam in Northern CaliforniaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Carissa Carpenter, 55, formerly of Malibu, pleaded guilty today to two counts of mail fraud and one count of lying to a federal agent, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from 1997 until October 24, 2014, Carpenter represented to investors and others that she had a project to build a movie studio in Northern California. As a result of the scheme, investors, firms who did work for Carpenter, and municipalities collectively lost millions on the project.
According to the factual basis in support of the plea, Carpenter claimed that her projected movie studio complex was supported by well-connected people in the entertainment industry and that she had invested hundreds of millions of dollars of her own money in the project and that she had arranged financing for the project but needed investment or bridge loans until the alleged financing was complete. The locations of the project varied: El Dorado Hills, north of the Sacramento International Airport in Sutter County, Lathrop, the former naval base on Mare Island in Vallejo, and Dixon, among other places. Additionally, Carpenter represented that reputable architecture, construction, design, and public relations firms were involved in the project, and that she had or was in the process of finalizing the purchase of the land where the studio would be built. As a result, investors gave Carpenter millions of dollars to invest in her studio project.
In fact, Carpenter used investor money to fund her personal expenses and extravagant lifestyle. Contrary to her claims, the Hollywood people were not involved in the project at all or had little involvement. Similarly, the architecture, construction, design, and public relations firms were not involved or had done only preliminary work on the project. Carpenter also did not own or purchase property for the studio.
Further, during the investigation in July 2013, Carpenter told an FBI agent that she told investors that she was going to use their money for personal expenses and that she had used 50 to 75 percent of investor money for the project. These statements were false.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd A. Pickles and Rosanne L. Rust are prosecuting the case.
Carpenter is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on September 28, 2018. Carpenter faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross loss or gain for the two counts of mail fraud and up to five years in prison for false statement to a government agent. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that PEDRO BRITO-MARCOS, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala, pled guilty to a one-count bill of information alleging illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8 United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the bill of information, PEDRO BRITO-MARCOS reentered the United States on or about March 8, 2018, after having been previously removed therefrom on or about January 19, 2018.
PEDRO BRITO-MARCOS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, one year of supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan set sentencing for September 6, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Violation of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MISAEL BERNAL, age 33, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count indictment for violating the Federal Gun Control Act. Court records indicate that BERNAL was in the country illegally when he was observed by neighbors repeatedly shooting a gun into the air. Officers of the New Orleans Police Department responded to the scene and took BERNAL into custody after confiscating a 9mm handgun and ammunition. It is a violation of federal law for illegal aliens to possess firearms or ammunition.
U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced BERNAL to 12 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. Following the completion of his sentence, BERNAL will be surrendered to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement for removal proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the agents of Homeland Security Investigations and the officers of the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
Grapevine Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime Against an African-American FamilyRead the Press Release
Glenn Eugene Halfin, 64, from Grapevine, Texas, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and pleaded guilty to a federal charge of interfering with an African-American family’s housing rights, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
According to court documents, Halfin threatened force, intimidated, and interfered with a family because of their race and occupancy of an apartment that was located directly above his own apartment.
According to documents filed in connection with the guilty plea, on Dec. 19, 2017, Halfin purchased a baby doll at a Wal-Mart in Grapevine, Texas. He took a rope, fashioned it into a noose, and hung the baby doll from the noose. Halfin then hung the rope noose and baby doll on the railing directly in front of the only staircase the family could use to access their apartment. Halfin did so, knowing that this display would be particularly intimidating for the family who had a young daughter. In addition, the defendant referenced in his factual basis repeated intimidation of and interference with the same African-American family on other occasions.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate acts of intimidation and fear, or illegal threats against any individual or family because of their race,” said Acting Assistant Attorney John Gore. “We will continue to prosecute hate crime offenders.”
“No one should be afraid to go home at night,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “Our community will not tolerate crimes of intimidation or bigotry, and my office will continue to prosecute all those who persecute others based on their race, color, ethnicity, or religious beliefs.”
Halfin faces a statutory maximum penalty of no more one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for October 24.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Grapevine Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Rebekah Bailey of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Dana.
Grapevine Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime Against an African-American FamilyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Glenn Eugene Halfin, 64, from Grapevine, Texas, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and pleaded guilty to a federal charge of interfering with an African-American family’s housing rights, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas and Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division.
According to court documents, Halfin threatened force, intimidated, and interfered with a family because of their race and occupancy of an apartment that was located directly above his own apartment.
According to documents filed in connection with the guilty plea, on Dec. 19, 2017, Halfin purchased a baby doll at a Wal-Mart in Grapevine, Texas. He took a rope, fashioned it into a noose, and hung the baby doll from the noose. Halfin then hung the rope noose and baby doll on the railing directly in front of the only staircase the family could use to access their apartment. Halfin did so, knowing that this display would be particularly intimidating for the family who had a young daughter. In addition, the defendant referenced in his factual basis repeated intimidation of and interference with the same African-American family on other occasions.
“No one should be afraid to go home at night,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “Our community will not tolerate crimes of intimidation or bigotry, and my office will continue to prosecute all those who persecute others based on their race, color, ethnicity, or religious beliefs.”
“The Justice Department will not tolerate acts of intimidation and fear, or illegal threats against any individual or family because of their race,” said Acting Assistant Attorney John Gore. “We will continue to prosecute hate crime offenders.”
Halfin faces a statutory maximum penalty of no more one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Grapevine Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Rebekah Bailey of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Dana.
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Franklinton Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DERRICK WILSON, age 34, of Franklinton, Louisiana, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine hydrochloride, stemming from a September 27, 2015, traffic stop in Kenner, during which police seized one-half kilogram of powder cocaine from a car that he occupied with his girlfriend and codefendant, Dominique Wise. WILSON faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and at least three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman scheduled sentencing for WILSON on October 10, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Long is in charge of the prosecution.
Four Leaders of La Asociación Ñeta Prison Gang Found Guilty for Violating the Rico Act in Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Yesterday evening, after a 10-day trial, a jury found four members of La Asociación ÑETA guilty of racketeering, and drug trafficking, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. United States District Court visiting Judge Timothy Hillman presided over the trial. As of today, 26 defendants have plead guilty, 19 defendants are pending trial and one defendant passed away.
The jury found defendants Rolando Millán-Machuca, a.k.a. “Rolo”; Miguel Rivera-Calcaño, a.k.a. “Guelo/ Kikirimiau”; Roberto Casado-Berríos, a.k.a. “Bobe/Bobel”; and Giordano Santana-Meléndez, a.k.a. “Viejo Ten” guilty of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), and of participating in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Rolando Millán-Machuca was also found guilty of murder in aid of racketeering activity for the murder of Alexis Rodríguez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Alexis El Loco” on November 6, 2014.
In May 2016, a federal indictment was unsealed charging 50 members of La Asociación ÑETA a prison gang that operated in the prisons of the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (“PRDCR”). La Asociación ÑETA is a criminal organization that engages in drug trafficking and murder. The main purpose of the organization is to make money. Inmates originally formed La Asociación ÑETA as a means to advocate for their rights within the PRDCR. The enterprise, however, evolved into a criminal organization that engaged in drug trafficking and murder within the prisons of the PRDCR, as it was proven during trial through testimony and evidence. The enterprise makes money by introducing multi-kilogram quantities of drugs into the PRDCR prisons for profit, and by engaging in murders for hire.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor O. Acevedo-Hernández was in charge of the prosecution of the case with the assistance of AUSA Scott Anderson. The FBI and the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections collaborated during the investigation. The now convicts face 10 years up to life in prison. Rolando Millán-Machuca faces a mandatory life sentence for the murder of Alexis Rodríguez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Alexis El Loco.”
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Former Registered Broker Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Stock FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Darren Goodrich, a former registered broker at a brokerage firm in El Segundo, California, was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 41 months’ imprisonment for one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud for Goodrich’s participation in the manipulation of the price and trading volume of the stock of Cubed, Inc. (“Cubed”), which traded under the ticker symbol CRPT. In a second stock fraud case that originated in the District of New Jersey, Judge Vitaliano sentenced Goodrich to 41 months’ imprisonment for one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud for Goodrich’s participation in the manipulation of the price and trading volume of the following stocks: NXT Nutritional Holdings, Inc., which traded under the ticker symbol NXTH; Bioneutral Group, Inc., which traded under the ticker symbol BONU; Clear-Lite Holdings, Inc., which traded under the ticker symbol CLRH; and Mesa Energy Holdings, Inc., which traded under the ticker symbol MSEH (collectively, the “Target Companies”). Goodrich pleaded guilty to the Cubed case in June 2016 and the Target Companies case in January 2017. The sentences for both cases will run concurrently.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.
“Goodrich has been held responsible for participating in schemes designed to dupe investors into believing that companies with little in the way of assets were worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Today’s sentence sends a powerful message that this Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will hold licensed securities professionals accountable when they abuse their positions to facilitate the commission of crimes.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, which charged Goodrich in the Target Companies scheme, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), New York Regional Office, for its assistance in both of these cases.
“Goodrich used his status as a step stool to help him achieve his objectives in this sly scheme, in which he manipulated various securities for an illegal million-dollar profit,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “By this activity, schemers like Goodrich continuously tarnish the reputation of trust and professionalism held to countless brokerage firms. In an effort to maintain this reputation, the FBI will be thorough in investigating and extracting the bad seeds of the financial industry.”
The Cubed Scheme
Between March 2014 and July 2014, Goodrich and his co-conspirators, including Abraxas J. Discala, who was recently convicted at trial, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors and potential investors in Cubed, by artificially controlling the price and trading volume of shares in the company through fraudulent concealment of the co-conspirators’ ownership interests and engineering price movements and trading volume in the stock. In March 2014, Goodrich’s co-conspirators took Cubed public through an asset purchase agreement, similar in effect to a reverse merger. Between April 22, 2014 and July 17, 2014, Goodrich and his co-conspirators placed coordinated purchases and bids to purchase the stock to deceive investors into believing that there was more market demand for the stock at certain prices than actually existed.
Goodrich and his co-conspirators also used an escrow arrangement that initially controlled all the free-trading stock to successfully control the price and trading volume of Cubed stock. On June 23, 2014, Cubed reached its highest closing price of $6.75 per share, resulting in a market capitalization of approximately $200 million. Previously, on April 21, 2014, Cubed had filed with the SEC a Form 10-Q and reported less than $1,500 in cash, zero revenue, negative stockholders’ equity, a net loss of $15,000 and accrued professional fees of $131,824. The SEC halted trading in Cubed on July 17, 2014.
The Target Companies Scheme
From 2008 through 2010, Goodrich, working with co-conspirators Nathan Montgomery and Samuel DelPresto, who both pleaded guilty in the District of New Jersey to conspiring to commit securities fraud, participated in a pump and dump scheme. As part of the scheme, the defendants obtained control over large blocks of the free-trading shares of the Target Companies, “pumped” the price of those shares by engaging in manipulative trading of the stock and circulated promotional materials encouraging others to purchase the stock. Thereafter, the defendants “dumped”, or sold, large volumes of the stock to victim investors. The Target Companies’ stock price then dropped, resulting in substantial losses to the victims. The scheme generated approximately $33 million in illicit trading proceeds for Montgomery and DelPresto. Goodrich received approximately $1.5 million in gross trading commissions.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon C. Jones, Patrick T. Hein and Mark E. Bini are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian of the Office’s Civil Division, which is responsible for the forfeiture of assets. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas P. Grippo investigated and charged Goodrich in the District of New Jersey in the Target Companies Scheme, prior to the transfer of the case to the Eastern District of New York for Goodrich’s guilty plea and sentencing.
The Defendant:
DARREN GOODRICH
Age: 39
Manhattan Beach, CaliforniaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-399 (ENV)
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-630 (ENV)
D.N.J. Docket No. 16-CR-544 (JLL)Former Postal Carrier Sentenced on Bribery ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Dennis Bernhard, 56, of Derby, N.Y., who was convicted of bribery, was sentenced to time served, and one year supervised release, to include three months home confinement by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wei Xiang and Jeremy V. Murray, who handled the case, stated that Bernhard was a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service for 16 years, working out of the Eastside Station Post Office for the last 10 years. The Eastside Station covers the east side of the City of Buffalo. The investigation began when law enforcement officials learned that Bernhard had previously been paid by drug dealers to provide addresses of unsuspecting citizens in the City of Buffalo in order to mail boxes of narcotics. These addresses were within the defendant’s mail delivery route, so that when the boxes arrived in Buffalo, Bernhard did not deliver the boxes to the listed recipient address, but held on to the boxes and handed them directly to the drug dealers in exchange for cash payments.
When police approached Bernhard during an undercover operation in 2015, the defendant indicated he was willing to continue the scheme. During one transaction, Bernhard even said that one of the prior drug dealers “treated me pretty good. . . . at the end he was giving me like a hundred. . . .” (referring to $100 per box).
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gary Loeffert, the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raymond Moss, the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office, Philadelphia, PA, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly.
Former Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Sentenced for Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – Former Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper James Carson was sentenced today to nine months in prison for violating an individual’s civil rights by using excessive force, said U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.
Carson pleaded guilty to one count of violating civil rights in his capacity as a law enforcement officer. In his plea, he admitted he used unreasonable force against a man he arrested, R.T. Carson conducted a lawful arrest and then transported R.T. to the Labette County Jail, where at least five other law enforcement officials were present. As Carson removed R.T. from the patrol vehicle and escorted him into the booking area, R.T.’s hands were cuffed behind his back. Without warning, Carson kicked the legs out from underneath R.T., causing R.T. to crash down on his back onto the floor. Carson admitted in court that he used force against R.T. for the purpose of punishment and not for a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
As part of the plea agreement, Carson agreed to surrender his law enforcement credentials and never again accept any employment related to law enforcement.
McAllister commended FBI, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag of the United States Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Rose Gibson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section for their work on the case.
Former Head of Nonprofit Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Mental Health Clinic Out of over $2 MillionRead the Press Release
A former head of a Philadelphia nonprofit mental health clinic was sentenced to 82 months in prison for perpetrating a multiyear fraud scheme through which she stole over $2 million from the clinic that she headed, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
On June 23, 2017, a jury found Renee Tartaglione, 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, guilty of 53 counts of conspiracy, fraud, theft and tax crimes. Today, U.S. District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky sentenced Tartaglione to serve 82 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, Judge Slomsky ordered Tartaglione to forfeit $2,401,850 in proceeds from her scheme and to pay $2,339,691 in restitution to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, which will hold that money in trust until a successor charitable organization can be identified.
“Renee Tartaglione abused her position at a community clinic and stole over $2 million from important taxpayer-funded programs for individuals in need of mental health treatment,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “Her conviction and sentence should send a clear message that the Department of Justice and our federal and state partners will aggressively work to bring to justice those who defraud institutions devoted to serving individuals in need.”
“The defendant funneled millions of dollars, meant to help economically disadvantaged people with mental health issues, into her own pockets to finance her comfortable lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Today’s sentence reinforces the basic precept that nonprofit organizations – especially those that provide important services to the disadvantaged – exist for the people they serve and not for the personal enrichment of their leaders.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, between 2007 and 2015, Tartaglione, as President of the Board of Directors of the Juniata Community Mental Health Clinic (JCMHC), defrauded and stole money from JCMHC through a series of actions designed to benefit her personally at the expense of the clinic. Tartaglione purchased a building on 3rd Street in Philadelphia that housed the clinic and then raised the rent repeatedly, causing the clinic’s rent to increase from $4,500 per month to $25,000 per month.
Additionally, in 2010, Tartaglione’s company, Norris Hancock LLC, acquired an interest in a building on 5th Street, and Tartaglione began causing the clinic to spend money to improve that building. In December 2012, Tartaglione leased the 5th Street building to JCMHC for $35,000 per month for the first two years, and $75,000 per month for the next three years. The rent Tartaglione charged the nonprofit clinic at both buildings was substantially higher than market rates.
None of the JCMHC rent increases or the lease agreements were approved by JCMHC’s Board of Directors. The evidence further showed that Tartaglione and her co-conspirators created false and fictitious documents in an attempt to make the transactions appear legitimate.
This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bea Witzleben of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Peter N. Halpern of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Former Director of Fixed Income and Head of Portfolio Strategy at New York State Common Retirement Fund Is Sentenced to 21 Months for “Pay-To-Play” Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NAVNOOR KANG, the former Director of Fixed Income and Head of Portfolio Strategy at the New York State Common Retirement Fund (“NYSCRF”), was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 21 months in prison for participating in a massive “pay-to-play” bribery scheme involving the nation’s third largest public pension fund. KANG pled guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud on November 8, 2017, before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Combining public corruption with securities fraud, Navnoor Kang betrayed his duty to safeguard public retirement money, bought off with jewelry, cash, drugs, strippers, and prostitutes. His crimes have bought him a prison sentence.”
According to the Indictment charging KANG, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and statements made during the sentencing proceeding:
The NYSCRF is a pension fund administered for the benefit of public employees of the State of New York. From January 2014 through February 2016, KANG served as Director of Fixed Income and Head of Portfolio Strategy for the NYSCRF. In that capacity, KANG was responsible for investing more than $53 billion in fixed-income securities and was entrusted with discretion to manage those investments on behalf of the NYSCRF. KANG owed a fiduciary duty to the NYSCRF and its members and beneficiaries, and was required to make investment decisions in their best interests and free of any conflict of interest. New York State law and NYSCRF policies prohibited KANG and other NYSCRF employees from receiving any bribes, gifts, benefits, or consideration of any kind.
KANG’s Scheme to Steer NYSCRF Fixed-Income Business in Exchange for Secret Bribes
From 2014 through 2016, KANG and others participated in a scheme to defraud the NYSCRF and its members and beneficiaries, and to deprive the NYSCRF of its intangible right to KANG’s honest services. The scheme involved, among other things, an agreement among KANG, Deborah Kelley, a managing director of institutional fixed income sales at a New York-based broker-dealer (“Broker-Dealer-1”), and Gregg Shonhorn, a vice president of fixed income sales at a New York-based broker-dealer (“Broker-Dealer-2”), to pay KANG bribes – in the form of entertainment, travel, lavish meals, prostitutes, nightclub bottle service, narcotics, tickets to sports games and other events, luxury gifts, and cash payments for strippers and KANG’s personal expenses – in exchange for fixed-income business from the NYSCRF. Such bribes – which totaled more than $100,000 – were strictly forbidden by the NYSCRF, and were paid secretly and without any disclosure to the NYSCRF and its members and beneficiaries concerning the conflicts of interest inherent therein.
In exchange for the bribes paid by Kelley, Schonhorn, and others, KANG used his position as Director of Fixed Income and Head of Portfolio Strategy at the NYSCRF to promote the interests of Kelley, Schonhorn, and their respective brokerage firms. KANG steered more than $2 billion in fixed-income business to Broker-Dealer-1 and Broker-Dealer-2, from which Kelley, Schonhorn, and their respective employers earned millions of dollars in commissions from the NYSCRF. In so doing, KANG, with the knowledge and approval of Kelley and Schonhorn, breached his fiduciary duty to make investment decisions in the best interest of the NYSCRF and its members and beneficiaries, and free of conflict, and deprived the NYSCRF of its intangible right to KANG’s honest services.
As the bribes paid by Schonhorn to KANG increased, so too did Broker-Dealer-2’s fixed-income business with the NYSCRF. The value of the NYSCRF’s domestic bond transactions with Broker-Dealer-2 skyrocketed from zero in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013, to approximately $1.5 million in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, to approximately $858 million in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015, and to approximately $2.378 billion in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. Broker-Dealer-2 became the third largest broker-dealer with which the NYSRCF executed domestic bond transactions for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016, having not even been on the approved list in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013. As the NYSCRF’s third largest broker-dealer in this asset class, Broker-Dealer-2 brokered approximately eight percent of the total value of the NYSCRF’s domestic bond transactions – a figure greater than that of all but two of the major international banks and brokerage houses on the list. Similarly, the value of NYSCRF’s domestic bond transactions with Broker-Dealer-1 increased from zero in the fiscal year ending March 1, 2014, to approximately $156 million in the fiscal year ending March 1, 2015, and to approximately $179 million in the fiscal year ending March 1, 2016.
KANG’s Obstruction of Justice
In late 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) opened an investigation into the entertainment and benefits that Kelley had provided KANG, and the SEC subpoenaed both KANG and Kelley for their testimony. In advance of their testimony, KANG and Kelley agreed to align their stories and each testified falsely under oath before the SEC about expenses Kelley had paid for KANG. Moreover, after a federal grand jury investigation was opened, KANG instructed Schonhorn to testify falsely before the grand jury, and KANG admitted that he had hidden relevant evidence.
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KANG, 39, of Los Angeles, California, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $ $78,716, and to pay restitution to the NYSCRF in the amount of $242,724.17.
Kelley and Schonhorn have each pled guilty for participating in the scheme. Kelley was sentenced by Judge Oetken to three years of probation.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also thanked the SEC, which filed civil charges against Kang, Kelley, and Schonhorn in a separate civil action, and the Office of Inspector General for the Office of the New York State Comptroller, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward A. Imperatore and Joshua A. Naftalis are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Border Patrol Agent Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 4ANPP Used in the Manufacturing of FentanylRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Sherri Hobson (619) 961-0287
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 12, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Cesar Daleo pleaded guilty in federal court today to drug charges, admitting that he conspired to distribute the precursor chemical known as “4ANPP,” the primary ingredient for manufacturing deadly fentanyl.
Daleo was arrested on August 29, 2017, while trying to drive into Mexico with a package that he believed contained 4ANPP (4-anilino-N-phenethyl-4-piperidine), a Schedule II Controlled Substance. According to court records, Daleo had just picked up the package, shipped from China, at a post office box in San Ysidro. He had previously picked up 13 other packages from the same post office box.
Unbeknownst to Daleo, a few weeks earlier on August 11, 2017, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent stationed at Los Angeles International Airport had intercepted a package from China and discovered it contained 4ANPP. Homeland Security Investigations agents then replaced the 4ANPP with a harmless substance and waited for someone to pick it up at its destination in San Ysidro, California. When Daleo did so, and then headed to Mexico, he was intercepted by law enforcement before crossing the border. Daleo admitted today in court that there was an agreement to distribute 4ANPP and that he joined the agreement knowing its purpose and intending to help accomplish that purpose.
Daleo admitted in his plea agreement that, starting at least in December of 2016, he picked up multiple parcels at the mail box facility in San Ysidro. After picking up these parcels, which were shipped from China, Daleo was paid to transport the parcels to Mexico.
He also admitted that some of the parcels contained a substance that could be used to manufacture more illegal drugs. One kilogram of precursor 4ANPP was seized that day - enough to manufacture approximately 25 kilograms of fentanyl in a Mexican drug lab.
Daleo is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel on September 28, 2018, at 8:30 a.m.
Daleo also faces federal charges in a second case, 18cr2968. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in April for conspiring to illegally smuggle sea cucumbers and sea horses protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species into the United States from Mexico.” The next hearing is set for July 27, 2018, at 11:30 am.
DEFENDANT Case Number 17-cr-3041
Cesar Daleo Age: 47 San Ysidro
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, 4ANPP – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841 and 846
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Former Bank Employee Charged with EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former bank employee was indicted today in federal court in Worcester in connection with embezzling money from client accounts held by the bank by which she was employed.
Jessica Vargas, 34, of Athol, was indicted on one count of bank fraud and two counts of bank embezzlement. Vargas was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in March 2018.
According to the charging documents, Vargas was an employee of a federally-insured bank when she embezzled approximately $108,000 by making unauthorized cash withdrawals from customer accounts. Bank documentation showed that Vargas made unauthorized withdrawals from the accounts of various customers, including more than $53,000 from the account of an 84-year-old bank customer and almost $13,000 from the account of an 88-year-old customer.
For each count, Vargas faces a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Five Men Charged in Connection with Coggon DeathRead the Press Release
Chase Daniel Zerba, age 20, from Coggon, Iowa, Tyler Michael Clemens, age 23, from Alburnett, Iowa, and Cameron Lee Klouda, age 21, from Coggon, Iowa, have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Zerba and Clemens have also been charged with being drug users in possession of a firearm. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
Dillon Craig Beener, age 21, and Kordell Maurice Jones, age 19, both from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, have each been charged with one count of attempted robbery and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges are contained in a Complaint unsealed on July 11, 2018, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Complaint alleges that, on February 1, 2017, law enforcement officers responded to an address in Coggon after receiving a 911 call regarding a shooting. When officers arrived, they located an individual deceased in the front yard of the residence. This individual had been shot at close range with a shotgun.
According to the allegations in the Complaint, prior to the shooting, the victim of the shooting along with Beener and Jones, left Cedar Rapids to travel to Coggon. The complaint alleges that their intent was to meet Zerba and rob him of marijuana. The three men brought a .40 caliber Hi-Point pistol with them to use during the robbery. When they arrived at Zerba’s residence, Clemens, Klouda, and Zerba were all seated in a minivan parked in the driveway. Beener approached the minivan and spoke with the three people in it. Beener then returned to his car, and the victim, Beener, and Jones approached the minivan to meet with Zerba, Clemens, and Klouda. The victim was in possession of the firearm and spoke briefly to the occupants of the minivan. He then raised his firearm and demanded that Zerba provide them with the marijuana. Zerba yelled “get it up” and one of the occupants of the minivan fired one round from a shotgun out the passenger side window into the victim’s head.
It is also alleged that during a search of the scene, police located $60 in the victim’s pocket. A .40 caliber Hi-Point pistol was located near his body. The pistol was loaded, with a round in the chamber and the safety off. In the minivan, police located marijuana in a backpack in the left rear seat “stow and go” compartment. The marijuana was packaged in six separate containers and totaled 386.91 grams of marijuana. Police also located multiple jars of marijuana wax in this same backpack.
If convicted on all charges, Zerba, Clemens, and Klouda face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, at least $500,000 in fines, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Beener and Jones face a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and six years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Jones appeared on July 11, 2018, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond pending a preliminary and detention hearing on July 16, 2018. Zerba, Clemens, and Klouda appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and were held without bond pending a detention hearing on July 16, 2018.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 18-cr-0059 and 18-mj-00237.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Indictment Charges 13 Wichita Falls Residents in a Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Federal Indictment Charges 13 Wichita Falls Residents in a Drug ConspiracyWICHITA FALLS, Texas — Thirteen defendants were charged earlier this week in a one-count federal Indictment, for their role in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy announced Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas today at a press conference.
Twelve of the thirteen individuals were arrested and made their initial appearance in federal court in Wichita Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray, Jr. Eleven still remain in custody. One defendant is still at-large.
Those arrested include:
Lawrence Martin Boone, 51, Wichita Falls, Texas
Alicia Lane Murfield, 24, Wichita Falls, Texas
Ashleh Dawn Bowen 22, Wichita Falls, Texas
Charles Cheatle 43, Wichita Falls, Texas
Allyssa Marie Curry, also known as “Allyssa Marie Rogers” 29, Wichita Falls, Texas
Alexis Leigh Deleon 24, Wichita Falls, Texas
Brandon Shane Eustice 32, Wichita Falls, Texas
Michael David House 33, Wichita Falls, Texas
Michael Steven Mello 49, Wichita Falls, Texas
Justin Brian Onstead 23, Wichita Falls, Texas
Jason Alan Smith 44, of Abilene, Texas
Timothy Wayne Tatom 55, Wichita Falls, Texas
According to the Indictment filed in the case, the conspiracy began in March 2017, and operated until approximately January 10, 2018. The Indictment also contains a forfeiture notice that includes seven handguns and over $20,000 of U.S. Currency.
“These arrests are the results of a 14-month joint investigation with state, local and federal authorities,” stated U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “We have invested additional resources to fight the trafficking of dangerous drugs and violent crime in Wichita Falls, and we are now seeing the results of this increased presence.”
A federal criminal Indictment is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Department of Public Safety, Criminal Investigation Division; Wichita Falls PD; Wichita County District Attorney’s Office, Drug Enforcement Division; Rhome PD; and the Iowa Parks PD are investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Rachael Jones is in charge of the prosecution.
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Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictments Charging 67 IndividualsRead the Press Release
MACON: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that a Grand Jury, sitting in Macon Georgia, has returned indictments charging 67 individuals. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct. All of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. “I want to thank our Federal, State and local law enforcement partners for their hard work bringing these cases before the Federal Grand Jury,” said United States Attorney Peeler.
Indictment #1:
DUSTIN CAMPBELL, age 35, of Dandridge, Tennessee, is charged with one count of wire fraud. If convicted, Mr. Campbell faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melvin E. Hyde, Jr.
Indictment #2:
MARQUITA TOOMBS, age 49, of Columbus, Georgia is charged in a six count indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit theft of public money and five counts of theft of public money. If convicted, Ms. Toombs faces up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge. If convicted on the theft of public money charges, Ms. Toombs faces up to ten years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each count.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melvin E. Hyde, Jr.
Indictment #3:
BALBINO PEREZ, age 39, of Altamonte Springs, Florida, is charged with one count of Possession of Counterfeit and Unauthorized Access Devices, one count of Possession of Device-making Equipment and nineteen (19) counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. If convicted, Mr. Perez faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on each count related to access devices and two (years) in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on each of the aggravated identity theft counts.
JOSE ARANGO, age 43, of Altamonte Springs, Florida, is charged with one count of Possession of Counterfeit and Unauthorized Access Devices, one count of Possession of Device-making Equipment and nineteen (19) counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. If convicted, Mr. Perez faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on each count related to access devices and two (years) in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on each of the aggravated identity theft counts.
The case was investigated by the Tift County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. McCullers.
Indictment #4:
DEONTAE WATKINS, age 36; TRAVIS TISE, age 40; LATISHA MANNINGS, age 34; ROBERT SHEPARD, age 56; FREDERICK MILLER, age 45; TYQUAN WILLIAMS, age 26; ALEX PRICE, age 40; CHANDRA MARSHALL, age 37; ERICA KINDER, age 40; ETOYO JONES, age 36; LANDIS ROLLINS, age 46; TYRONE KING, age 42; WILLIAM BOOZER, age 53; CLAMINTA MCGRIFF, age 43; and MICHAEL COLLIER, age 48, all of Cairo, Georgia, are charged with one (1) count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of forty (40) years in prison, a $5,000,000 fine, or both, on each count.
The case was investigated by the Bainbridge Department of Public Safety and Cairo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah E. McEwen is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Indictment #5:
COLBY RAY COCHRAN, age 23, of Warrenton, Oregon, is charged in a five-count indictment with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor, one count of interstate extortion, and one count of offense by a registered sex offender. If convicted, Mr. Cochran faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, up to a maximum of life imprisonment on count one; a mandatory minimum of 10 years, up to a maximum of life imprisonment on count two; a maximum of 10 years imprisonment on count three, a maximum of two years imprisonment on count two;, and a sentence 10 years imprisonment consecutive to counts one, two, and three, on count 5. Each count carries a maximum 250,000.00. A conviction on count one or two carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years, up to a maximum of lifetime supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clatsop County (Oregon) Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals.
Indictment #6:
CODY BROUSSARD, age 34, of Lawrenceville, Georgia is charged with three (3) counts of controlled substance distribution—methamphetamine (Count 1), MDMA (Count 2) and marijuana (Count 3) If convicted, Mr. Broussard faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10 million fine, or both as to Count 1, a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment and a $1 million fine, or both as to Count 2 and a maximum sentence of five (5) years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine as to Count 3.
The case was investigated by the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department, the Georgia Department of Corrections and the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah E. McEwen.
Indictment #7:
AVERY DANIELLE BAKER, age 36, of Thomasville, Georgia, is charged with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. If convicted, Mr. Baker faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, and a $250,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service, Thomas County Sheriff’s Office (Georgia) and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (Alabama) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit.
In addition to the above indictments, six individuals were indicted for firearms offenses. All of these cases were 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.
Those charged for firearms offenses are:
1. EDWARD WALKER, age 36, of Columbus, Georgia, is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, Mr. Walker faces up to ten years imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. If convicted for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Mr. Walker faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,00, or both. If convicted for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Mr. Walker faces up to five years imprisonment, which must be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug offense.
This case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melvin E. Hyde, Jr.
2. JESSE WARREN, age 25, of Greenesboro, Georgia, is charged in with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (Count 1), Possession of a Firearm in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense (Count 2) and Possession of a Firearm by a convicted Felon (Count 3). If convicted, Mr. Warren faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a $ 1 million dollar fine, or both, on Count 1; life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, on Count 2 and ten (10) years, a fine of $250,000, or both, on Count 3.
The case was investigated by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett.3. TRAVON DIJON WARRIOR, age 25, of Valdosta, Georgia, is charged in Count One with Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in Count Two with Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and in Count Three with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. If convicted, Mr. Warrior faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both on Count One; and mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine, or both on Count Two, and a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both on Count Three.
The case was investigated by the Valdosta Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit.
4. MICHAEL WHITTINGTON, age 38, of Woodland, Georgia, is charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine in excess of 5 grams with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on count one, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to a maximum of 40 years imprisonment, and a fine of up to $1 million dollars, or both. Count two carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to a maximum of life imprisonment consecutive to count one, and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
The case was investigated by the Taylor and Talbot County Sheriff’s Offices and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals.5. DAVID EARL BUTLER, age 28, of Valdosta, Georgia, is charged with one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. If convicted, Mr.Butler faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia C. Bowen.6. KENNETH DIAMOND FOUNTAIN, age 27, of Valdosta, Georgia, is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (Count 1), Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (Count 2), Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 3) and Possession of Cocaine (Count 4). If convicted, Mr. Fountain faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on Count One; a maximum sentence of five (5) years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on Count Two; a maximum sentence of life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years, which would be consecutive to all other sentences, as well as a $250,000 fine, or both, on Count Three; and a maximum sentence of twelve months imprisonment, a $1,000 fine, or both, on Count Four.
The case was investigated by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia C. Bowen.
Finally, 11 individuals were indicted for Illegal Reentry and are subject to deportation proceedings following their sentences, if convicted. Those indicted were:
1. JESUS ALONSO-JAIMES, age 42, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on December 7, 2016 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Alonso-Jaimes was found unlawfully in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia on July 2, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Alonso-Jaimes faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett.
2. JESUS BELMONTES-GUDINO, age 40, a citizen of Mexico is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on May 4, 2013 and March 2, 2017 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Belmontes-Gudino was found unlawfully in Terrell County, Georgia on April 25, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Belmontes-Gudino faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Crane.
3. CUTBERTO CHARLES-VALERO, age 46, a citizen of Mexico is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on August 23, 2013 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Charles-Valero was found unlawfully in Oconee County, Georgia on June 14, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Charles-Valero faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Easterling.
4. RICARDO GARFIAS-TINOCO, age 38, a citizen of Mexico, is charged in a two-count indictment. In Count One, he is charged with the offense of Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on July 30, 2003 and August 28, 2007 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Garfias-Tinoco was found unlawfully in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia on June 14, 2018. If convicted of Count One, Mr. Garfias-Tinoco faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both. In Count Two, he is charged with the offense of Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. If convicted of Count Two, Mr. Garfias-Tinoco faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Easterling.
5. MIGUEL GUZMAN-BERNAL, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with one (1) count of Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on December 4, 2015 and January 26, 2017 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Guzman-Bernal was found unlawfully in Harris County, Georgia on June 6, 2018 If convicted, Mr. Guzman-Bernal faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals.6. JOSE FRANCISCO, age 43, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on June 9, 2011 and June 4, 2013 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Francisco was found unlawfully in Lowndes County, Georgia on June 5, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Francisco faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit.
7. ELIAS LOPEZ-GOMEZ, age 33, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on July 30, 2003 and July 18, 2012 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Lopez-Gomez was found unlawfully in Butts County, Georgia on June 8, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Lopez-Gomez faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCommon.
8. LUIS MALAGON-GALVAN, age 40, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on June 4, 2015 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Malagon-Galvan was found unlawfully in Colquitt County, Georgia on May 22, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Malagon-Galvan faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McCullers.
9. CARLOS MENDEZ-RAMIREZ, age 38, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on March 30, 2015, September 18, 2015 and April 29, 2016 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Mendez-Ramirez was found unlawfully in Berrien County, Georgia on March 18, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Mendez-Ramirez faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Bowen.
10. ABEL MENDOZA-SANCHEZ, age 40, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on March 30, 2017 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Mendoza-Sanchez was found unlawfully in Muscogee County, Georgia on February 14, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Mendoza-Sanchez faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melvin E, Hyde, Jr.
11. JAVIER PENA-CASAS, age 41, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with Illegal Reentry after being deported and removed from the United States on February 23, 2008, October 31, 2015 and May 3, 2016 and returning without the consent of the Attorney General or Secretary for Homeland Security to re-apply for admission. Mr. Pena-Casas was found unlawfully in Madison County, Georgia on June 6, 2018. If convicted, Mr. Pena-Casas faces a maximum sentence of two (2) years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Easterling.
Questions concerning this release should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that REYNAUD KENDRELL VARISTE, age 29, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged in a three-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury for possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it, using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
If convicted, VARISTE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years for the drug trafficking offense, a maximum term of imprisonment of life for using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by the Strike Force/Violent Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal Agents Make Arrests Related to Methamphetamine Trafficking in San Mateo CountyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Six San Mateo residents were indicted on various charges involving methamphetamine trafficking announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder; and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen. The charges range from possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and have resulted in arrests yesterday at numerous locations in San Mateo during coordinated law enforcement actions.
The six people arrested yesterday were charged in one of four indictments that were unsealed this morning. In the first indictment, Ricardo Sanchez and Jesus Dario Gutierrez-Ramirez, both 28 years old, were charged along with other defendants in an alleged conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to the indictment, between August 1, 2017 and May 29, 2018, Ricardo Sanchez and Jesus Dario Gutierrez-Ramirez conspired with others to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
The second indictment charges Emmanuel Gonzalez Sanchez, 24, and Luis Ramon Zamora Angulo, age 41, with a separate conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In addition, the indictment charges Angulo with two substantive counts of possessing with intent to distribute and distributing methamphetamine.
The third and fourth indictments are single-count, single-defendant indictments. One charges Alfredo Angel Enciso Maldonado, 37, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 17, 2018; the other charges Edwin Alejandro Cervantes Sanchez with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on May 12, 2018.
In sum, the defendants face the following charges and, if found guilty, the following minimum and maximum statutory sentences:
Defendant Name
Case Number
Charges
Minimum/ Maximum Statutory Penalties
Ricardo Sanchez
18-299 SI
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A)
Minimum 10 years and maximum lifetime in prison
Minimum 5 years and maximum lifetime of supervised release following prison term
Maximum $10 million fine
Jesus Dario Gutierrez-Ramirez
18-299 SI
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A)
Minimum 10 years and maximum lifetime in prison
Minimum 5 years and maximum lifetime of supervised release following prison term
Maximum $10 million fine
Emmanuel Gonzalez Sanchez
18-278 WHA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)
Maximum 20 years in prison
Minimum 3 years, maximum lifetime of supervised release following prison term
Maximum $1 million fine
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)
Maximum 20 years in prison
Minimum 3 years, maximum lifetime of supervised release following prison term
Maximum $1 million fine
Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)
Minimum 5 years and maximum 40 years in prison
Minimum 4 years, maximum lifetime of supervised release following prison term
Maximum $5 million fine
Luis Ramon Zamora Angulo
18-278 WHA
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)
Maximum 20 years in prison
Minimum 3 years, maximum lifetime of supervised release following prison term
Maximum $1 million fine
Alfredo Angel Enciso Maldonado
18-277 EMC
Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii)
Minimum 5 years, maximum 40 years in prison
Minimum 4 years, maximum lifetime of supervised release following prison term
Maximum $5 million fine
Edwin Alejandro Cervantes Sanchez
18-279 WHO
Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii)
Minimum 5 years, maximum 40 years in prison
Minimum 4 years, maximum lifetime of supervised release following prison term
Maximum $5 million fine
An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition, any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
All six defendants, except Angulo, made their initial appearances this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria-Elena James. Each, including Angulo, is scheduled to appear tomorrow for further proceedings to include identifying counsel for each defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Sheila Armbrust is prosecuting this case. This case is the result of an investigation by the ATF, DEA, San Mateo Police Department, and San Mateo County Sherriff’s Department. This case was investigated and prosecuted by member agencies of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Cornelius Cox, age 33, of Fayetteville, Arkansas was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $2,400.00 fine on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
In late July through early August of 2017, the 4th Judicial Drug Task Force conducted several controlled buys of methamphetamine from Cox, within the Western District of Arkansas, Fayetteville Division.
On August 12, 2017, Cox was located by detectives driving his vehicle and he was subsequently stopped and arrested. During a search incident to his arrest, detectives located over 500 grams of a mixture or substance, which contained methamphetamine. In addition, detectives located two sets of digital scales in the vehicle. During a subsequent search of his residence, detectives located a loaded Ruger pistol as well as scales and baggies.
Cox was indicted in September 2017 and pleaded guilty in March 2018.
This case was investigated by the 4th Judicial Drug Task Force (DTF). Assistant United States Attorney David Harris prosecuted this case for the United States.
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.
Ethiopian Diplomat Arrested on Visa Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Ethiopian diplomat was arrested today by federal agents for visa fraud violations arising out of the use of non-immigrant diplomatic visas for family members who did not qualify under federal regulations.
Desta Woldeyohannes Delkasso, 54, an Ethiopian national assigned to the Ethiopian government’s Consulate General as the Deputy Consul General in Los Angeles, was charged in a three-count indictment unsealed this morning. She is charged with three counts of visa fraud, including falsely stating that her brother and his wife were “single” and “fully supported by her” and that their minor child was her “son.”
According to the allegations in the indictment, Delkasso caused the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send letters required for the visas to the Embassy of the United States in July and August 2016, stating that Delkasso would be accompanied by family members who would stay in Los Angeles until the end of the diplomatic term. The letters stated that her nephew was her “son” and that her brother and sister-in-law were “dependents” and “fully supported by her.”
Based on this information, her family members were then issued A-1 diplomatic visas to enter the United States.
Delkasso’s brother and his son have lived in Washington, D.C. since their arrival in the United States, and as alleged in the indictment, never resided in Los Angeles.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentences of 30 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Criminal Investigations Division with assistance from the DSS Los Angeles Field Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lana Morton-Owens of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Durant Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Derik Wayne Frazier, age 35, of Durant, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Felon In Possession Of Firearm & Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about November 24, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce a firearm and ammunition which have been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Durant Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Yoel Elieser Romero, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. On April 10, 2018, Romero pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
On Oct. 13, 2017, federal law enforcement officers encountered Romero at the Middlesex County House of Correction, where he was held after having been arrested for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and determined him to be unlawfully present in the United States. Romero was previously deported on June 2, 2015.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Rebecca J. Adducci, Interim Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Charged with Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was charged today in federal court in Boston with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Rafael Pascal, 54, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien. Pascal was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in June 2018 and has been in custody since his arrest.
According to court documents, on May 6, 2018, law enforcement in Wakefield arrested Pascal and charged him with possession to distribute a Class B controlled substance; Pascal was subsequently determined to be unlawfully present in the United States, having previously been deported on Jan. 5, 2002, and on June 20, 2013.
Pascal faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Rebecca J. Adducci, Interim Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Charged with Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Boston – A Dominican national, who recently resided in Mattapan, was indicted today in federal court in Boston on charges including identity theft.
Maissel Avalo-Mejia, 29, was indicted on one count of misuse of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. Avalo-Mejia was arrested last month and charged by criminal complaint.
According to court documents, Avalo-Mejia used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a Puerto Rican man, who is presently a Specialist in the U.S. Army, to obtain several Massachusetts driver’s licenses, the most recent issued on April 10, 2014. Avalo-Mejia was identified, among other things, from a fingerprint match with a Dominican Republic identification document issued to him and bearing his photo. It is alleged that Avalo-Mejia admitted that he was born in the Dominican Republic.
The charging statute for misuse of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charging statute for aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Denver Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
DENVER – Richard Canada, age 67, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Marcia S. Krieger to serve 120 months (10 years) in federal prison after earlier pleading guilty to three counts of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers. Chief Judge Krieger ordered the defendant to serve an additional 3 years on supervised release after his prison term. He was also ordered to pay $20,731.40 in restitution. Canada appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody and was remanded after its conclusion.
Canada was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on May 7, 2014, and pled guilty before Chief Judge Krieger to three counts of bank robbery on April 10, 2018. He was sentenced on July 10, 2018.
According to the stipulated facts in the defendant’s plea agreement, the defendant robbed three banks:
- On March 28, 2014 at approximately 11:00 a.m., Canada walked into the Chase Bank located at 1125 17th Street in Denver, approaching a teller station. He opened a folder and slid a handwritten note to the teller, which read: “This is a robbery. Empty both drawers. Don’t try anything or I’ll blow (sic) your head.” The defendant demanded the return of the note. He collected cash, placed it in his folder, and quickly exited.
- On April 5, 2014 at approximately 9:44 a.m., Canada walked into the Wells Fargo Bank located at 3155 East 1st Avenue in Denver, waiting in line for a teller. Upon approaching a teller station the defendant slid a note across the counter which read: “If you give me a dye pack, we both die! Give me all of your 50s, 100s, 20s both drawers now!” He eventually told the teller “that’s enough,” taking the money, placing it in a green folder, and walked out of the bank.
- On April 18, 2014 at approximately 9:00 a.m., Canada walked into the Wells Fargo Bank located at 6025 Parkway Drive in Commerce City, approaching the teller as the first customer of the day. He opened a black nylon or cloth binder, and removed a note from the binder. The note ordered the teller to open the drawer and “put everything in the binder.”
“Canada’s conduct terrorized bank employees and ordinary citizens just going about their business,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “We don’t tolerate that in Colorado.”
“The conclusion and recent sentencing of this investigation should send a clear signal that bank robberies continue to be a significant problem in our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers. “I would like to extend my appreciation to the Denver and Commerce City Police Departments, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and United States Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this investigation.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from local law enforcement. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly.
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 Office to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa-- On July 12, 2018, Anthony Dwayne Clay, age 42, of Davenport, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 84 months in prison following his guilty plea to felon in possession of a firearm, according to United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Clay was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Additionally, the firearm was forfeited.
On July 20, 2017, Davenport Police officers responded to a reported disturbance at a residence. As part of this investigation, Clay was found in unlawful possession of a Ruger .380 caliber firearm and ammunition. Prior to July 20, 2017, Clay had four prior felony convictions.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime
This investigation was conducted by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Davenport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) Issues Decision on Pretrial Diversion ComplaintRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), announced today that the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) for the United States Department of Justice has concluded an inquiry into the pretrial diversion practices of the United States Attorney’s Office in the District Court of Guam. The OPR inquiry “revealed no evidence” that the pretrial diversion decisions of the office involved any prohibited or inappropriate factors.
The inquiry was initiated by the District Court of Guam during sentencing proceedings for two Chinese nationals in United States v. Lu et al., No. 17-CR-00041 (D. Guam). The defendants had been arrested after arriving on Guam from Los Angeles with over 118 counterfeit credit cards from foreign banks. The defendants were charged with Possession of Fifteen or More Counterfeit or Unauthorized Access Devices, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 1029(a)(3), a Class C felony. The Court questioned the applicability of pretrial diversion for the defendants. Diversion is an alternative to criminal prosecution that enables certain offenders to avoid traditional criminal proceedings in favor of a program of supervision and services administered by United States Probation and Pretrial Services. If the program is successfully completed, the charges against a defendant are dismissed. The U.S. Attorney declined to offer pretrial diversion in the matters before the District Court.
In February 2018, the Court announced that it would request the Department of Justice to investigate whether there was “disparate treatment” by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in its handling of pretrial diversion offers. OPR reviewed the Court’s concerns and the relevant pretrial diversion decisions against the limits on prosecutorial discretion set forth in the Department’s United States Attorneys’ Manual Section 9-27.260, which prohibits prosecutors from taking into consideration a “person’s race, religion, gender, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, or political association, activities, or beliefs.” OPR found no evidence of unethical conduct.
United States Attorney Anderson states, “We appreciated the opportunity to fully cooperate with OPR and respond to the Court’s concerns. Prosecutorial discretion, which includes the decision on whether pretrial diversion is appropriate in any given case, has an important function in the criminal justice system. The U.S. Attorney’s Office respects the limitations on its discretion and routinely relies on the Department of Justice’s guidelines in making diversion decisions. Our office will continue to consider criminal offenders for this type of disposition on a case-by-case basis.”
Convicted Felon who Fled from Police Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Joseph Hamilton, 30, has pleaded guilty to federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty plea today.
According to information presented in court, on October 27, 2017, Memphis Police observed Hamilton driving a silver Infiniti G35 eastbound on East Shelby Drive with a license plate registered to a different vehicle. The license plate also had a 2018 decal that belonged to a different plate. A traffic stop was then initiated. The defendant did not have a driver’s license, but provided his social security number to the officer. After the officer determined that the defendant’s license was suspended, the defendant was instructed to exit the vehicle. The defendant slammed the door to his car, made a "U-turn," and sped away. The officer had to move to avoid being struck by the vehicle. Hamilton then disregarded a traffic signal and crashed his vehicle with another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle was transported to the hospital in non-critical condition.
After the crash, Hamilton ran into a wooded area with a red and white backpack. While the officer was chasing the defendant, the defendant tripped and fell. The officer caught up with the defendant and arrested him. The defendant spontaneously stated that he ran because he did not want to go to jail for the weed and gun.
While searching the backpack, officers recovered a large bag of marijuana and two mason jars containing small baggies of marijuana, totaling approximately 100 grams. An opened box of sandwich baggies and a marijuana grinder were also recovered. Officers recovered $306.73 on Hamilton and a Ruger .45 caliber pistol from the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle. Hamilton was also a convicted felon at the time of this offense.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Convicted felons who possess firearms in connection with drug distribution are inherently dangerous individuals. This conviction and potential sentence will remove a violent offender from the streets, and will protect public safety. We are FED UP with gun crime in Memphis, and will continue to aggressively prosecute prohibited and dangerous offenders with firearms. Gun Crime is Max Time."
On July 11, 2018, Hamilton pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. He faces a minimum of 15 years up to life imprisonment. The defendant still has an unrelated murder charge pending in Division 7 of Shelby County’s Criminal Court stemming from his alleged shooting at a Whitehaven McDonald’s, resulting in the murder of one individual and the serious injury to another.
Hamilton is scheduled to be sentenced on October 11, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker.
The Multi-Agency Gang Unit investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. AttorneyMarques Young and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryce Phillips are prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
Columbia Man Charged with Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing firearms and ammunition that had been stolen in a recent burglary.
Deangelo Wayne Joe, Jr., 23, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Columbia police officers responded to a report of shots fired in the parking lot of The Links apartment complex in the 1500 block of Clark Lane at approximately 11:42 p.m. Wednesday, July 11, 2018. When they arrived, the officers located Joe and told him to put his hands up. Joe looked at the officers and took off running into an apartment in the complex.
Police officers surrounded the building. For approximately 30 minutes, officers gave commands over the PA for the residents to exit the apartment into which Joe had run. When Joe exited the apartment he was arrested on outstanding warrants. Officers who searched him found .22-caliber ammunition, including a fired shell casing, in his pants pocket.
Officers searched the apartment and found a stolen Browning .22-caliber handgun and a stolen FMK .22-caliber rifle. In a bedroom closet they also found a range bag, which contained multiple rounds of .22-caliber ammunition. Both firearms and the range bag full of ammunition were reported stolen in a July 8, 2018, burglary.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Joe has two prior felony convictions for burglary.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Colquitt County Man Sentenced for Firearms Offenses Under Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that on July 11, 2018, Senior United States District Court Judge Hugh Lawson sentenced Karron Blackwell, Jr., age 31, of Doerun, Georgia, to 80 months imprisonment for the for Possession of a Firearm by a convicted felon.
There is no parole in the federal system.
At his guilty plea hearing on March 9, 2018, Mr. Blackwell admitted that on April 1, 2015, he was found to be in possession of a .38 caliber revolver during the execution of a search warrant by Moultrie Police Department. Prior to that date, Mr. Blackwell was convicted of three counts of Sale of Cocaine in Superior Court in Colquitt County and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
“With the gun violence in our society and communities today, the message must go out that felons cannot possess firearms. Since his three prior convictions did not teach Mr. Blackwell this lesson, perhaps his sentence of almost seven years in federal prison will drive this fact home,” said United States Attorney Peeler.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The case was investigated by the Moultrie Police Department, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Julia C. Bowen prosecuted the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for His Role in Cross Country Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Derron Gordon, 41, of Buffalo, N.Y., who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wei Xiang and Jeremy V. Murray, who handled the case, stated that during the conspiracy, the defendant coordinated the receipt in Buffalo of marijuana shipments from sources in the State of California, he coordinated the payment for the marijuana shipments through structured deposits of U.S. currency into bank accounts at branches in the Western District of New York and elsewhere, and Gordon coordinated the distribution of marijuana in the City of Buffalo.
Bulk quantities of marijuana intended for sale was typically sent through the U.S. Postal Service. On average, up to 15 boxes, each containing approximately 10 pounds of marijuana would be shipped as frequently as two times per week. The shipments were typically mailed with fictitious sender and recipient names, but to real recipient locations that the defendant and his Buffalo co-conspirators provided to their California co-conspirators.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Askey; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood; and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raymond Moss.
Brothers Plead Guilty to ID Theft and Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Two brothers pleaded guilty today to conspiracy, mail fraud, and identity theft charges.
According to court documents, Darrell Clark, 31, of Norfolk, and Demarcus Clark, 26, of Newport News, conspired for more than two years to use stolen identities to apply for and open accounts at banks and retail stores. The two men created fake IDs, including driver’s licenses and Social Security cards, bearing their victims’ identifying information alongside their own photographs. The brothers used these IDs to impersonate their victims throughout the scheme. Posing as victims, the brothers opened cell phone accounts with various carriers and used those accounts to obtain multiple cell phones on credit. The brothers used these cell phones to apply for additional accounts in the victims’ names, including checking, savings, credit, and consumer loan accounts. Through these applications, the brothers successfully borrowed thousands of dollars, purportedly to fund high-end vehicle purchases, foreign travel, and extensive home repairs. The brothers directed lenders, including Navy Federal Credit Union and Langley Federal Credit Union, to mail loan checks to addresses associated with their victims. The brothers then intercepted and redirected these shipments. Loan checks in hand, they forged victim signatures and then cashed those at lender branches in Hampton Roads and Tidewater by posing as the borrower and, for vehicle loans, recruiting others to pose as vehicle sellers.
As the scheme progressed, the brothers recruited cell phone carrier employees to compromise existing business customer accounts by naming the two as authorized account managers. The brothers then used the compromised accounts to place bulk orders for electronic devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. The brothers sold these devices, along with those obtained in identity theft victims’ names, for cash. Through all of this conduct, the brothers attempted to defraud local financial institutions and retailers of more than $1.5 million.
The Clark brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Each man faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, along with a mandatory minimum, consecutive penalty of two years in prison when sentenced on October 25. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Eric Shen, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick and Kaitlin G. Cooke 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. 4:17-cr-126.
Brazilian National Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Willian Lacerda, 32, a Brazilian national formerly residing in Framingham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to time-served and one year of supervised release. In May 2018, Lacerda pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
On Feb. 20, 2018, Lacerda was encountered by law enforcement and determined to be illegally present in the United States. Lacerda was previously deported on Dec. 16, 2009.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Rebecca Adducci, Interim Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Birmingham Brothers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Cartel-Supplied MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced two Birmingham brothers for their roles in trafficking methamphetamine supplied by a Mexican cartel from Arizona to Birmingham in 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor.
U.S. District Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced DIONTEZ JAMEL MOORE, 31, to 24 years and four months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and sentenced DAESHUAN NATHANIEL MOORE, 28, to 10 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in Jefferson County on May 3, 2017. Both men pleaded guilty to the charges in November.
Alabama State Bureau of Investigation agents arrested the brothers on May 3, 2017, after they fled police and crashed the sedan they were driving into two civilian vehicles at an intersection on Forestdale Boulevard. Both the Moores and two people in the vehicles they hit were hospitalized. Agents recovered about 1,100 grams, or more than two pounds, of methamphetamine from the trunk of the Moores’ sedan.
“Those individuals who engage in drug trafficking belong in federal prison,” Town said. “Postal inspectors work tirelessly to ensure that the U.S. Mail is used only for legitimate purposes and not in furtherance of any criminal enterprise. Their efforts, along with those of the Alabama state investigators, helped put these brothers where they belong.”
“Postal inspectors are committed to stopping drug cartels from using the U.S. Postal Service to distribute dangerous drugs into our communities,” Gonzalez said. “In this case, these suspects sought to put large amounts of methamphetamine onto the streets of Birmingham using the U.S. Postal Service. Postal inspectors, along with our state and local law enforcement partners, put an end to this scheme. I hope the substantial prison sentences handed down today serve as a deterrent to those who would try the same thing.”
Judge Bowdre sentenced Diontez Moore as a career offender based on his criminal history, which includes a prior murder conviction and an attempted fraud on the state court following his and his brother’s 2017 arrest. The judge imposed the mandatory minimum sentence for Daeshaun Moore, noting that he was less culpable than other defendants involved in the drug conspiracy, and that he has no violent crimes or drug offenses in his criminal history.
U.S. Postal inspectors and Alabama SBI agents began investigating mailings of dozens of packages from Phoenix, Arizona, to the Birmingham area in December 2016, according to court documents. The investigation began after postal inspectors in Arizona contacted inspectors in Alabama about a package they had intercepted and found to contain more than three pounds of methamphetamine, according to court documents. The package was addressed to a Birmingham area residence.
Agents identified the person who mailed that package as Deron Lee Green, a former Alabama resident with family in Birmingham who was living in Phoenix. Green pleaded guilty to the trafficking conspiracy in October. In June, Judge Bowdre sentenced Green to five years in prison.
Postal Inspector John Bailey testified during Diontez Moore’s sentencing hearing today that Green was responsible for shipping the methamphetamine to Alabama and for the “day to day contact with the cartel in Arizona.” Green told investigators that the Mexican-based Sinoloa Cartel supplied the methamphetamine, Bailey testified.
On May 3, 2017, postal inspectors in Birmingham discovered an inbound package from Phoenix to a Forestdale address that was associated with a relative of Green’s, according to court documents. The package was similar to other suspicious packages investigators had identified.
Law enforcement observed the package’s delivery to the Forestdale address, then watched a black sedan, occupied by Diontez and Daeshaun Moore, arrive at the residence, where Diontez Moore went into the garage, retrieved the package and placed it in the trunk of the sedan. As the sedan left the area with Daeshaun Moore driving, an Alabama State Trooper tried to stop it. The car sped away, leading troopers on a chase that ended when the Moores crashed into the vehicles at the intersection of Forestdale Boulevard and Cherry Avenue, leading to the brothers’ arrests. In Diontez’s hearing, prosecutors played a police-dash cam video of the high-speed chase along a two-lane residential road and through a construction area on the road, before ending with the Moores’ crash.
The Postal Inspection Service and ALEA-SBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Felton prosecuted.
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BGF Member Pleads Guilty to a Drug Conspiracy and to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Garrion McCellan, age 30, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty today to a drug conspiracy and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime causing death, in connection with his participation in a drug trafficking organization that operated in the 300 block of McMechan Avenue in Baltimore. McCellan was an active member of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang during his participation in the drug conspiracy.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Interim Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
According to his plea agreement, from at least July 2016 through April 28, 2016, MCellan conspired with others, including Jamal Carter and Dymir Rhodes, to distribute heroin and fentanyl in and around Pedestal Gardens, an apartment complex located in the 300 block of McMechan Street in Baltimore. Carter, Rhodes, and others maintained a “stash” house in Catonsville, Maryland to store drugs and drug proceeds, and to process and package drugs for distribution. Rhodes supplied McCellan with “packs” of heroin and/or fentanyl, which McCellan redistributed to drug users at Pedestal Gardens. Each “pack” typically contained between 25 and 50 gel capsules of the drugs, totaling approximately 2.5 to 5 grams. McCellan and other co-conspirators routinely distributed 40 to 50 packs of heroin and fentanyl in one day.
McCellan admitted that sometime before August 10, 2015, the alleged leader of the drug conspiracy ordered McCellan to kill a drug dealer who was encroaching on their organization’s drug territory. On August 10, 2015, McCellan, Rhodes, and another conspirator went to the 1700 block of McCullough Street where they located the drug dealer outside a corner store. McCellan shot the drug dealer several times, killing him. Another person was found shot in the corner store, but survived.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on October 7, 2015, McCellan shot another individual at the direction of the leader of the drug organization, because that person was disrupting the organization’s drug operation by robbing drug dealers in the area. On October 7, 2015, McCellan and Carter contacted the individual using the ruse that they wanted help to rob other drug dealers. McCellan and Carter arranged to meet the victim in the 1400 block of Druid Hill Avenue. While the victim was putting on gloves in preparation for the purported robbery, McCellan shot the victim multiple times at close range, killing him.
McCellan admitted that during his participation in the conspiracy he and his co-conspirators distributed between one and three kilograms of heroin.
McCellan and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement McCellan will be sentenced to between 300 and 360 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for September 21, 2018 at 9:15 a.m.
Jamal Carter, age 24, and Dymir Rhodes, age 32, both of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the drug conspiracy, and were sentenced to 11 years and 10 years in prison, respectively.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Gardner and Christopher J. Romano, who are prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Attorney General Sessions and United States Attorney Stuart Announce Operation Synthetic Opioid SurgeRead the Press Release
SDWV 1 of 10 Sites Selected in the Country
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and United States Attorney Mike Stuart today announced Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a new program that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.
As part of Operation S.O.S., the Department will launch an enforcement surge in 10 districts with some of the highest drug overdose death rates, including the Southern District of West Virginia. In 2016, an estimated 890 people died of drug overdoses in West Virginia, 574 of which occurred in the Southern District of West Virginia. Opioid-related overdoses accounted for 492 of the District’s overdose deaths, with 226 of them being fentanyl-related.
Each participating United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) will choose a specific county and prosecute every readily provable case involving the distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids, regardless of drug quantity. The surge will involve a coordinated DEA Special Operations Division operation to insure that leads from street-level cases are used to identify larger scale distributors. Operation S.O.S. was inspired by a promising initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida involving Manatee County, Florida.
"When it comes to synthetic opioids, there is no such thing as a small case," Attorney General Sessions said. "In 2016, synthetic opioids killed more Americans than any other kind of drug. Three milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal--that's not even enough to cover up Lincoln's face on a penny. Our prosecutors in Manatee County, Florida have shown that prosecuting seemingly small synthetic opioids cases can have a big impact and save lives, and we want to replicate their success in the districts that need it most. This new strategy—and the new prosecutors who will help carry it out—will help us put more traffickers behind bars and keep the American people safe from the threat of these deadly drugs."
In addition, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Executive Office will send an additional two-year term Assistant United States Attorney to each participating district to assist with drug-related prosecutions.
“I really appreciate the confidence that the Attorney General has demonstrated in my leadership and the work being done in my office,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Our aggressive law enforcement actions are being recognized and rewarded by the Administration and the Department of Justice. We fully intend to capitalize on this historic opportunity for West Virginia. We look forward to working closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to make this new AUSA position as productive as possible and significantly reducing the number of synthetic opioid overdose deaths in the District.”
The 10 participating districts are:
Northern District of Ohio
Southern District of Ohio
Eastern District of Tennessee
Eastern District of Kentucky
Southern District of West Virginia
Northern District of West Virginia
District of Maine
Eastern District of California
Western District of Pennsylvania
District of New Hampshire
In Manatee County, a county just south of Tampa with a population of about 320,000, overdoses and deaths skyrocketed in 2015 (780 overdoses/84 opioid related deaths) and 2016 (1,287 overdoses/123 opioid related deaths). In summer of 2016, local law enforcement reported frequent, street-level distribution of fentanyl and carfentanil for the first time.
To combat this crisis, the Middle District of Florida committed to prosecuting every readily provable drug distribution case involving synthetic opioids in Manatee County regardless of drug quantity. The effort resulted in the indictments of forty five traffickers of synthetic opioids. Further, from the last six months of 2017 to the last six months of 2016, overdoses dropped by 77.1% and deaths dropped by 74.2%. Overall, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office went from responding to 11 overdoses a day to an average now of less than one per day.
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###Attorney General Sessions Announces Operation Synthetic Opioid SurgeRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey today announced Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a new program that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.
As part of Operation S.O.S., the Department will launch an enforcement surge in ten districts with some of the highest drug overdose death rates, including the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Each participating U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) will choose a specific county and prosecute every readily provable case involving the distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids, regardless of drug quantity. The surge will involve a coordinated DEA Special Operations Division operation to insure that leads from street-level cases are used to identify larger scale distributors. Operation S.O.S. was inspired by a promising initiative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida involving Manatee County, Florida.
"When it comes to synthetic opioids, there is no such thing as a small case," Attorney General Sessions said. "In 2016, synthetic opioids killed more Americans than any other kind of drug. Three milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal--that's not even enough to cover up Lincoln's face on a penny. Our prosecutors in Manatee County, Florida have shown that prosecuting seemingly small synthetic opioids cases can have a big impact and save lives, and we want to replicate their success in the districts that need it most. This new strategy—and the new prosecutors who will help carry it out—will help us put more traffickers behind bars and keep the American people safe from the threat of these deadly drugs."
“According to statistics from the Knox County Drug Related Task Force, already in 2018 there have been 164 overdose deaths in Knox County alone. This alarming number is from only one of the 41 counties that make up the Eastern District of Tennessee. Sadly, statistics show that Tennessee, and in particular east Tennessee, has one of the highest overdose death rates in the country. The U.S. Attorney’s Office welcomes the opportunity to participate in Operation S.O.S. and will work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute every readily provable case involving the distribution of synthetic opioids in Knox County, regardless of drug quantity,” stated U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey.
In addition, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Executive Office will provide funding for an additional two-year term Assistant U.S. Attorney to each participating district to assist with drug-related prosecutions.
The ten participating districts are:
- Northern District of Ohio
- Southern District of Ohio
- Eastern District of Tennessee
- Eastern District of Kentucky
- Southern District of West Virginia
- Northern District of West Virginia
- District of Maine
- Eastern District of California
- Western District of Pennsylvania
- District of New Hampshire
# # #
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces the Formation of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.)Read the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a new program that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.
As part of Operation S.O.S., the Department will launch an enforcement surge in ten districts with some of the highest drug overdose death rates. Each participating United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) will choose a specific county and prosecute every readily provable case involving the distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids, regardless of drug quantity. The surge will involve a coordinated DEA Special Operations Division operation to insure that leads from street-level cases are used to identify larger scale distributors. Operation S.O.S. was inspired by a promising initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida involving Manatee County, Florida.
"We at the Department of Justice are going to dismantle these deadly fentanyl distribution networks. Simply put, we will be tireless until we reduce the number of overdose deaths in this country. We are going to focus on some of the worst counties for opioid overdose deaths in the United States, working all cases until we have disrupted the supply of these deadly drugs," Attorney General Sessions said. "In 2016, synthetic opioids killed more Americans than any other kind of drug. Three milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal--that's not even enough to cover up Lincoln's face on a penny. Our prosecutors in Manatee County, Florida have shown that prosecuting seemingly small synthetic opioids cases can have a big impact and save lives, and we want to replicate their success in the districts that need it most. Operation S.O.S.—and the new prosecutors who will help carry it out—will help us put more traffickers behind bars and keep the American people safe from the threat of these deadly drugs."
In addition, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Executive Office will send an additional two-year term Assistant United States Attorney to each participating district to assist with drug-related prosecutions.
The ten participating districts are:- Eastern District of California
- Eastern District of Kentucky
- District of Maine
- District of New Hampshire
- Northern District of Ohio
- Southern District of Ohio
- Western District of Pennsylvania
- Eastern District of Tennessee
- Northern District of West Virginia
- Southern District of West Virginia
In Manatee County, a county just south of Tampa with a population of about 320,000, overdoses and deaths skyrocketed in 2015 (780 overdoses/84 opioid related deaths) and 2016 (1,287 overdoses/123 opioid related deaths). In summer of 2016, local law enforcement reported frequent, street-level distribution of fentanyl and carfentanil for the first time.
To combat this crisis, the Middle District of Florida committed to prosecuting every readily provable drug distribution case involving synthetic opioids in Manatee County regardless of drug quantity. The effort resulted in the indictments of forty five traffickers of synthetic opioids. Further, from the last six months of 2016 to the last six months of 2017, overdoses dropped by 77.1% and deaths dropped by 74.2%. Overall, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office went from responding to 11 overdoses a day to an average now of less than one per day.Anchorage Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Drug & Money Laundering CrimesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Murville Lavelle Lampkin, 45, of Anchorage, was sentenced on July 10, 2018, to serve 20 years in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of heroin, and money laundering.
A jury found Lampkin guilty after an 8-day trial on Nov. 1, 2016 before U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason. According to evidence presented at trial, Lampkin was a member of a conspiracy led by Toa Danh “Tony” Ly. In the spring of 2014, Ly and others began to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine in Anchorage, the Valley, and Kenai Peninsula. Ly later included heroin among the items he distributed. Proceeds from these drug sales were deposited in Wells Fargo bank accounts. Other individuals who sold drugs and made deposits of drug money for Ly included Pao Lee, Rennie Davis, Robert Rast, Tracey Trujillo, Mark Hanes and Susan Bradshaw. In total, Lampkin deposited $57,000 worth of drug proceeds into Wells Fargo bank accounts controlled by Ly.
On Jan. 14, 2015, law enforcement executed search warrants at multiple locations connected to the conspiracy. In a locked safe at the foot of Lampkin’s bed, law enforcement located approximately 400 grams of methamphetamine packaged into 15 individual Ziploc baggies. Also in the safe were smaller baggies into which doses of drugs could be packaged, and a digital scale used to measure drug quantities.
This was Lampkin’s third drug conviction. In 2002, Lampkin pled guilty in federal court to distribution and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. While in custody, Lampkin was convicted in Alaska state court of promoting contraband in the first degree for possessing oxycodone and tetrahydrocannabinol.
Lampkin was the former bouncer at Rumrunners Old Towne Bar & Grill. In 2012, he was convicted in state court of fourth degree assault following a fight with a patron. Lampkin was sentenced in that case to two months in jail and two years of probation.
The status of other defendants indicted as part of this case is as follows:
- Toa Danh “Tony” Ly was sentenced in December 2016 to serve five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and money laundering conspiracy;
- Renee Marie Davis was sentenced in January 2016 to serve six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
- Adam Michael Cornelison was sentenced in February 2016 to serve five years in prison for use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense;
- Robert Lee Rast was sentenced in January 2017 to serve 40 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
- Kasey Martinez was sentenced in July 2016 to serve 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for money laundering conspiracy;
- Pao Lee was sentenced in January 2017 to serve 35 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of controlled substances;
- Tracey Trujillo was sentenced in January 2017 to serve 13 months and 15 days in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for money laundering conspiracy;
- Mark Norman Hanes and Susan Jan Bradshaw are scheduled for trial on Sept. 24, 2018.
The case was the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, an FBI-led task force comprised of FBI Special Agents, Anchorage Police Department officers, Alaska State Troopers, and the United States Marshals. Assistance was also provided by IRS Criminal Investigation; APD’s Special Assignment Unit (SAU); and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Reardon.
Amite Resident Sentenced for Misuse of Social Security Card and Resident Alien CardRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JESUS MATEHUALA-CABALLERO, a/k/a Francisco Rodriguez, age 40, a resident of Amite, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a two count indictment charging him with fraud and misuse of a social security card and resident alien card, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1546(a).
According to the court documents, on or about July 10, 2015, JESUS MATEHUALA-CABALLERO, used a fraudulent a social security card and fraudulent resident alien card for the purposes of obtaining employment knowing that he had never been lawfully issued a Social Security card or a resident alien card.
United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced JESUS MATEHUALA-CABALLERO to credit for time served and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson
Alain Kaloyeros, President of Suny Polytechnic Institute, and Three Executives of Real Estate Development Companies Found Guilty of Fraud in Connection with Buffalo Billion ProjectsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ALAIN KALOYEROS, the former president of the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (“SUNY Poly”), was convicted of defrauding and conspiring to defraud a SUNY Poly-affiliated not-for-profit organization in connection with Buffalo Billion construction projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars. LOUIS CIMINELLI, STEVEN AIELLO, and JOSEPH GERARDI – three executives of real estate development companies based in Syracuse and Buffalo – were also convicted of fraud and conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “The inscription, ‘The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government,’ is set in stone in the New York County Courthouse. Those words have never been more poignant for the citizens of New York, as in quick succession less than four months apart they have seen this Office secure convictions in separate prosecutions against the State Assembly Speaker, a close confidant and executive aide to the governor, and now the president of SUNY Poly, the executive leading the expansive ‘Buffalo Billion’ initiative. The guiding principle of the Southern District holds that true justice can only be achieved through independence from politics or influence, and that has never been more important than today. I commend the career prosecutors of our Public Corruption unit for their enduring commitment to true justice in our government.”
According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
KALOYEROS conspired with AIELLO and GERARDI, two top executives at Syracuse-based COR Development Company (“COR Development”), and CIMINELLI, the head of Buffalo-based LPCiminelli Inc. (“LPCiminelli”), to deceive Fort Schuyler Management Corporation (“Fort Schuyler”), a State-funded entity charged with awarding State contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, by secretly rigging the bidding process so that the contracts would be awarded to those two companies.
KALOYEROS, who oversaw the application process for many of the State grants awarded under the Buffalo Billion and similar programs, retained Todd Howe to assist with developing the projects and identifying developers for those projects. KALOYEROS, Howe, AIELLO, GERARDI, and CIMINELLI worked together to deceive Fort Schuyler by, among other things, secretly tailoring the required qualifications for those development deals so that COR Development and LPCiminelli would be awarded contracts in Syracuse and Buffalo, respectively, without any meaningful competition, while falsely representing to Fort Schuyler that the bidding process was fair, open, and competitive.
More specifically, in or about October 2013, Fort Schuyler issued requests for proposals (“RFPs”) to solicit bids from interested and qualified developers for the Syracuse and Buffalo projects. KALOYEROS, with Howe’s assistance, oversaw the drafting of the RFPs and, unbeknownst to Fort Schuyler, KALOYEROS and Howe secretly solicited from AIELLO, GERARDI, and CIMINELLI qualifications of COR Development and LPCiminelli to put in the RFPs so that the RFPs would request qualifications specifically held by those companies. For example, the Syracuse RFP requested the use of specific project management software used by COR Development. After Howe emailed GERARDI and AIELLO a draft of the Syracuse RFP approximately two weeks before its public issuance, GERARDI sent back a handwritten mark-up of the draft RFP, on which GERARDI had, among other things, underlined the software names and wrote “too telegraphed??” For its part, the Buffalo RFP, as initially issued, required 50 years of experience by a local developer – a qualification touted by LPCiminelli in promotional materials provided to KALOYEROS. This requirement was later changed and claimed to be a “typographical error.” LPCiminelli also was provided internal State documents to use in drafting its response to the RFP.
In or about fall 2015, after the FBI interviewed other real estate development and construction companies that expressed interest in the Buffalo RFP, KALOYEROS deleted from his Gmail account numerous emails involving Howe, including emails in which KALOYEROS and Howe exchanged “vitals” for COR Development and LPCiminelli during the drafting of the RFPs. In addition, CIMINELLI deleted a number of emails between himself and KALOYEROS, including an email in which KALOYEROS, from his Gmail account, sent a draft of the Buffalo RFP to CIMINELLI and promised to “fine tune the developer requirements to fit.”
* * *
KALOYEROS was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. CIMINELLI, AIELLO, and GERARDI were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. GERARDI was also convicted of one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
KALOYEROS is scheduled to be sentenced on October 11, 2018; AIELLO is scheduled to be sentenced on October 12, 2018; GERARDI is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2018; and CIMINELLI is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2018. All defendants will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who presided over the trial.
Mr. Berman praised the work of the FBI Buffalo Field Office and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, which jointly conducted this investigation with the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Boone, David Zhou, and Matthew Podolsky are in charge of the prosecution.
Attorney General Sessions Announces Operation Synthetic Opioid SurgeRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: Attorney General Jeff Sessions and United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank today announced Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a new program that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.
As part of Operation S.O.S., the Department will launch an enforcement surge in ten districts with some of the highest drug overdose death rates, including the District of Maine. In Maine, in 2016, there were 376 drug-induced deaths; in 2017, there were 418 drug-induced deaths. In Cumberland County, a county with a population of about 280,000, in 2016, there were 78 drug-induced overdose deaths, including 68 opioid-related deaths; in 2017, there were 109 drug-induced overdose deaths, including 94 opioid-related deaths.
Each participating United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) will choose a specific county and prosecute every readily provable case involving the distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids, regardless of drug quantity. The surge will involve a coordinated DEA Special Operations Division operation to insure that leads from street-level cases are used to identify larger scale distributors. Operation S.O.S. was inspired by a promising initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida involving Manatee County, Florida.
"When it comes to synthetic opioids, there is no such thing as a small case," Attorney General Sessions said. "In 2016, synthetic opioids killed more Americans than any other kind of drug. Three milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal--that's not even enough to cover up Lincoln's face on a penny. Our prosecutors in Manatee County, Florida have shown that prosecuting seemingly small synthetic opioids cases can have a big impact and save lives, and we want to replicate their success in the districts that need it most. This new strategy—and the new prosecutors who will help carry it out—will help us put more traffickers behind bars and keep the American people safe from the threat of these deadly drugs."
“As is much of the rest of the country, Maine is in the midst of a crisis in which people are dying from opioid overdoses at an alarming rate in large part due to the increasing availability and potency of synthetic opioids like fentanyl,” U.S. Attorney Frank said. “In addition, Maine is seeing more of the violence that too often attends drug use and property crimes, such as shoplifting, committed to fund drug habits. Addressing this crisis requires all segments of society to engage, and my office will continue to work with representatives of the prevention, treatment, and recovery communities. As the chief federal law enforcement officer in Maine, however, my primary responsibility is to enforce the law. I am grateful that the Department is giving us additional resources to do so in the area of synthetic drug enforcement. I am hopeful that we will be able to use those resources to reduce the supply of opioids that are coming from communities outside of Maine, killing Mainers, and causing untold collateral consequences. We are starting the effort in Cumberland County because it has the highest absolute number of overdose deaths of any county in Maine.”
In addition, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Executive Office will send an additional two-year term Assistant United States Attorney to each participating district to assist with drug-related prosecutions.
The ten participating districts are:
Northern District of Ohio
Southern District of Ohio
Eastern District of Tennessee
Eastern District of Kentucky
Southern District of West Virginia
Northern District of West Virginia
District of Maine
Eastern District of California
Western District of Pennsylvania
District of New Hampshire
In Manatee County, a county just south of Tampa with a population of about 320,000, overdoses and deaths skyrocketed in 2015 (780 overdoses/84 opioid related deaths) and 2016 (1,287 overdoses/123 opioid related deaths). In summer of 2016, local law enforcement reported frequent, street-level distribution of fentanyl and carfentanil for the first time.
To combat this crisis, the Middle District of Florida committed to prosecuting every readily provable drug distribution case involving synthetic opioids in Manatee County regardless of drug quantity. The effort resulted in the indictments of forty five traffickers of synthetic opioids. Further, from the last six months of 2016 to the last six months of 2017, overdoses dropped by 77.1% and deaths dropped by 74.2%. Overall, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office went from responding to 11 overdoses a day to an average now of less than one per day.
Attorney General Sessions Announces Operation Synthetic Opioid SurgeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady of the Western District of Pennsylvania today announced Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a new program that seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers.
As part of Operation S.O.S., the Department will launch an enforcement surge in ten districts with some of the highest drug overdose death rates, including the Western District of Pennsylvania. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Executive Office will send an additional two-year term Assistant United States Attorney to each participating district to assist with opioid-related prosecutions.
The ten participating districts are:
Northern District of Ohio
Southern District of Ohio
Eastern District of Tennessee
Eastern District of Kentucky
Southern District of West Virginia
Northern District of West Virginia
District of Maine
Eastern District of California
Western District of Pennsylvania
District of New Hampshire
Each participating United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) will choose a specific county and prosecute every readily provable case involving the distribution of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids, regardless of drug quantity. The surge
will involve a coordinated DEA Special Operations Division operation to ensure that leads from street-level cases are used to identify larger-scale distributors.
"When it comes to synthetic opioids, there is no such thing as a small case," Attorney General Sessions said. "In 2016, synthetic opioids killed more Americans than any other kind of drug. Three milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal--that's not even enough to cover up Lincoln's face on a penny. Our prosecutors in Manatee County, Florida have shown that prosecuting seemingly small synthetic opioids cases can have a big impact and save lives, and we want to replicate their success in the districts that need it most. This new strategy—and the new prosecutors who will help carry it out—will help us put more traffickers behind bars and keep the American people safe from the threat of these deadly drugs."
"The opioid epidemic is the single greatest drug crisis of our lifetimes. Opioid-related overdoses have increased to unprecedented levels, with fentanyl and its analogues more available and lethal than ever," stated U.S. Attorney Brady. "In response, we have attacked this epidemic with urgency. In partnership with Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone, our appointment of a Washington County Assistant District Attorney to serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorney has resulted in dozens of successful prosecutions and a reduction in the number of overdose deaths. Through Operation S.O.S., the addition of a full-time federal prosecutor to focus on this ‘hot spot’ county within our district will allow us to continue this vital work."
Located to the southwest of Pittsburgh, Washington County has an estimated population on 208,261 people and encompasses an area of 861 square miles. In 2017 there were 98 fatal drug overdoses, 71 of which contained fentanyl. This compared to: 109 overdoses in 2016 (68 containing fentanyl), 73 overdoses in 2015 (38 containing fentanyl), and 36 overdoses in 2014 (five containing fentanyl).
Operation S.O.S. was inspired by a promising initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida involving Manatee County, Florida. In Manatee County, a county just south of Tampa with a population of about 320,000, overdoses and deaths skyrocketed in 2015 (780 overdoses/84 opioid related deaths) and 2016 (1,287 overdoses/123 opioid related deaths). In summer of 2016, local law enforcement reported frequent, street-level distribution of fentanyl and carfentanil for the first time.
To combat this crisis, the Middle District of Florida committed to prosecuting every readily provable drug distribution case involving synthetic opioids in Manatee County regardless of drug quantity. The effort resulted in the indictments of 45 traffickers of synthetic opioids. Further, from the last six months of 2016 to the last six months of 2017, overdoses dropped by 77.1% and deaths dropped by 74.2%. Overall, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office went from responding to 11 overdoses a day to an average now of less than one per day.
25 Individuals Charged in a Wichita Falls and Vernon Texas Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WICHITA FALLS, Texas —In a collaborative effort by the Safe Streets Task Force, to include agents and officers from the FBI and Wichita Falls Police Department, Twenty-two individuals are in federal custody on a federal Complaint for a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Those defendants arrested today or in custody on other charges are:
Floyd Raymond Richardson, 48, Vernon, Texas
Wayland Brent Ballard, 51, Vernon, Texas
Brad Deshaun White, 40, Dallas, Texas
Christopher Davis, 38, Dallas, Texas
Virginia Ann White, 66, Vernon, Texas
Teasie Winnell Scott, 49, Vernon, Texas
Terry Lamar Murray, 35, Vernon, Texas
John Dupree Wesley, 31, Vernon, Texas
Djuanna Kyvon Newman, 32, Vernon, Texas
Chadrick Deshawn McBride, 39, Vernon, Texas
Galvin Lamar Daniels, also known as “G”, age 33, Vernon, Texas
Demarcus Anatanya Madison, also known as “Chastie”, 40, Abilene, Texas
Shelby Breanna Funk, 24, Dallas, Texas
Christian Joseph Chavez, also known as “Shrek”, 34, Wichita Falls, Texas
Adam Domingo Garcia, 49, Vernon, Texas
Lonta Hobbs, 34, Clarksville, Texas
Chmira Denise Williams, 28, Wichita Falls, Texas
Candace Rebecca Rodgers, 25, Wichita Falls, Texas
Jacinda Renee Burris, 30, Iowa Park, Texas
Addis Scales, 37, Wichita Falls, Texas
Alvin Gerald Travis, 67, Vernon, Texas (Transient)
Amber Dawn Hatcher, 37, Electra, Texas
“The arrests today mark the culmination of several years’ worth of hard work, dedication, and cooperation between federal, state, and local authorities in an effort to fight the trafficking of methamphetamine that destroys lives and families in our communities throughout the Northern District of Texas,” stated U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox.
“Today, the FBI, working with its local, state and federal law enforcement partners dealt an unrelenting blow to those individuals and groups that have profited from the distribution of illegal drugs and threatened the safety of the Wichita Falls and Vernon communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent-in-Charge, Eric K. Jackson.
The Complaint was signed by United States Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray, Jr. on June 25, 2018, and unsealed today, charging 25 individuals in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Twenty-two of those defendants were arrested this morning, and two are still under seal.
Most of the defendants arrested today will make their initial appearances in federal court in Wichita Falls on Friday, July 13, 2018, before United States Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray, Jr.
According to the Complaint, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine throughout Vernon, Wichita Falls, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Texas. The complaint further alleges that from approximately September 2014 through December 2017, the defendants conspired together, and with others, to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
As alleged in the Complaint, as part of the conspiracy, its members had a fluid hierarchy that evolved over time. As some members were arrested or otherwise temporarily unavailable, other members took over the receipt and delivery of methamphetamine. Additionally, some of the money derived from the sale and distribution of methamphetamine would be used to purchase additional quantities of methamphetamine.
A federal criminal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Wichita Falls Police Department; Texas Department of Public Safety, Wichita County Sherriff’s Office, Vernon Police Department, 46th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the US Marshals Service are in charge of the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith is in charge of the prosecution.
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Wednesday 11 July 2018
Winnemucca Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of an ExplosiveRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. — A felon pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of an explosive device at his residence in Winnemucca, Nevada, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division.
Terry J. Hanson Jr., 36, pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of an explosive. He was arrested and indicted in May of this year. United States Judge Larry R. Hicks accepted the guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for October 9, 2018. The maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to information contained in the plea agreement, on April 18, 2018, Hanson, a convicted felon, and a cooperating witness, who was wearing a recording device, met with an undercover employee to sell a roll of Thermalite Ignitor cord, an explosive material under federal law, and Thermalite connectors. Hanson received $3,000 in cash for the sale to the undercover. He has a prior felony conviction in Humboldt County for possession of a controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Nevada Department of Public Safety - NDI, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, Winnemucca Police Department, Elko Police Department, Elko Sheriff's Office, Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Reno Police Department, and the Nevada Department of Agriculture. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Rachow is prosecuting the case.
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