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23 August 2018
Eye care provider sentenced to federal prison for Medicare and Medicaid fraudRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Matilda Lynn Prince has been sentenced to federal prison, after a jury convicted her of twenty-nine counts of healthcare fraud for filing fraudulent claims with Medicare and the Georgia Medicaid program for optometry and ophthalmology services that were never provided to patients.
“Prince will now spend time in federal prison for stealing over a million dollars from the Medicare and Medicaid programs by submitting fraudulent claims for services that were not performed,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Prince diverted critical resources away from the elderly and low-income families who were most in need of care.”
“This sentence sends a clear-cut message to crooked providers who fraudulently bill government health care programs,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services - Office of Inspector General (OIG). “The OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue these thieves to ensure they are held accountable.”
“Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit remains committed to working with our federal partners to investigate and prosecute providers who attempt to steal from healthcare programs designed to provide treatment and care for those most in need,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: Prince owned Pickens Eye Clinic in Jasper, Georgia and operated Eye Gallery 20/20 in Calhoun, Georgia. From September 2011 to February 2014, Prince submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for optometry and ophthalmology services that were never rendered to patients.
Despite being previously excluded from the Medicare and Medicaid programs in September 2011 and informed of her ineligibility to be employed or involved with any entity that received Medicare or Medicaid funds, Prince operated under a company named Eye Gallery 20/20 to bill Medicare and Medicaid for services that were not rendered. As part of the scheme, Prince targeted her advertising towards senior citizens and disabled populations in housing complexes and community centers, offering on-site eye exams and prescription glasses at no charge to patients on Medicare and Medicaid. Prince contracted with two licensed optometrists to provide basic eye exams. The optometrists would sometimes travel with Prince to perform these exams.
Although the patients received only basic eye exams and measurements for prescription glasses, Prince often billed for complex ophthalmological procedures involving the surgical insertion of medical devices called “punctal plugs” into patients' tear ducts to treat dry eye conditions. Prince then used the identities of the two licensed optometrists to bill Medicare and Medicaid repeatedly for this procedure. On some occasions, she billed for the same patient as many as seven times on the same claimed date of service, even though the procedures were never performed. Prince fraudulently submitted over $1.2 million in insurance claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services never rendered.
Matilda Lynn Prince, 42, of Mineral Bluff, Georgia was sentenced to three years, four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release on August 22, 2018. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $609,000. Prince was found guilty by a jury on January 9, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General, and the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bernita B. Malloy and Randy S. Chartash prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced on Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine) was sentenced on August 20, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Nolan Clown, age 33, was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Clown was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2017. He pled guilty on August 1, 2018.
Clown admitted to distributing methamphetamine to another individual for money on August 24, 2016, in Eagle Butte. Clown further admitted he had distributed methamphetamine on at least one other occasion. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Narcotics Division and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.
Clown was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Drunk Driver Pleads Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland –Dontaze Purnell Drake, age 41, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty today to involuntary manslaughter. Drake admitted that he caused a fatal collision on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on September 24, 2017, in which he was speeding, his blood-alcohol level was over the legal limit in Maryland, and he was driving on a suspended license.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Chief Robert D. MacLean of the U.S. Park Police.
According to his plea agreement, at approximately 3:00 a.m. on September 24, 2017, Drake caused a fatal collision on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Drake was traveling southbound at approximately 33 miles per hour over the posted speed limit when he attempted to pass a vehicle traveling in the right lane. Drake struck the rear of an SUV traveling in the right lane. As a result of the collision, one of the four passengers in the SUV was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in the crash caused by Drake.
Drake’s blood-alcohol level was .12%, which is above the legal limit in Maryland, and he also had .03 mg/L of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, in his system at the time. In addition, a search of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration database revealed that Drake’s license had been suspended.
Drake faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, which U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled for November 8, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur praised U.S. Park Police for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Hollis Raphael Weisman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chimaobim Nwachukwu, who prosecuted the case.
Dominican Republic National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Gustavo Adolfo Jimenez Polanco, 30, a Dominican Republic National, was sentenced today in district court for illegally re-entering the United States, United States Attorney Gretchen Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Polanco to 12 months and one day incarceration, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
According to court documents, Polanco appeared at the Cyril E. King Airport on February 10th and was questioned regarding a Florida Driver’s License that he presented to the primary inspector at the Customs and Border Protection check point. The primary inspector referred him to secondary inspection where it was determined Polanco was a Dominican Republic National previously deported from the United States on July 1, 2014.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
Dominican Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today that Yossi Rafael Rincon Ramirez, 42, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy and for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least December 6, 2016, through May 2, 2017, the defendant delivered fentanyl to customers on behalf of a drug dealer based in Lawrence, Massachusetts. On four separate occasions, the defendant sold fentanyl to an undercover DEA agent in Nashua, New Hampshire, and on May 2, 2017, law enforcement officers arrested Rincon Ramirez as he travelled to Nashua to make another drug delivery.
On April 23, 2018, Rincon Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl and four counts of distribution of a controlled substance. He is likely to be deported to the Dominican Republic after serving his sentence.
“Stopping fentanyl from coming into New Hampshire is a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This dangerous drug continues to cause many deaths and extensive damage our communities. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to prosecute traffickers who bring fentanyl into the Granite State.”
“New Hampshire is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, as deaths from fentanyl climb,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those like Mr. Rincon Ramirez, who are coming from out of state to contribute to this crisis. DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal law enforcement partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes deadly drugs.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA, with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and the police departments of Hudson, NH, Nashua, NH, and Methuen, MA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane B. Kelbley prosecuted the case.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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Delaware County Man Charged with CarjackingRead the Press Release
Philadelphia, PA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that John Leroy Gordon, 26, of Chester, Pennsylvania, was charged today by Indictment with one count of carjacking in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119, and one count of brandishing, using, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in violation of title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum 7 years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence of imprisonment imposed, up to 5 years’ supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and a $200 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chester Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Damiani.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed
innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant Sentenced Today for Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SEAN BRIGGS, a/k/a “Big Sean,” a/k/a “Big C,” age 33, was sentenced today to 60 months imprisonment for one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A).
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the continued coordinated effort of the federal and state law enforcement authorities, including the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Orleans Gang Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Privitera is in charge of the prosecution.
Correctional Officer Arrested for Accepting A Bribe to Smuggle Cellphones into the Metropolitan Correctional CenterRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Guido Modano, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (“DOJ OIG”) announced today the unsealing of a criminal Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging federal correctional officer DARIO QUIRUMBAY with taking a bribe in exchange for smuggling contraband into the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), a Manhattan detention facility that houses federal inmates. QUIRUMBAY was arrested this morning and will be presented today before Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Dario Quirumbay abused the trust placed in him by the Department of Justice and used his position to enrich himself by smuggling prohibited contraband inside a correctional facility in exchange for cash. Now he finds himself on the other side of the law.”
DOJ OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Guido Modano said: “Corruption has no place in our federal correctional system and will not be tolerated. The OIG is committed to investigating allegations of corrupt employees within the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Justice.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
QUIRUMBAY has been employed as a correctional officer at the MCC since 2016.
QUIRUMBAY, in exchange for approximately $1,000, agreed to smuggle two cellphones into the MCC and also provided an inmate with alcohol. QUIRUMBAY met with a relative of one of the inmates in his custody to retrieve his cash bribe and two Apple iPhones, which QUIRUMBAY then delivered to an inmate inside the MCC.
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QUIRUMBAY, 29, of Jersey City, New Jersey, has been charged in the Complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and to provide contraband in a prison, which carries a maximum prison term of five years; one count of bribery, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years; one count of providing contraband in a prison, which carries a maximum prison term of one year; one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the DOJ Office of the Inspector General in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan B. Finkel is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Illegal Distribution of Crystal MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – Ronald Fryman, 38, of Cincinnati, was sentenced today to 150 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge David L. Bunning, for unlawful distribution of crystal methamphetamine.
Fryman previously pleaded guilty to unlawful distribution of crystal methamphetamine, on May 11, 2018. According to his guilty plea agreement, on July 21, 2016, Fryman sold an informant 27.5 grams of methamphetamine, in the parking lot of the Florence Mall, in Boone County. On September 22, 2016, the Defendant again sold an informant 25.7 grams of methamphetamine, near the same location. Both substances were confirmed to be actual methamphetamine, known as crystal methamphetamine. Fryman admitted that he was responsible for distributing at least 50 grams of the drug.
Fryman also admitted that he had previously been convicted of First Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance in Campbell County, in April of 2013.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), jointly made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the DEA. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Voorhees.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced today Anthony Latrel Player, 28, of Charlotte, to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Player was also ordered to serve four years under court supervision after he is released from prison.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, beginning in December 2016, law enforcement identified Player as a regional drug trafficker of a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) distributing heroin in the greater Charlotte area. Court records show that Player trafficked over 100 grams of heroin, often mixed with other drugs, to include Fentanyl. Court records also show that on January 26, 2017, Player sold approximately two grams of heroin for $200 to a 27-year-old female, who later died of a drug overdose. Player continued to sell heroin until he was arrested in July 2017. Court records show that over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Player conducted drug sales at or near a playground in Charlotte, and, at times, he used the playground equipment as a designated drop-off area for drugs and money. On July 25, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Player’s residence, seizing narcotics, $545 in cash, and two loaded firearms.
In sentencing Player, Judge Cogburn commented on this nation’s opioid epidemic, and stated that Player’s drug cocktails had a devastating effect on the community.
Player is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
U.S. Attorney Murray thanks the DEA and CMPD for leading this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanjeev Bhasker, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
California Man Arrested on Charges of Conspiracy to Launder Funds of Business Mail Compromise (BEC) FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Los Angeles man was arrested yesterday and charged in connection with a conspiracy to launder funds derived from Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud schemes.
Ochenetchouwe Adegor Ederaine Jr., a/k/a Ochenetchouwe Adegor, a/k/a David Tecum, a/k/a Gary Dube, a/k/a Joel Akibo, a/k/a James Oliver, a/k/a Israel Patrick, a/k/a Michael Baker, 29, was indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to court documents, around March 2016, Ederaine was a member of an organization that engaged in wire fraud and related criminal activity. Ederaine laundered the proceeds of that fraud by engaging in bank transactions designed to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the fraud proceeds. Ederaine opened numerous bank accounts under false identities and withdrew large sums of money.
Specifically, it is alleged that between March 2016 and November 2017, Ederaine used counterfeit passports and other false identification documents to open approximately 23 bank accounts at different banks in the greater Los Angeles area using six different false identities. Once Ederaine opened a bank account, that account would receive wire transfers consisting of proceeds of various fraudulent schemes.
In one instance, Ederaine’s co-conspirators gained access to email accounts belonging to a Massachusetts attorney engaged in real estate closings. Subsequent emails sent from co-conspirators to recipients in Massachusetts “spoofed” the attorney’s account, which caused the purchaser in a real estate transaction to transfer $531,981 (intended to be used for payment in connection with a real estate transaction) to the account of a woman who in turn sent $60,000 to an account in the name of “David Tecum,” one of the fraudulent identities used by Ederaine. Shortly after receiving the funds in the “Tecum” account, Ederaine withdrew approximately $9,000 in cash from the account.
Ederaine faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the funds laundered in the conspiracy. 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 Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI in the Central District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D’Addio and Amy Harman Burkart of Lelling’s Cybercrime Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Doctor Convicted of Medicare Kickback ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Los Angeles, California found a Lancaster, California doctor guilty today of conspiracy for his role in a Medicare kickback conspiracy involving a Los Angeles-area home health agency.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna of the Central District of California, Special Agent in Charge Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Regional Office and Assistant Director in Charge Paul D. Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Division made the announcement.
Kanagasabai Kanakeswaran, M.D., 65, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to pay and/or receive kickbacks for Medicare referrals and four counts of receiving kickbacks for Medicare referrals after a six-day trial. Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 7, 2019 before U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez of the Central District of California, who presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, from 2008 to 2016, Kanakeswaran and others engaged in a conspiracy to refer Medicare patients to Star Home Health Resources (Star), a home health agency located in La Verne, California in exchange for illegal kickback payments. Kanakeswaran received cash kickback payments, as well as kickback payments by check through a company Kanakeswaran owned called Digital Perfection Corporation, the evidence showed.
As a result of the conspiracy, the owners and operators of Star submitted claims to Medicare based on the Medicare beneficiaries that Kanakeswaran referred to Star, and Medicare paid approximately $4.1 million based on those claims, the evidence showed.
This case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI. Trial Attorney Claire Yan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander F. Porter of the Major Frauds Section of the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in 10 locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,700 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program over $14 billion.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Brazilian Man Pleads Guilty to Intimidating and Interfering with a Flight Crew and Flight AttendantsRead the Press Release
Guilherme Alves De Melo (Alves), age 32, a citizen of Brazil, pled guilty today to one count of intimidating a flight crew member and flight attendants, thereby lessening or interfering with their ability to perform their duties, in violation of federal law. The charge was contained in an Indictment returned July 25, 2018, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
An affidavit previously filed in the case alleged that, on or about June 23, 2018, Alves was a passenger on an international American Airlines flight originating in Calgary, Canada, and bound for Chicago, Illinois. During the flight, Alves became disruptive and a flight attendant repeatedly told him that he needed to calm down. The flight attendant brought the disruptive conduct to the attention of the captain. About an hour before the flight was to arrive in Chicago, Alves again became disruptive and was scaring others passengers. Less than a minute later, Alves “lost it,” leading to some of the passengers restraining him with zip ties provided by the flight crew. As a result of Alves’ behavior, the flight was diverted to the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids after it had begun its final descent to Chicago.
After the aircraft landed in Cedar Rapids, Alves was removed from the airplane by Cedar Rapids Police. However, he again became loud and used expletives within sight and sound of other passengers and employees at the airport. Alves was charged with disorderly conduct for these actions and, on June 24, 2018, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in Linn County District Court.
Alves faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. A sentencing date will be set at a later date.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard L. Murphy and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-00071.
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Bookkeeper sentenced for defrauding small Franklin, Indiana businessRead the Press Release
$315,000 fraud nearly bankrupted employer
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler today announced that Erica Howard, 42, of Indianapolis, was sentenced in federal court for her role in a two-year scheme to siphon funds from her employer, a family-owned construction company. Howard, who has an over 10-year history of multiple convictions for fraud, forgery, and theft, was sentenced to 58 months (nearly five years) by U. S. District Court Judge William T. Lawrence.
“Fraud on a small business often impacts much more than the bottom line,” Minkler said. “It can cost people good jobs, as it did here and breeds distrust, especially when the fraud is perpetrated by a trusted employee. People who exploit a position of trust for purely personal gain will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Just months after starting as bookkeeper, Howard began diverting thousands in company funds to herself. She exploited her access to company accounts online to pay over a dozen personal credit cards and buy electronics and other items on Amazon.
Howard concealed her fraud for over two years. Entrusted with keeping the company books, she never noted her personal uses of company funds. Then, each year, she delivered the false books to the company’s accountant, along with a set of phony bank statements that she had manipulated to make the numbers match.
Howard’s fraud was finally discovered when a company check bounced. By then, she had funneled over $315,000 in company money to herself and, in the process, concealed the fact that she had not paid hundreds of thousands in company bills. As a result, the company’s owners were forced to lay off workers and liquidate retirement savings to keep the business afloat.
Following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Franklin Police Department, Howard pleaded guilty to the federal wire fraud charge. According to Assistant United States Attorney Nick Linder, who prosecuted this case for the government, Howard must serve three years of supervised release after her sentence and make full restitution to the victim.
“Ms. Howard was entrusted with the finances of this family owned business but chose to betray that trust for her own financial gain. Those actions not only affected the company’s owners, but employees who lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” said Robert A. Middleton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “The FBI will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to investigate cases such as this and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting criminals who exploit positions of trust to perpetrate elaborate fraud schemes. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 5.1
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Bookkeeper Sentenced for Embezzling $1.7 Million in Client FundsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A local woman has been ordered to federal prison following her conviction of 12 counts of mail and wire fraud and four counts of filing a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Gwendolyn M. Berry pleaded guilty Feb. 5, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller handed Berry a 51-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Berry was ordered to pay $1,820,858.40 in restitution to her fraud victims and an additional $344,268 in restitution to the IRS.
At the hearing, Judge Miller determined Berry used sophisticated means in carry out her scheme to defraud and abused her position of trust. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Berry engaged in this criminal activity over many years and took measures to conceal her misappropriation of funds.
Berry embezzled more than $1.8 million from a family’s bank accounts by writing checks on their accounts to pay her personal bills and those of family members.
Berry also pleaded guilty to filing false federal tax returns for the tax years 2011 through 2014. In each of those tax returns, Berry omitted reporting the money she embezzled from her victims.
Berry was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The U.S. Secret Service and IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Annis is prosecuting the case.
Beaumont Man Guilty of Child Pornography ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A 45-year-old Beaumont, Texas man has been found guilty of child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Willie Lampley was found guilty of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography today by a jury following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, beginning in July 2017, Lampley began searching for and downloading child pornography using Peer-to-Peer file sharing networks. Lampley stored more than 300 videos and 100 images of children being sexually abused on the hard-drive of his computer. Some of the material depicted children as young as infants and toddlers.
Under federal statutes, Lampley faces a minimum of five years up to 30 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell E. James and Christopher T. Tortorice.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud, Money Laundering and Obstruction of Internal Revenue LawsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced ADRIAN C. HAMMOND, JR., age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 12 months and one day in federal prison following his convictions for bank fraud, money laundering and obstructing the administration of Internal Revenue laws. The Court further sentenced HAMMOND to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. HAMMOND was also ordered to pay $200,719.59 restitution to Red River Bank, $58,000 restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, and to forfeit an additional $213,656.12.
As the defendant admitted in connection with his guilty pleas, HAMMOND owned and/or operated a number of businesses, including 51/50 Productions, LLC and Affiliate Nation, LLC, through which he worked as a studio producer and event promoter, and Northgate Investments, LLC. In 2013, HAMMOND opened a new business, Best Boilers Seafood, LLC, which HAMMOND represented would operate a full-service seafood restaurant in Baton Rouge.
In connection with his efforts to open Best Boilers, however, HAMMOND knowingly executed a scheme to defraud a local bank. In February of 2013, HAMMOND caused Fidelity Bank of Baton Rouge, now known as Red River Bank, to approve two new business loans worth more than $300,000. After the new loans were in place, HAMMOND provided the bank with two invoices from a Baton Rouge restaurant supply company that appeared to reflect that HAMMOND had purchased approximately $132,000 of equipment. HAMMOND had not purchased the equipment reflected on the invoices, nor had he incurred the expenses reflected on the invoices, nor did he have any intention of doing so at the time he submitted the documents to the bank. Based on the false documents, the bank began disbursing loan proceeds to HAMMOND, including two cashier’s checks payable to the vendor having a value of approximately $132,978.
After gaining control of the funds, HAMMOND illegally laundered the proceeds. First, HAMMOND deposited the checks into a Regions Bank account in the name of a company with a name that was substantially similar to the vendor’s actual name. HAMMOND had previously caused an individual who lived in Georgia to open the account in Georgia pursuant to his instructions. HAMMOND then caused the majority of the funds that had been deposited into the Georgia account to be transferred to yet another Regions Bank account that HAMMOND controlled, from which HAMMOND withdrew much of the funds in cash. HAMMOND knew that the funds represented the proceeds of unlawful activity and intended to conceal and disguise the location and control of the money.
Meanwhile, from 2011 through 2016, HAMMOND had a significant unpaid tax liability with the Department of Treasury—Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). Through a series of acts, he attempted to impede and obstruct the IRS in an effort to unjustly enrich himself, appear more credit-worthy to third parties than he actually was, and evade the IRS’s efforts to collect money owed by HAMMOND. For instance, in 2014, after the IRS filed a Notice of Tax Lien against HAMMOND for more than $110,000 in unpaid taxes, HAMMOND caused a fraudulent lien withdrawal to be filed with the 19th Judicial District Court for East Baton Rouge Parish. The fraudulent document purportedly withdrew the federal tax lien that had previously been filed against HAMMOND, even though HAMMOND knew that he had not paid his unpaid liability.
By early 2016, HAMMOND’s tax liability remained outstanding. The IRS issued a levy notice to Southern University and A&M College (“Southern”), which had entered into a contract with HAMMOND, through Affiliate Nation, to provide entertainment for an upcoming concert, at a cost of more than $220,000. When Southern advised HAMMOND that it intended to honor the levy and withhold some of the funds that Southern would otherwise have paid to HAMMOND, HAMMOND terminated the contract. HAMMOND then caused an acquaintance of his to obtain the same contract with Southern, and after his acquaintance began receiving funds from Southern, HAMMOND persuaded the acquaintance to route more than $60,000 of the funds to him, unbeknownst to Southern. HAMMOND deposited the funds into the bank account of another one of his businesses, Boil & Roux Kitchen, LLC, which allowed HAMMOND to gain control over funds that otherwise would have been used to meet his long-standing tax delinquency.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “This case should serve as a strong reminder that we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute significant financial crimes affecting victims in our district. We will not be deterred by a defendant’s sophisticated attempts to avoid the law, such as this defendant’s elaborate scheme to launder some of thes fraudulent proceeds of his crimes and hide other income that was long overdue to the United States Treasury. I am especially appreciative of the dedicated, professional IRS employees who worked diligently, for years, to try to hold Mr. Hammond responsible for his years of unpaid bills and prompt him to comply with the same tax laws that the rest of us follow. The federal prison sentence that Mr. Hammond will serve in this case will hopefully deter him and others from similar criminal conduct in the future, and the restitution and forfeiture orders imposed by the court will help us provide recovery for the victims.”
TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Gary Smith stated, “It is the mission of the TIGTA to protect the integrity of the Internal Revenue Service and promote the fair administration of our Federal tax system. TIGTA continues to work closely with the United States Attorney’s Office and all of our law enforcement partners to hold individuals responsible for their attempts to interfere with our nation’s tax system for personal gain.”
The investigation was led by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which received valuable assistance from the Internal Revenue Service’s Examination and Collection Divisions. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who serves as Deputy Chief within the office’s Criminal Division.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – James Atkinson, age 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to an armed robbery.
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; and Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on February 23, 2018, Atkinson went to a Baltimore car rental agency and requested that the security deposit for a vehicle “his wife” had recently rented be returned to him. In reality, “his wife” was a drug customer of Atkinson’s, whom Atkinson would direct to rent cars on his behalf in return for drugs and/or cash. The rental agency employee checked the company’s records and discovered that the rental car had been returned with multiple bullet holes in the car door. The employee advised that the security deposit would not be returned until the repairs had been paid for. Atkinson then asked if there were any vehicles available to rent, but there were no vehicles available. The employee asked Atkinson to leave because he was closing up for the night.
Atkinson pointed a revolver at the employee and demanded money. Atkinson stole $405 from the employee’s desk drawer, and the victim’s phone and wallet, which contained $207. Atkinson then demanded a car and the victim advised that there were keys to a car in the back room. Atkinson went back and took the keys to a black Hyundai Elantra, then produced a stun gun and began to shock the victim on the arm while he was kneeling on the floor. Atkinson ordered the victim into an adjacent room. The victim walked into the room, then ran up the stairs. Atkinson left the office and departed in the Elantra.
The victim ran downstairs, called 911, and began cancelling the credit cards that were in his stolen wallet. Investigation determined that Atkinson attempted to make two unauthorized purchases using a credit and debit card stolen from the victim. One of the attempts was on the website of a large retailer and included Atkinson’s name, address, and telephone number.
Atkinson and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Atkinson will be sentenced to 12 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for November 28, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Burden H. Walker and James G. Warwick, who are prosecuting the case.
Alien Smugglers Arrested Following High-Speed CrashRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Rudin Lopez-Lopez, age 20, and Jose Lopez-Hernandez, age 20, citizens of Guatemala residing in Providence, Rhode Island, were arrested Wednesday and charged with alien smuggling following a high-speed crash on New York State Route 11 near Ellenburg, New York; no one was hurt.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Early Wednesday morning, Border Patrol agents assigned to the Burke and Champlain Stations arrested Lopez-Lopez and Lopez-Hernandez, both Guatemalan citizens, and five Romanians, after a failed smuggling attempt. The charges in the complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to the criminal complaints, a Border Patrol Agent pulled over a Texas-plated sedan that was observed along the border at the same time that several people were suspected of illegally crossing the border. The car initially yielded to the Border Patrol Agent and pulled over, but as the Agent attempted to speak with the occupants of the car, it sped off east on New York State Route 11 at a high rate of speed. Agents lost contact with the vehicle but came upon it when the damaged car was found embedded in a guardrail at the intersection of State Routes 11 and 190. All seven occupants of the car had fled.
An immediate search of the area revealed two people hiding under a nearby bridge. Agents found three more people in a wooded area. Agents determined all were illegal aliens. At approximately 10 a.m., two more people, later determined to be Lopez-Lopez and Lopez-Hernandez, were located and arrested.
Lopez-Lopez and Lopez-Hernandez are each charged with transporting aliens unlawfully present in the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. Each appeared today before United States Magistrate Judge Gary L. Favro and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for August 28.
Of the smuggled aliens, one is charged with the felony offense of re-entry of a removed alien and two are charged with the misdemeanor offense of entry without inspection. They also appeared before Judge Favro this afternoon and were detained pending detention hearings at a later date.
The charges filed against Lopez-Lopez and Hernandez-Lopez carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case is being investigated by Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Akron man sentenced to life in prison -- and ordered to pay funeral expenses -- for selling fentanyl that killed Akron womanRead the Press Release
An Akron man was sentenced to life in prison for selling fentanyl and heroin that resulted in the death of a 23-year-old Akron woman.
Ryan Sumlin, 29, was convicted by a jury earlier this year on charges of distribution of fentanyl and heroin that resulted in death, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent sentenced Sumlin to life in prison on the first two counts and 30 years in prison on the third count. He also ordered Sumlin to pay restitution in the amount of $4,639.85 – the cost of Carrie Dobbins’ funeral.
Sumlin sold a mix of fentanyl and heroin to Dobbins on March 28, 2015. Sumlin mixed fentanyl – which is far more powerful – with heroin but did not tell his customers. The fentanyl he obtained originally came from China, according to court documents and trial testimony.
Akron police detectives found more than 220 grams of fentanyl at Sumlin’s home when he was arrested. He continued to sell drugs after Dobbins died and while he was out on bond facing state criminal charges, according to court documents and trial testimony.
“This defendant is responsible for the death of a young woman in Akron after he sold her fentanyl that came from China,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “We will prosecute cases that target this epidemic from all fronts, whether it’s doctors irresponsibly overprescribing, dealers profiting off the misery of their neighbors, or suppliers shipping drugs around the globe.”
“Sumlin’s drug trafficking caused a fatal overdose that will forever affect the Akron community," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon. "The men and women of DEA along with our law enforcement partners are committed to improving the communities we love and live in, and never give up on our efforts to put the most heinous drug dealers in jail.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Morrison. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Akron Police Department and the Fairlawn Police Department.
2 Pittsburgh Men Charged with Gun Crimes, Trafficking Heroin, Fentanyl and CrackRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Marvin Dennis and Malik Martinez have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for committing drug trafficking and firearm crimes, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The indictment, returned on August 21 and unsealed today, charges Dennis, age 22, and Martinez, age 21, both of Pittsburgh, with (1) conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine from September 2017 to April 3, 2018; (2) possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine from September 2017 to April 3, 2018; and (3) possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy from September 2017 to April 3, 2018.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $2,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal histories, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin A. Loughran and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
22 August 2018
Young Laredo Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Import Multiple DrugsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 19-year-old Laredo woman has been ordered to federal prison following her conviction of conspiracy to import methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Valeria Yazmin Santos-Perez pleaded guilty April 25, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia-Marmolejo handed Santos-Perez a 60-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Before sentencing Santos-Perez, the court asked her if she had given any thought to the harm that would be caused by bringing a large quantity of narcotics into the United States. Santos-Perez admitted she had not given that any thought
At the time of her plea, Santos-Perez admitted to driving a Mercedes-Benz SUV across the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge with bundles of narcotics hidden beneath the center console and beneath the floorboards of the vehicle. She said she had smuggled narcotics in a similar manner once previously and was paid $6,000 to drive the vehicle to Fort Worth.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents spent several hours extracting all the narcotics from the vehicle. The total included nine bundles of cocaine with a gross weight of 9.54 kilograms, two bundles of brown heroin with a gross weight of 1.22 kilograms, five bundles of black tar heroin with a gross weight of 1.16 kilograms and 168 bundles of methamphetamine with a gross weight of 19.04 kilograms.
She has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and CBP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bukiewicz is prosecuting the case.
Woman Arrested at KC Bus Station Charged with Possessing FentanylRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A woman carrying more than five pounds of fentanyl in her suitcase as she traveled through Kansas City, Mo., was charged in federal court today.
“Synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are among the deadliest substances being trafficked across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their diligent work to identify and disrupt the distribution networks used by drug traffickers.”
Evelyn C. Sanchez, 33, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., with possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Sanchez remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, Sanchez was traveling from Los Angeles, Calif., en route to New York, N.Y. Her bus stopped briefly at a Kansas City bus station on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018. After Kansas City police detectives interviewed Sanchez at the bus station, they became suspicious that she was not being truthful about her trip and purpose for going to New York. A K-9 alerted to a grey, hard-sided suitcase under one of the seats near where Sanchez had been seated on the bus, and she eventually acknowledged that that suitcase belonged to her.
When detectives searched Sanchez’s suitcase, the affidavit says, they found two bundles wrapped in several layers of plastic, which contained a total of 5.3 pounds or 2.4 kilograms of N-phenyl-N-[1-(2-phenylethyl)-4-piperidinyl] propanamide, commonly known as fentanyl.
“I’m proud that the members of the DEA Interdiction Task Force, working collaboratively with the Kansas City Police Department, were able to make a difference by seizing 1.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl from the streets,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge William Callahan said. “We task these interdiction groups with an increasingly difficult task ... to seize drugs before they hit the streets of our communities. Today, they made an impact. They kept this poison out of our neighborhoods and potentially saved countless lives. We are extremely grateful to our state, local, and federal counterparts who contribute to these interdiction efforts.”
“Our Interdiction Unit did an excellent job,” Kansas City Police Chief Richard C. Smith said. “This was a huge amount of fentanyl capable of killing thousands of people. I’m very proud of our detectives and of how our excellent working relationships with our federal partners are keeping dangerous drugs like this off the streets and holding traffickers accountable.”
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Wister Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Possession in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Talon Barnes, age 27, of Wister, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Possession Of A Firearm In Furtherance Of A Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), punishable by not less than 5 years and up life imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about the March 11, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma the defendant, Michael Talon Barnes, a/k/a Michael Tallon Barnes, did knowingly possess a firearm, that is, One (1) Jennings Firearms Inc., Mo. J22, .22 Caliber Semi-Auto Pistol, serial number 268516, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States.The charges arose from an investigation by the Sallisaw Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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.
Windsor Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Defrauding the Veterans AdministrationRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – William Michael Andrews was sentenced today to 12 months in prison, and ordered to pay $26,300 in restitution to the U.S. government after pleading guilty to theft of government property, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge James Wahleithner. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable James Donato, U.S. District Judge.
Andrews, 50, of Windsor, Calif., pleaded guilty on April 25, 2018. According to the plea agreement, from December 2015 until October 2016, Andrews used his position as a case-worker at an East Bay non-profit agency to acquire the personal information of homeless veterans. He then used that information to steal grant money from the VA and use it pay his personal expenses. Specifically, Andrews used the veterans’ personal information, including their social security numbers, to illegally direct VA grant money to his landlord to pay his own rent, rather than its intended purpose of paying for short-term rental apartments to help homeless veterans get off the streets. In total, Andrews stole more than $26,000 in VA grant funds.
A federal grand jury indicted Andrews on February 8, 2018. He was charged with theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641, and aggravated identity theft. Pursuant to the guilty plea, Andrew pleaded guilty to the theft charge and the identity theft charge was dismissed.
Judge Donato also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution to the U.S. government in the amount of $26,300. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on November 16, 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Weingarten is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the VA Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division.
Wife of Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 50 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Elkhart, Indiana, has been sentenced in federal court to 50 months in jail on her conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Jenny Eileen Urrutia, 37.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around June 2013 to January 2015, Urrutia and her co-defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distributed multiple kilograms of cocaine and multiple ounces of pure methamphetamine. Urrutia’s husband and co-conspirator, Ignacio Montes Leon, was a leader and organizer of the drug trafficking organization and he used Urrutia to conduct drug deliveries and to provide other assistance in the conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania State Police, U.S. Border Patrol, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Organized Crime Section, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the Arkansas State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Urrutia.
Wetzel County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph Harrison, of Pine Grove, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Harrison, age 48, pled guilty to one count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.” Harrison, having previously been convicted of a felony, is accused of having a .22 caliber revolver, and rounds of ammunition for the firearm in October 2017 in Wetzel County.
Harrison faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.
West Virginia Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of the Charleston area of Kanawha County, West Virginia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on August 21, named Jonathan Wayne Dillon, age 36, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on March 22, 2018, Dillon possessed with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
The defendant faces a maximum total penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case with valuable assistance from the West Homestead Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
West Haven Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Murder, Attempt to Destroy Body with Pipe BombRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER MILLER, 43, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 360 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for a drug-related murder and a subsequent attempt to destroy the body with a pipe bomb on July 4, 2015.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 11:00 a.m. on July 4, 2015, an explosion took place on Wintergreen Avenue in Hamden. Responding law enforcement located a deceased white male, who had been wrapped in plastic garbage bag material and bound by rope material, in a wooded area close to where the explosion had occurred. An explosive-type device and debris were also located in close proximity to the body. The victim, who had also sustained three apparent gunshot wounds, was subsequently identified as Edward Brooks, 39, of West Haven.
After West Haven Police informed investigators that Brooks had been residing with MILLER at 59 Front Avenue in West Haven, and that MILLER and other residents of 59 Front Avenue were subjects of an ongoing narcotics investigation, investigators executed a state narcotics search and seizure warrant at 59 Front Avenue and seized numerous items, including pipe bomb making materials that were consistent with the materials found at the Wintergreen Avenue explosion scene, approximately 16 grams of cocaine base (“crack cocaine), approximately 10.6 grams of methamphetamine and narcotics packaging material. Investigators also seized a surveillance DVR, which captured video surveillance from eight cameras placed around the residence.
The investigation revealed that, in the early morning hours of July 4, 2015, MILLER shot Brooks three times with a firearm that was equipped with a silencer, at their residence. MILLER and Maurice Wearing then wrapped Brooks’ body in plastic, drove the body to the wooded area in Hamden, placed a pipe bomb that MILLER had fabricated underneath Brooks’ body, and detonated the pipe bomb in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The investigation further revealed that in the year prior to Brooks’ murder, MILLER distributed at least 1.6 kilograms of crack cocaine, as well as other narcotics.
MILLER has been detained since his arrest on July 4, 2015. On April 5, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm and explosive device in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Wearing pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”) and one count of possession of an explosive by a convicted felon. He awaits sentencing.
MILLER and Wearing also were charged with related state offenses.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut State Police and West Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Richards in coordination with the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Ansonia-Milford.
Warren County Doctor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing Opiods and Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Dr. Philip Dean, 62, a resident of Warren County, Missouri, pled guilty today to two felony charges, illegally distributing opiate medications and making a false statement to the Medicare program.
According to his plea agreement, Dr. Dean operated a medical office in Warren County, Missouri. Dr. Dean had personal relationships with three women, living with these women for some time periods. While engaging in personal relationships with these women, Dr. Dean also prescribed them with prescription opioid pain relief medications, including Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and several forms of Fentanyl. The two felony charges from Dr. Dean’s plea agreement involve two of these women, referred to by their initials in the plea agreement as R.W. and C.H.
Regarding patient R.W., before his prescribing decisions at issue in this case, Dr. Dean was aware that R.W. had lost her health care provider license after experiencing serious prescription drug abuse problems. Dr. Dean was also aware that R.W. had been involved in motor vehicle accidents and traffic stops by police after driving while intoxicated because of prescription drugs. Nevertheless, during 2015-16, Dr. Dean prescribed R.W. with assorted opioid medications, including a fentanyl medication that was only approved for medical use by cancer patients with break-through pain. R.W. does not have cancer. R.W. repeatedly consumed her thirty day supplies of these prescription drugs before thirty days had elapsed. Recognizing that prescribing R.W. with duplicative and overlapping prescriptions for thirty day supplies of opiates would raise suspicion, Dr. Dean repeatedly prescribed R.W. with additional opiate prescriptions using the name of R.W.’s family member. Medicare funded these prescriptions, not knowing that R.W. was ending up with these medications. Dr. Dean personally picked up and paid a co-payment for one of these hydrocodone prescriptions that he wrote for R.W. using another patient’s name.
Regarding C.H., defendant issued her a prescription for Codeine, an opiate pain medication and controlled substance, on March 31, 2017 after exchanging text messages of a personal nature with her. Dr. Dean did not examine C.H. before issuing the prescription on March 31, 2017. According to medical records seized during the execution of a search warrant at the medical office, C.H. had not visited Dr. Dean’s office since January 24, 2017.
Dr. Dean admitted in his plea agreement that his opioid prescribing decisions exposed these patients to a risk of serious bodily injury, given the potency and side effects of the drugs he was prescribing and the patients’ histories of drug problems.
Dr. Dean pled guilty before Senior United States District Judge E. Richard Webber. Sentencing has been set for November 20, 2108. He now faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $500,000, for the drug distribution, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000 for the false statement to Medicare. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
“This is an outrageous violation of the trust our society commits to physicians. Dr. Dean violated that trust and exploited his drug dependent patients. On top of it all, the taxpayers were forced to foot the bill for his crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen.
Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City Region, stated, “Regarding our agency’s ongoing efforts in combating our nation’s opioid crisis, our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who misuse their positions and recklessly prescribe medication to our beneficiaries.”
“Prescription opioids serve an important purpose when used legitimately for patients suffering from chronic pain and illness. In this particular case, we had a doctor with the power to write prescriptions misrepresenting the truth, supplying narcotics to people with serious addiction issues that he was aware of and bilking all of us who pay taxes while doing it. The Drug Enforcement Administration will continue to pursue these bad actors to bring them to justice. Addiction to opioids is a serious illness and we will not allow doctors to abuse their authority for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. Callahan of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Warrenton Police Department, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
Virginia State Police Special Agent Arrested on Federal Criminal ComplaintRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Virginia State Police Special Agent, formerly assigned to the Tazewell County High Intensity Drug Task Force, was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint charging him with lying to a federal agent. United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Lee of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
Shade Workman, 46, of Bluefield, Va., was arrested this morning and charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count of lying to a federal agent.
“By engaging in this criminal conduct and lying to the FBI, this trooper betrayed the trust of the esteemed Virginia State Police and the citizens he was sworn to protect,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated. “The United States Attorney’s Office, along with our partners at the FBI, are committed to investigating and prosecuting allegations of corruption by law-enforcement officers.”
“The Virginia State Police is one of the nation's premier law enforcement agencies. The FBI works closely with VSP's outstanding leadership and its superlative men and women to keep the Commonwealth safe and to mitigate the most serious criminal and national security threats, every day. They partner with us even when those threats come from within,” Special Agent Lee said today. “Workman made a series of poor choices which were inconsistent with the high ethical rigor of an agency like VSP and which violated federal law. It is my hope that this case makes clear to our Virginia communities that they are protected by the best - and only the best.”
According to the criminal complaint and affidavit, Workman made false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who were investigating allegations of Workman’s inappropriate relationships with confidential informants. As stated in the affidavit, when questioned, Workman falsely denied having inappropriate and sexual relationships with confidential informants and also denied instructing a confidential informant to destroy evidence of those relationships.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee will prosecute the case for the United States.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Virginia Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Transporting and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Michael Paige Palmer (41, Virginia) to eight years and one month in federal prison for transportation and possession of child pornography. Palmer was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
Palmer was charged by a criminal complaint on December 24, 2017. He pleaded guilty on April 17, 2018.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, Palmer initially came to the attention of Canadian law enforcement officials when they identified him during an investigation as someone who had shared child pornography with others. As a result, Palmer was identified when he disembarked a cruise ship in Port Canaveral (Florida). During a routine border search of Palmer’s electronic devices, law enforcement located five videos containing child pornography. In total, Palmer possessed 84 images and 254 videos of child pornography, some of which included the sexual abuse of young children.
“HSI’s border search authority allowed us to stop this child predator in his tracks,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This significant sentencing underscores the severity of this crime and should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can harm children and get away with it.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Bayliss, on assignment from the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, ICE.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Van Buren Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement from Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jessie Lee Ross, age 44, of Van Buren, Arkansas, pled guilty to Embezzlement And Theft From Indian Tribal Organization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1163, punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that from on or about September 1, 2014 to on or about September 25, 2014, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did steal, embezzle and knowingly and willfully convert to her own use goods, assets, and other property, with a value in excess of $1,000.00, which had been entrusted to her custody and care as an employee of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Casino gift shop, an Indian tribal organization.The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, 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 Edward Snow represented the United States.
Two Plead Guilty to Host of Violent Crimes in J.C. Napier NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
Eight-Month Violent Crime Spree Included Multiple Shootings, Robberies &Two Dead
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – August 22, 2018 – Two Nashville, Tennessee men pleaded guilty on Monday in U.S. District Court, to a series of violent crimes committed in and around the J.C. Napier neighborhood, including crimes that resulted in the murders of two individuals, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Terrance Christopher Kimbrough, aka Lil Chris, aka Rampage, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in death; Hobbs Act robbery; and other federal firearms offenses.
Michael Calloway, Jr., aka Oso, 23, pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, charges which resulted from an incident on November 23, 2014, where he shot into a vehicle occupied by three adults and a young child in the J.C. Napier area. Calloway is currently serving a 15-year sentence resulting from federal charges relating to another shooting in the J.C. Napier neighborhood in April 2015.
According to court documents, beginning in November 2014, Kimbrough was one of two individuals who robbed two men in the J.C. Napier area. During this robbery, the men targeted were ordered to strip and were then robbed of their clothing, drugs, money and identification.
On November 16, 2014, Kimbrough attempted to rob another individual, known to be a street-level drug dealer in the J.C. Napier area and shot the individual as he attempted to flee. Kimbrough chased the individual through the neighborhood and fired several rounds at him, causing him to be treated at a hospital for gunshot wounds and other injuries sustained while fleeing.
On November 26, 2014, Kimbrough participated in the robbery of Brendon Leggs, at a market near the J.C. Napier area. During this robbery, Kimbrough and Calvin Starks approached Leggs as he sat in his car and demanded drugs and money. As Leggs attempted to drive away, Kimbrough and Starks fired a total of 18 rounds at Leggs, striking him twice and killing him. Starks was sentenced last year to 35 years in prison.
A week later, on December 3, 2014, Kimbrough and a juvenile shot and killed Monte Watson, near the intersection of Lewis and Robertson Streets, in the J.C. Napier area. Kimbrough was aware that Watson had witnessed him murder Leggs and had been searching for him in order to silence him.
On February 23, 2015, Kimbrough fired multiple rounds into the engine compartment of an occupied car, in the J.C. Napier neighborhood, because the driver refused to give him a ride.
Finally, Kimbrough pleaded guilty to charges resulting from an incident on July 4, 2015, where he shot a member of the Bloods Gang on Porter Road in Nashville and another incident on July 17, 2015, where Kimbrough participated in a shootout between two rival groups, in the J.C. Napier neighborhood. During this shootout, two women were stuck by gunfire and were treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital.
Pursuant to their plea agreements, Kimbrough faces between 40 - 45 years in prison and Calloway faces up to an additional 20 years in prison when they are sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr., on November 20, 2018.
Since 2015, more than 40 defendants have been charged and convicted as a part of this lengthy and on-going investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s Gang Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sunny A.M. Koshy and Philip H. Wehby are prosecuting the cases.
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Two Nigerian Men Sentenced for Spearphishing Email SchemeRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that two Nigerian men were sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey Crawford for their role in a conspiracy to steal personal financial information from employees of local governments, including the State of Vermont. Earlier this month, Eneye Dania, 31, of Nigeria was sentenced to a 17-month term of imprisonment, and Osariemen Isibor, 32, was sentenced to approximately 14 months he had spent in custody prior to his sentencing. Following the completion of their sentences, both men are expected to be removed from the United States and returned to Nigeria.
The conspiracy involved sending employees of local governments, colleges, and universities, "spearphishing" emails designed to look like they were sent by the employer's human resources departments. The emails advised the employee to click on a link to log into the employer's human resources webpage in order to access payroll and tax withholding data. Rather than connecting the employee to the employer's HR webpage, however, the employee was sent to a page operated by members of the conspiracy. When employees attempted to log on with their usernames and passwords, those log on credentials were captured by members of the conspiracy. Using those credentials, members of the conspiracy accessed the employees' real data, and attempted to file fake tax returns on behalf of the employee, with the hope of receiving a fraudulent tax refund. The IRS detected most of the fraudulent tax filings before refunds issued.
In Court filings, the United States Attorney emphasized that both men participated in the crime while more than 5,000 miles away, in Nigeria, then traveled to the United States after participating in this scheme, apparently unaware that the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Agents were on their case.
The case was investigated by Vermont-based cyber agents of the FBI Albany Cyber Task Force, and the Criminal Investigations division of the Internal Revenue Service, also located in Vermont.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Drescher was the prosecutor. Dania was represented by Robert Sussman, Esq. Isibor was represented by Paul Volk, Esq.
Two Nashville Men Facing Federal Charges for Rite Aid RobberyRead the Press Release
Security Guard Shot During Inside-Job Robbery
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – August 22, 2018 – A criminal complaint was unsealed yesterday charging two Nashville, Tennessee men with federal crimes relating to the armed robbery of the Rite Aid on West End Avenue in October 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Carlos Valcarcel Arocho, 22, and Deonte Breedlove, 24, were each charged with robbery affecting commerce. Breedlove was also charged with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the complaint, on October 9, 2017, at approximately 4:00 a.m., an individual later identified as Deonte Breedlove, entered the Rite Aid on West End Avenue and shot the security guard in the chest at close range. Breedlove then went to the office area of the store, pointed a handgun at the two employees and ordered them to place money in a bag. Breedlove then fled the store with the bag of money.
During the subsequent investigation, investigators determined that one of the Rite Aid employees, Carlos Valcarcel Arocho, was texting Breedlove on a cell phone just prior to the robbery and were able to establish a relationship between Arocho and Breedlove. Metro Nashville Police Department detectives obtained a search warrant for Arocho’s residence and subsequently located evidence from the robbery inside his apartment.
Arocho and Breedlove were subsequently arrested on October 19th and October 20, 2017, respectively, and charged in state court with aggravated robbery.
If convicted of the federal charges, Breedlove faces up to life in prison and Arocho faces up to 20 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip H. Wehby and Van Vincent are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Two Chinese nationals charged with operating global opioid and drug manufacturing conspiracy resulting in deaths in AkronRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced the unsealing of a 43-count indictment in federal court in Cleveland, which charges two Chinese citizens with operating a conspiracy that manufactured and shipped deadly fentanyl analogues and 250 other drugs to at least 25 countries and 37 states. The indictment also alleges the drugs sold by the group directly led to the fatal overdoses of two people in Akron, Ohio.
Fujing Zheng, aka Gordon Jin, 35, and his father Guanghua Zheng, 62, both of whom reside in Shanghai, China, are charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances into the United States, operating a continued criminal enterprise, money laundering and other crimes. The charges carry a potential sentence of life imprisonment because the drugs involved resulted in death, and the defendants’ conduct qualifies for an enhancement under the kingpin statute.
The indictment was announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman for the Northern District of Ohio, Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon of DEA’s Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Steve Francis of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for Michigan and Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Cincinnati Field Office.
“Fentanyl and its analogues are the number one killer drug in America today, and most of them come from China,” said Attorney General Sessions. “That’s why the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has taken historic new steps against the threat of Chinese fentanyl. In October, we announced the first-ever indictments of Chinese nationals for fentanyl trafficking; 32 defendants have been charged in those cases. Today we are announcing an indictment of the leaders of the Zheng drug trafficking organization based in China, who the indictment alleges sold drugs that have killed at least two Ohioans. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Herdman and his fabulous Assistant U.S. Attorneys, our Criminal Division, DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our Postal Inspectors for all of their hard work on this case. By cutting off fentanyl and its analogues at the source, we can save American lives.”
“As detailed in this indictment, the trail from at least two dead bodies in Akron, Ohio, leads to the Zhengs,” said U.S. Attorney Herdman. “This group has shipped deadly fentanyl analogues and other drugs around the globe for a decade. Law enforcement will follow the evidence wherever it leads, including overseas, to stop the flow of drugs that have caused so much heartbreak and destruction in Ohio.”
“DEA will relentlessly pursue anyone shipping deadly fentanyl analogues to the United States wherever they may be and bring them to justice,” said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon. “These Chinese drug traffickers are directly responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens and we will hold them accountable in a U.S. court of law.”
“This case clearly shows that our collaborative efforts with law enforcement at every level continue to have an impact,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Francis. “These efforts exhibit the combined resources of American law enforcement agencies’ resolve to ending this deadly epidemic.”
“Today’s indictments, which include charges related to the defendants’ smuggling drug profits in and out of the United States, are a victory for the American public and a defeat to drug traffickers everywhere,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Korner. “The special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation continue in their mission to disrupt the flow of ill-gotten gains that are the life-blood for these criminals.”
According to the indictment: The Zhengs and others used numerous companies, including Global United Biotechnology, Golden Chemicals, Golden RC, Cambridge Chemicals, Wonda Science, and others, to manufacture and distribute hundreds of controlled substances, including fentanyl analogues such as carfentanil, acetyl fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, and others. They created and maintained numerous websites to advertise and sell illegal drugs in more than 35 languages.
From 2008 to the present, the Zheng drug trafficking organization (Zheng DTO) engaged in this conspiracy from its base of operations in Shanghai. The organization claimed to ship “over 16 tonnes of chemicals every month” from its “own laboratory” and to “synthesize nearly any chemical on a bespoke basis in any quantity.”
The Zheng DTO touted its ability to create custom-ordered drugs and avoid detection from customs and law enforcement when shipping the drugs. The Zheng DTO explained in emails and online that it had “special ways” to “go through customs safely” in “USA, Russia, Europe,” and other locations around the world. If customs still managed to seize the parcels, the DTO promised it would “re-ship free.”
The Zheng DTO used co-conspirators in other countries, including the United States, to receive, repackage, and redistribute the drug shipments, thereby hiding their Chinese origin. For example, it used companies run by Massachusetts-based co-conspirator Bin Wang to smuggle drugs past customs agents in China and the United States. Wang then shipped the drugs to customers across the country.
Wang has pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 13.
The Zheng DTO has sent millions of lethal doses of fentanyl analogues and other drugs linked to overdoses in the United States and around the world.
On Feb. 15, 2015, Akron, Ohio resident, Leroy Steele, emailed the Zheng DTO saying he “would like to purchase Acetyl fentanyl.” The Zheng DTO explained in its correspondence with Steele that it was “a professional acetyl fentanyl manufacturer in China” and that “a lot of U.S. and Europe customers purchase largely from us monthly.” The acetyl fentanyl that the Zheng DTO distributed to Steele resulted in the overdose deaths in Ohio of Thomas Rauh, 37, and Carrie Dobbins, 23, on or about March 21 and 28, 2015.
Steele was subsequently convicted of drug offenses and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Despite the deadly consequences of its actions, the Zheng DTO continued manufacturing and distributing drugs. In 2015, it advertised that it delivered “to all 50 USA states” and “worldwide to Australia, Europe, Asia and Africa.”
When China would ban a synthetic narcotic, the Zheng DTO would use its chemical expertise to create an analogue of the drug with a slightly different chemical structure but the same or even more potent effect. In this manner, the DTO entirely bypassed China’s restrictions on international narcotics sales.
Last month, the Zheng DTO agreed to manufacture adulterated cancer medication, creating counterfeit pills that replaced the active cancer-fighting ingredient with dangerous synthetic drugs. It also created and shipped counterfeit Adderall pills that were adulterated with deadly bath salts.
The Zheng DTO laundered its drug proceeds by using digital currency such as Bitcoin, transmitted drug proceeds into and out of bank accounts in China and Hong Kong, and bypassed currency restrictions and reporting requirements.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA, HSI, and IRS-CI. The following agencies assisted in the investigation: U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, Special Operations Division, the Medway Drug Task Force, Akron Police Department, federal law enforcement on assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and federal law enforcement in the following districts: District of Massachusetts, Middle District of Florida, District of Colorado, District of Missouri, District of Minnesota and Western District of Texas. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security provided assistance during the course of the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Cronin of the Northern District of Ohio and Justice Department Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Adrienne Rose of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Deputy Unit Chief Stephen Sola of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.Two Chinese Nationals Charged with Operating Global Opioid and Drug Manufacturing Conspiracy Resulting in DeathsRead the Press Release
While in Cleveland, Ohio, Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced the unsealing of a 43-count indictment in federal court in Cleveland, which charges two Chinese citizens with operating a conspiracy that manufactured and shipped deadly fentanyl analogues and 250 other drugs to at least 25 countries and 37 states. The indictment also alleges the drugs sold by the group directly led to the fatal overdoses of two people in Akron, Ohio.
Fujing Zheng, aka Gordon Jin, 35, and his father Guanghua Zheng, 62, both of whom reside in Shanghai, China, are charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances into the United States, operating a continued criminal enterprise, money laundering and other crimes. The charges carry a potential sentence of life imprisonment because the drugs involved resulted in death, and the defendants’ conduct qualifies for an enhancement under the kingpin statute.
The indictment was announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman for the Northern District of Ohio, Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon of DEA’s Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Steve Francis of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for Michigan and Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Cincinnati Field Office.
“Fentanyl and its analogues are the number one killer drug in America today, and most of them come from China,” said Attorney General Sessions. “That’s why the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has taken historic new steps against the threat of Chinese fentanyl. In October, we announced the first-ever indictments of Chinese nationals for fentanyl trafficking; 32 defendants have been charged in those cases. Today we are announcing an indictment of the leaders of the Zheng drug trafficking organization based in China, who the indictment alleges sold drugs that have killed at least two Ohioans. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Herdman and his fabulous Assistant U.S. Attorneys, our Criminal Division, DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our Postal Inspectors for all of their hard work on this case. By cutting off fentanyl and its analogues at the source, we can save American lives.”
“As detailed in this indictment, the trail from at least two dead bodies in Akron, Ohio, leads to the Zhengs,” said U.S. Attorney Herdman. “This group has shipped deadly fentanyl analogues and other drugs around the globe for a decade. Law enforcement will follow the evidence wherever it leads, including overseas, to stop the flow of drugs that have caused so much heartbreak and destruction in Ohio.”
“DEA will relentlessly pursue anyone shipping deadly fentanyl analogues to the United States wherever they may be and bring them to justice,” said DEA Acting Administrator Dhillon. “These Chinese drug traffickers are directly responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens and we will hold them accountable in a U.S. court of law.”
“This case clearly shows that our collaborative efforts with law enforcement at every level continue to have an impact,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Francis. “These efforts exhibit the combined resources of American law enforcement agencies’ resolve to ending this deadly epidemic.”
“Today’s indictments, which include charges related to the defendants’ smuggling drug profits in and out of the United States, are a victory for the American public and a defeat to drug traffickers everywhere,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Korner. “The special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation continue in their mission to disrupt the flow of ill-gotten gains that are the life-blood for these criminals.”
According to the indictment: The Zhengs and others used numerous companies, including Global United Biotechnology, Golden Chemicals, Golden RC, Cambridge Chemicals, Wonda Science, and others, to manufacture and distribute hundreds of controlled substances, including fentanyl analogues such as carfentanil, acetyl fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, and others. They created and maintained numerous websites to advertise and sell illegal drugs in more than 35 languages.
From 2008 to the present, the Zheng drug trafficking organization (Zheng DTO) engaged in this conspiracy from its base of operations in Shanghai. The organization claimed to ship “over 16 tonnes of chemicals every month” from its “own laboratory” and to “synthesize nearly any chemical on a bespoke basis in any quantity.”
The Zheng DTO touted its ability to create custom-ordered drugs and avoid detection from customs and law enforcement when shipping the drugs. The Zheng DTO explained in emails and online that it had “special ways” to “go through customs safely” in “USA, Russia, Europe,” and other locations around the world. If customs still managed to seize the parcels, the DTO promised it would “re-ship free.”
The Zheng DTO used co-conspirators in other countries, including the United States, to receive, repackage, and redistribute the drug shipments, thereby hiding their Chinese origin. For example, it used companies run by Massachusetts-based co-conspirator Bin Wang to smuggle drugs past customs agents in China and the United States. Wang then shipped the drugs to customers across the country.
Wang has pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 13.
The Zheng DTO has sent millions of lethal doses of fentanyl analogues and other drugs linked to overdoses in the United States and around the world.
On Feb. 15, 2015, Akron, Ohio resident, Leroy Steele, emailed the Zheng DTO saying he “would like to purchase Acetyl fentanyl.” The Zheng DTO explained in its correspondence with Steele that it was “a professional acetyl fentanyl manufacturer in China” and that “a lot of U.S. and Europe customers purchase largely from us monthly.” The acetyl fentanyl that the Zheng DTO distributed to Steele resulted in the overdose deaths in Ohio of Thomas Rauh, 37, and Carrie Dobbins, 23, on or about March 21 and 28, 2015.
Steele was subsequently convicted of drug offenses and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Despite the deadly consequences of its actions, the Zheng DTO continued manufacturing and distributing drugs. In 2015, it advertised that it delivered “to all 50 USA states” and “worldwide to Australia, Europe, Asia and Africa.”
When China would ban a synthetic narcotic, the Zheng DTO would use its chemical expertise to create an analogue of the drug with a slightly different chemical structure but the same or even more potent effect. In this manner, the DTO entirely bypassed China’s restrictions on international narcotics sales.
Last month, the Zheng DTO agreed to manufacture adulterated cancer medication, creating counterfeit pills that replaced the active cancer-fighting ingredient with dangerous synthetic drugs. It also created and shipped counterfeit Adderall pills that were adulterated with deadly bath salts.
The Zheng DTO laundered its drug proceeds by using digital currency such as Bitcoin, transmitted drug proceeds into and out of bank accounts in China and Hong Kong, and bypassed currency restrictions and reporting requirements.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA, HSI, and IRS-CI. The following agencies assisted in the investigation: U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, Special Operations Division, the Medway Drug Task Force, Akron Police Department, federal law enforcement on assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and federal law enforcement in the following districts: District of Massachusetts, Middle District of Florida, District of Colorado, District of Missouri, District of Minnesota and Western District of Texas. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security provided assistance during the course of the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Cronin of the Northern District of Ohio and Justice Department Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Adrienne Rose of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Deputy Unit Chief Stephen Sola of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.Two Additional Venezuelan Nationals Plead Guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance on Board a Vessel Following Apprehension of a Go-Fast Vessel Carrying Multiple Kilos of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Felix Gomez, age 38, and Rosauro Morao, age 43, of Venezuela, both pled guilty on August 22, 2018, in District Court to one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance on Board a Vessel, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
This federal offense carries a possible sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a maximum fine of up to $5,000,000 dollars, and a term of supervised release of at least 2 years. Sentencing is set for December 21, 2018.
According to court documents, on May 8, 2017, at approximately 7:50 pm, a patrol aircraft associated with the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South located a northbound go-fast vessel (GFV) approximately 105 nautical miles west of Martinique traveling at a speed of 25 knots. The vessel was located in a known drug trafficking route. It had five outboard engines and contained multiple fuel barrels and suspicious packages visible on deck. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley was directed to intercept the vessel. Upon arrival, the crew of the GFV were observed tossing the suspicious packages and fuel barrels overboard. Ultimately, the crew of the Cutter Donald Horsley recovered 8 bound packages, which contained approximately 162 kilograms (357 pounds) of marijuana. The defendants were two of 7 Venezuelan national crew onboard the GFV. Defendant Gomez was observed to be the operator of the boat.
Co-defendant Juan Rodriguez previously entered a guilty plea on August 13, 2018, and co-defendants Jesus Garcia and Jhoan Gomez entered a guilty plea on August 15, 2018.
The Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley is a 154-foot Fast Response Cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston.
Twin Bridges Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Martin James Walsh, a 53-year-old resident of Twin Bridges, Montana, was sentenced to 120 years in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Dana Christensen handed down the sentence.
Beginning in October 2016, the South West Montana Drug Task Force (Task Force) purchased an “8-ball” or 3.5 grams of methamphetamine from Walsh. The next month the Task Force again made a purchase of ¼ ounce of methamphetamine from Walsh. In June 2017, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office purchased a small amount of heroin from Walsh. Based upon the purchases, sheriff’s deputies obtained a search warrant for Walsh’s residence in Twin Bridges. When the deputies searched Walsh’s home they found a digital scale, several glass smoking pipes, a large box containing four bags of a white crystalline substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. Walsh was home at the time of the search. He was detained and read his Miranda rights. Walsh stated that he had been selling ounces of meth in Madison County as well as Bozeman and Butte. The amount of methamphetamine found in Walsh’s residence was approximately 260 grams or 2080 dosing units.
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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan R. Whittaker and investigated by the FBI, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, South West Montana Drug Task Force, and the Missouri River Drug Task Force.
Three Wilkes-Barre Men Indicted for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dwayne Romail Brown, age 38, Michael Rinaldi, age 41, and Andrew Henry, age 44, all of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, were indicted on August 21, 2018, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Brown, Rinaldi and Henry conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine between May and August 2018, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni.
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.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Three Sentenced for Transporting Drugs via LanchaRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Three Mexican nationals have been sentenced for conspiring to import 611 kilograms of marijuana into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Julio Cesar Cruz-Amaro, 31, Tito Mar-Herrera, 35, and Miguel Angel Ender-Diaz, 56, pleaded guilty March 1, 2018, for their involvement in conspiring to import marijuana into the United States while on board a vessel.
Today, U.S. Circuit Judge Gregg Costa, sitting by designation, sentenced Cruz-Amaro to a 60-month-term of imprisonment, while Mar-Herrera and Ender-Diaz both received terms of 36 months. Not U.S. citizens, all are expected to face deportation proceedings following their sentences.
On Dec. 13, 2017, authorities detected and captured a Mexican lancha boat crew illegally transporting narcotics while in federal waters off southern Texas. Cruz-Amaro, Mar-Herrera and Ender-Diaz were interdicted in the vicinity of Packery Channel near Port Aransas along with one lancha and 30 bales of marijuana totaling 611 kilograms.
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) originally detected the vessel offshore traveling northbound towards the United States which was then intercepted with the assistance of Custom and Border Protection (CBP) approximately nine nautical miles offshore.
They had admitted a criminal organization hired them to bring the drugs into the United States through Corpus Christi.
A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is approximately 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, typically has one outboard motor and is capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph.
All three have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
USCG conducted the investigation with the assistance of CBP. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Jeffrey S. Miller and AUSA David Paxton prosecuted the case.
Three Men Convicted of 2009 Kidnapping and Murder of West Hartford ManRead the Press Release
United States Attorney John H. Durham, Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane, Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Joe of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief David Rosado, today announced that a federal jury in Bridgeport has found has found three men guilty of the kidnapping, robbery and the execution-style murder of Charles Teasley, 35, of West Hartford, in January 2009.
HAROLD COOK, also known as “Oink,” 41, of Bloomfield, GERUND MICKENS, also known as “Breeze,” 42, of Bloomfield, and TERRELL HUNTER, also known as “Rell” and “Killer,” 36, of Hartford, were each found guilty of one count of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of using a firearm during a kidnapping and causing a death, and one count of using a firearm during a Hobbs Act robbery and causing a death.
The trial before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill began on August 6, 2018, and the jury returned the guilty verdicts late yesterday afternoon.
At sentencing, each defendant faces a mandatory term of life imprisonment without parole.
This matter stems from an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, Hartford Police Department and the Cold Case Homicide Unit of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney.
According to evidence presented during the trial, on January 12, 2009, Hartford Police responded to Colebrook Street in response to a 911 call concerning a dead body being found in the back seat of a vehicle parked on the street. Upon arrival, Charles Teasley was found dead in the back seat of his own vehicle, a 1999 Acura TL. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his head and face, and his hands were zip-tied behind his back.
The investigation revealed that Cook, Mickens, Hunter and Jesus Ashanti were involved in committing armed robberies of persons they believed to be drug dealers operating in the greater Hartford area. On January 9, 2009, an individual advised Cook that he had arranged to conduct a cocaine transaction with Charles Teasley, also known as “Man.” The individual provided the particulars of the planned transaction to Cook so that Teasley could be kidnapped and robbed of drugs and money. After the individual met with Teasley at the approximate time and location he had provided to Cook, Cook, Mickens, Hunter and Ashanti went to the location and kidnapped Teasley by using zip-ties to bind his hands and forcing him back into the rear seat of his own vehicle. In the vehicle, they threatened Teasley at gunpoint, assaulted him and forced him to make a telephone call directing his girlfriend to bring to Cook, Mickens, Hunter and Ashanti a safe that Teasley had kept at his and his girlfriend’s West Hartford residence. They drove to the residence and acquired the safe. Cook, Mickens and Hunter then drove Teasley to the Colebrook Street area of Hartford, and Ashanti followed them in a separate car. On the way, Hunter and Cook shot Teasley in the head causing his death. After arriving on Colebrook Street, Cook, Mickens and Hunter left the Acura and Teasley’s body, and then fled the area in the car driven by Ashanti.
Cook, Mickens and Hunter have been detained since their arrests on April 4, 2017.
On July 16, 2018, Ashanti, also known as “Black,” 42, of Hartford, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death, one count of using a firearm during a kidnapping and causing a death, and one count of using a firearm during a robbery and causing a death. Ashanti is currently incarcerated in Massachusetts state custody after committing a series of bank robberies since 2010.
“I thank our partners in the FBI Task Force, Hartford Police Department and Chief State’s Attorney’s Office for their excellent investigative work in bringing to justice the men responsible for this brutal murder,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “The citizens of Hartford and family members of victims have benefited by this collaboration and the diligent work of the Cold Case Homicide Unit of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney, formerly headed by Patrick Griffin, now State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New Haven. The Justice Department, through it Project Safe Neighborhoods program, is committed to reducing violent crime in our cities by prosecuting dangerous offenders. We also will continue to work with our state counterparts in their ongoing efforts to solve other cold case murders, and provide justice for victims’ families.”
“I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the agencies involved in this matter,” said Chief State’s Attorney Kane. “It is yet another example of how through collaboration government at all levels can accomplish much, which is particularly important in the current budget climate.”
“The Hartford Police Department is committed to working collaboratively with our state, local, and federal partners in addressing violent crimes in our cities,” said Chief Rosado. “This is another great example of this partnership resulting in getting our most violent offenders off the street and making our communities safer.”
Chief State’s Attorney Kane noted that the unsolved homicide of Charles “Man” Teasley was included in cold case playing cards sold to inmates in Connecticut’s state correctional facilities. Each card in the deck features a photograph and brief details about a homicide or missing person case and lists telephone, mail and e-mail contacts that inmates can use to supply information.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Durham, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Peter D. Markle, and Assistant State’s Attorney Andrew Reed Durham, who has been cross-designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in this matter.
Stamford Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARL HUBBARD, 35, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 77 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine and marijuana.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2017, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Stamford Police Department made one controlled purchase of cocaine from HUBBARD, and two controlled purchases of crack cocaine from an associate of HUBBARD after HUBBARD had arranged the two sales. A subsequent court-authorized wiretap investigation confirmed that HUBBARD was receiving marijuana from William Reyes of Stamford, and cocaine from other sources, and was distributing the drugs to individuals in Fairfield County.
HUBBARD and Reyes were arrested on July 26, 2017. On that date, investigators seized $2,933 in cash from HUBBARD’s person and $9,450 in cash that HUBBARD kept at a family member’s residence. Investigators also seized approximately 18 grams of cocaine and approximately 658 grams of marijuana from an individual who HUBBARD had given the drugs for safekeeping. In addition, a court-authorized search of Reyes’ Stamford residence revealed approximately 18 kilograms of marijuana, paraphernalia associated with narcotics distribution, and $71,004 in cash, and a search of a residence in Lagrangeville, N.Y., that Reyes and another individual used to grow, process and distribute marijuana, revealed 140 marijuana plants and related equipment.
HUBBARD has been detained since his arrest. On May 30, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of marijuana.
Reyes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and, on March 29, 2018, was sentenced to 41 months of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Stamford Police Department and New York State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Sarala V. Nagala.
Springfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., woman who was arrested with a half-pound of heroin and six pounds of methamphetamine in her possession has pleaded guilty in federal court to her role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo.
Kathy J. Alexander, 62, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, to the charge contained in a Jan. 23, 2018, federal indictment.
Alexander was arrested while driving through Amarillo, Texas, on Jan. 11, 2016, with a half-pound of heroin and six pounds of methamphetamine that she was transporting from Arizona to Springfield. Alexander admitted that she had traveled to Arizona and met with co-conspirators to receive the heroin and methamphetamine. After the drugs were repackaged for distribution, she began driving back to Springfield to deliver them to another co-conspirator.
Alexander had also been stopped, but not arrested, on Dec. 2, 2014, by law enforcement officers in Oklahoma while she was transporting five ounces of heroin hidden in her underwear.
Alexander admitted that she had made 14 drug transporting excursions, averaging one trip each month, for which she was paid $500 per trip. The drug-trafficking conspiracy lasted from Dec. 2, 2014, to Jan. 23, 2018.
Co-defendant Davetta F. Hicks, 31, of Springfield, has also pleaded guilty to her role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Hicks was arrested on Dec. 9, 2014, by Kingsville, Texas, police officers for the possession of a half-pound of methamphetamine found in her purse. Hicks admitted that she made three trips to Texas to transport cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine to Springfield.
Under federal statutes, Alexander is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life 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 Abram McGull II. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Combined Ozarks Multijurisdictional Enforcement Team (COMET).
Spokane Man Sentenced to 4 Years for MethRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - Phillip Devon Johnson, 26, of Spokane, WA, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Johnson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Dana L. Christensen handed down the sentence.
On April 26, 2017, after members of law enforcement received information that Johnson was coming to Montana to deliver approximately eight ounces of methamphetamine, he was stopped in his vehicle by Montana Highway Patrol. A canine alerted to drugs in his vehicle and a later search revealed 190.4 grams of pure methamphetamine. This converts to over 1,500 dosage units which would have otherwise reached users in Montana.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott and investigated by the Northwest Drug Task Force.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to identify those responsible for significant violent crime in Montana. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a recently reinvigorated Department of Justice program that has proven to be successful in reducing violent crime. Today’s sentencing is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
Serial Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Ronald L. Coleman, age 70, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty on August 21, 2018, to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Coleman has four previous federal convictions—one for mail fraud and three for access device fraud and related crimes.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, from at least July 23, 2015 to May 7, 2017, Coleman used the personal identifying information of more than 10 victims to request that financial institutions send replacement credit and debit cards, and to apply for new credit cards. Coleman had the cards sent to addresses in Baltimore where he lived or had access. Most of the requests were made by phone and some of those requests were recorded. When calling financial institutions, Coleman pretended to be the account holder and used the name, birthdate, social security number, address and telephone number of the true account holder, which Coleman had fraudulently obtained and was not authorized to use. Coleman also admitted that he made some requests online through the Internet. Using the victims’ identifying information, Coleman successfully obtained and sought to obtain more than two dozen credit cards from financial institutions and other entities.
In addition, in February 2015, Coleman fraudulently obtained a vehicle loan totaling approximately $22,132, which he used to purchase a Mercedes Benz SL. On the loan documents, Coleman falsely represented that he had resided at an address in Baltimore for 15 years, and had been employed for eight years at a graphics company in “sales.” In fact, in February 2015 Coleman was completing his sentence for a federal fraud conviction for which he had been incarcerated since December 2011. Coleman subsequently defaulted on the loan, causing the loan company a loss of approximately $9,600.
Coleman’s fraudulent activities resulted in an actual loss of at least $11,076.34, and an intended loss of more than $39,000.
Coleman and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Coleman will be sentenced to between five and 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for Coleman on January 30, 2019, at 2:30 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Tamera L. Fine, who are prosecuting the case.
Seabrook Woman Pleads Guilty to Participating in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Darlene Tirone, 42, of Seabrook, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the course of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation that included wiretaps of certain telephones, investigators learned that on March 14, 2018, Tirone intended to travel from New Hampshire to a location in Massachusetts to purchase a quantity of fentanyl. Agents observed Tirone arrive in a vehicle and meet with a known drug runner. A New Hampshire State Trooper subsequently stopped the vehicle Tirone was in and Tirone admitted to concealing fentanyl within her body. Tirone retrieved 44 grams of fentanyl. The intercepted calls revealed that between February 23, 2018, and March 14, 2018, Tirone ordered approximately 712 grams of fentanyl from the drug trafficking organization.
Tirone is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2018.
“Stopping the flow of fentanyl into New Hampshire is a top priority of this office,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “This dangerous drug continues to cause deaths and extensive damage to the overall wellbeing of our citizens. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to prosecute traffickers and shut down their illegal drug businesses.”
The case was a collaborative investigation that involved the DEA; the New Hampshire State Police; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the Nashua Police Department; the Massachusetts State Police; the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office; the Essex County District Attorney’s Office; the Internal Revenue Service; Immigration and
Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; United States Customs and Border Protection Boston Field Office; the United States Marshals Service; the United States Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Manchester Police Department; the Lisbon Police Department; the Littleton Police Department; the Seabrook Police Department; the Haverhill (MA) Police Department; the Methuen (MA) Police Department; the Lowell (MA) Police Department; and the Maine State Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. Konesky, Seth R. Aframe and Debra M. Walsh.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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Salinas Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Dealing and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Frank Miranda Carrillo pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing crystal methamphetamine and illegally possessing unregistered firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder. The guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Lucy H. Koh, U.S. District Judge.
According to his plea agreement, Carrillo, 30, of Salinas, Calif., admitted he was a methamphetamine dealer. Carrillo admitted that, on March 27, 2018, he attempted to sell 443.2 grams of crystal methamphetamine to an undercover agent. Carrillo also admitted that between June of 2017 and March of 2018, he sold approximately 598 grams of crystal methamphetamine in numerous transactions including the following four sales: (1) on July 12, 2017, he sold 15.4 grams of crystal methamphetamine; (2) on July 26, 2017, he sold 111.1 grams of crystal methamphetamine; (3) on September 6, 2017, he sold 0.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine; and (4) on October 4, 2017, he sold 27.7 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
In addition to selling drugs, Carrillo admitted he possessed and sold numerous firearms– even though he was a previously-convicted felon and he had no license to deal in firearms. In his plea agreement, Carrillo itemized more than three dozen items that he either sold or of which he was in possession between June 7, 2017, and March 27, 2018, the date of his arrest.
On July 18, 2018, Carrillo was charged by information with one count each of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), and illegal possession of unregistered firearms, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d). Pursuant to today’s plea agreement, Carrillo pleaded guilty to both charges.
Carrillo has been in custody since the date of his arrest. Judge Koh scheduled his sentencing for December 5, 2018. Carrillo faces a statutory maximum of life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000,000 for the drug distribution charge. In addition, Carrillo faces a mandatory minimum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison for the drug distribution charge. With respect to the gun possession charge, Carrillo faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The court also must impose a five-year term of supervised release to follow his prison term. However, any sentence 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.
The Organized Crime Strike Force Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF and the Salinas Police Department.
Romanian Nationals Plead Guilty in ATM Skimming ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that ALEXANDRU-NICUSOR NITA, age 27, a Romanian national, pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On August 9, 2018, Nita’s co-conspirator, DANIELA-STEFANI IANEV, age 31, also a Romanian national, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. As a result of their convictions, both NITA and IANEV face significant terms of imprisonment, fines, and periods of supervised release.
From November to late December 2017, NITA and IANEV conspired with others to commit bank fraud. NITA and IANEV installed ATM skimming devices on ATM machines at several financial institutions around the Baton Rouge area, among other locations in Louisiana. These ATM skimming devices captured the financial information of hundreds of customers using the ATM machines. The stolen bank account information was subsequently encoded onto blank debit cards and gift cards.
NITA and IANEV also installed overhead cameras on these ATM machines to capture the personal identification numbers (“PIN”) of the customers. The debit cards and gift cards were used by others, in combination with the corresponding PIN access codes, to make unauthorized withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts, including at financial institutions in the Baton Rouge area.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “Anyone who attempts to undermine the American people’s confidence in our financial systems through fraudulent criminal activity will be prosecuted vigorously. These defendants preyed upon unsuspecting victims by stealing and using their personal financial information in an effort to enrich themselves and today they have been held accountable. I sincerely appreciate the hard work and collaborative efforts of our prosecutors, the Secret Service, EBRSO and the Gonzales PD in their quest to bring these criminals to justice.”
Tara McLeese, Resident Agent in Charge of the Secret Service Office in Baton Rouge stated, “The Secret Service’s founding mission was to investigate and counter threats to the financial payment systems of the United States. Financial crimes investigations in the Baton Rouge area in particular benefit from an established Financial Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of Federal, State and local investigators. Members of this Task Force were instrumental in the successful investigation of this case. The Secret Service will continue to prioritize cases that have economic impact to the community and those that involve emerging technologies.”
“When criminals use fraudulent means, such as theft, to obtain prescription drugs illegally, they place all U.S. consumers at risk,” said Justin D. Green, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Miami Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who put the public health at risk.”
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the U.S. Secret Service, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Financial Crimes Unit, and Gonzales Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brad Casey.