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10 August 2018
Sumrall Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm and Unregistered SilencerRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Asa Jefferson Sanford, Jr., 60, of Sumrall, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms, and one count of possessing a firearm which was not registered to Sanford in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF").
On July 20, 2015, Sanford, a previously convicted felon, came in contact with law enforcement officers which resulted in the obtaining and execution of state search warrants on Sanford’s vehicle and home. State and federal agents seized numerous firearms and ammunition in Sanford’s possession, as well as a silencer that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Sanford will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on October 16, 2018 at 9:45 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
St. Petersburg Man Convicted of Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Tyrone Walker (36, St. Petersburg) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Walker faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2018. Walker was indicted on March 22, 2018.
According to evidence presented at trial, Walker possessed a firearm that he used to shoot and kill another man during a dispute. At the time of the incident, Walker had a prior felony conviction and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Callan Albritton and James Preston.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
South Abington Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Hiteshkumar Patel, age 52, a resident of South Abington Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 9, 2018, by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to serve 234 months in prison on the charges of conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft in November 2017. The investigation revealed that beginning in or about August 2015 through May 2016, Patel was involved in a multi-faceted international conspiracy and devised a scheme to defraud that included individuals who falsely represented themselves as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents, as well as individuals associated with an illegitimate online loan business.
Individuals who falsely claimed to represent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contacted unsuspecting victims throughout the United States. The victims were told that they had to immediately make a monetary payment in order to satisfy outstanding IRS tax debt and/or IRS penalty fees. Victims were told that there would be severe consequences if they did not immediately comply, such as federal agents knocking on their door, notification to employers, garnishment of wages, and even arrest.
Victims of the online loan fraud scheme were instructed that in order to receive the proceeds of their online loan application, they had to first make monetary payments associated with the processing of the application, such as fees for expediting the loan and insurance. Some victims of the loan fraud scheme were also told that outstanding IRS debt had to be satisfied before their loan application could be processed.
All of the victims were instructed to remit monetary payments to a number of different individuals via the U.S. Mail, Western Union, MoneyGram, and/or RIA (Walmart to Walmart). The monetary payments were received by Patel, or by members of the unlawful telemarketing organization and unindicted co-conspirators. The investigation identified 634 individuals directly tied to Patel’s criminal conduct from across the country. The victims collectively sustained a loss of nearly $900,000.
At sentencing, Judge Mariani stated that “Telephone schemes and online fraud have become a scourge in our society.” He described Patel’s crimes as “reprehensible” and “lacking in human decency.”
In addition to the prison term, Judge Mariani ordered that Patel be supervised by a probation officer for three years following his release from prison and further ordered that Patel pay restitution in the amount of $896,112.33.
Patel was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 20, 2017, after an investigation jointly conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of the Treasury - Treasury Inspector General, and the South Abington and Scranton Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.
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Seven Sent to Prison for Katy Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The seven men involved in the July 2017 armed robbery of First Community Credit Union in Katy have been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A jury deliberated for approximately two hours following a four-day trial before convicting Walter Freeman Jordan aka “Wacko,” 31, and Johnathon Nico Wise, 27, both of Houston, on Jan. 25, 2018.
Both were charged and convicted of aiding and abetting aggravated bank robbery. Jordan was also convicted of aiding and abetting the unlawful use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence.
Five others - Jaylen Christine Loring, 22, Daryl Carlton Anderson, 33, Deandre Bendard Santee, 27, Raymond Demond Pace, 21, and Zelmer Samuel Bonner, 27, all of Houston, had pleaded guilty prior to trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison, who presided over the trial, handed Jordan a 262-month sentence for the bank robbery as well as another 84 months for the firearms offense which must be served consecutively. Wise received a 121-month-term of imprisonment. Both will also be required to serve a term of five years of supervised release following completion of the prison term.
Pace received a 50-month sentence for the underlying bank robbery, while Loring, Santee, Anderson and Bonner were sentenced to 12, 105, 70 and 70, months, respectively. Pace and Bonner were also convicted on firearms charges and each received 84 months which must be served consecutively resulting in total sentences of 134 and 154 months, respectively.
At trial, the jury heard that at approximately 12:52 p.m. on July 25, 2017, a stolen black Toyota Tundra drove to the front of the First Community Credit Union located at 23120 Cinco Ranch Boulevard in Katy. Once there, Jordan, Bonner and Pace entered the bank and ordered everyone to get on the ground. While inside, Jordan and Bonner jumped the teller counter and demanded credit union employees to open the teller drawers. When one of those employees did not comply quickly enough, Bonner punched the employee in the head while yelling “hurry up!”
Pace kept customers and employees on the ground during the robbery. Soon thereafter, he yelled “the cops are down the street, let’s go!”
The robbers were communicating with the lookouts - Wise, Santee, Anderson and Loring - outside of the credit union via cell phone during the crime.
The robbers returned to the Toyota Tundra and fled the scene along with three other vehicles – a silver Chevrolet Malibu, silver Nissan Rogue and a maroon Volkswagen Jetta. Loring was apprehended a short time later in the Malibu as was Anderson who was driving the Jetta. Shortly thereafter, officers also stopped the Rogue and arrested Santee and Wise.
Authorities pursued the Tundra for 19 miles, which was travelling at speeds up to 120 mph east on I-10. Authorities were eventually able to apprehend Pace, Bonner and Jordan at the North Post Oaks Lofts apartment complex in Houston. Officers located a Springfield semi-automatic pistol from the Toyota Tundra as well as a Stoeger Cougar .40 Caliber semi-automatic pistol from inside the apartment where Jordan had been hiding.
During trial, the jury heard from Loring and Anderson who testified about the robbery plan and what transpired. Additional testimony came from more than 10 officers as well as an expert who explained how the cell phones were identified and used during the crime.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Jordan and Wise had been mis-identified and had no knowledge of the robbery plan. They did not believe their claims and found them guilty as charged.
With the exception of Loring, who was permitted to remain on bond, all have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The case is the result of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative created to proactively fight violent crime across the Greater Houston area. The FBI and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard D. Hanes and Heather Rae Winter are prosecuting the case.
Schenectady Man Sentenced to 21 Months on Fentanyl ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Anthony M. DeRose, age 24, a/k/a “Gus,” of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for possessing and intending to sell less than 2 grams of furanyl fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino ordered that DeRose’s 21-month sentence start only after he finishes a term of imprisonment he is currently serving for a state attempted assault conviction. Judge D’Agostino also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin after DeRose is release from prison.
On August 21, 2017, Schenectady County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested DeRose on an outstanding warrant. They searched him and found, inside his right pants pocket, one clear plastic bag containing 145 smaller white bags or envelopes, each of which contained furanyl fentanyl. As part of his guilty plea, DeRose admitted that he intended to distribute the furanyl fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid that has been a Schedule I controlled substance since November 29, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Salvadoran Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Roberto Alexander Herrera Carballo, age 27, and of a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced today to time served (116 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas R. Decker, Director of the New York Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
ICE Officers arrested Herrera Carballo on April 16, 2018 in Kingston, New York. He had previously been removed from the United States, on August 2, 2009, and did not have permission to re-enter.
Herrera Carballo will be remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
River Parish Defendants Convicted of Narcotics Conspiracy and Firearms Violations after Five-Day TrialRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ANDRE STAGGERS, a/k/a “Dre,” age 44, COREY SESSION, age 44, GREGORY LONDON, JR., a/k/a “Lil Gregg,” age 42, and LEONARD MORRISON, a/k/a “Leonard London,” age 36, were convicted today after a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon.
According to evidence presented at trial, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted an investigation from January 2015 through February 2016 concerning distribution of cocaine and heroin in St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes. The federal investigation, which was conducted in coordination with state and local law enforcement, resulted in the seizure of nearly one kilogram of heroin along with scales, money counters, firearms, and over $480,000.00 in cash.
STAGGERS, a resident of LaPlace, and SESSION, a resident of St. Rose, were convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, along with firearms charges. They face a minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000.00 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. LONDON, a resident of LaPlace, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and he faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison, a $5,000,000.00 fine, and at least four years of supervised release. MORRISON, a resident of St. Rose, was convicted of possession of a firearm as a felon. He faces up to ten years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the conviction as the result of a coordinated effort of federal and state law enforcement authorities within the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program. The DEA’s HIDTA Group #11, operating out of the New Orleans Field Division, includes members of the Louisiana State Police, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Gretna Police Department, and other local agencies. U.S. Attorney Evans extended his thanks to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for their assistance in this investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Payne, Brittany L. Reed, and David Howard Sinkman are in charge of the prosecution.
Queens Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Armed Bank Robbery and Weapons PossessionRead the Press Release
Earlier today at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, United States District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced Pedro Benitez to 130 months’ imprisonment for his role in the September 20, 2017 gunpoint robbery of the Queens County Savings Bank in Fresh Meadows, Queens. Benitez had previously pleaded guilty on March 20, 2018 to armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The sentence also included a term of three years of supervised release and $71,395 in restitution.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the sentence.
On September 20, 2017, Benitez entered the Queens County Savings Bank, ordered customers and employees of the bank to the floor at gunpoint and gained access to the area behind the tellers’ counter. Once in the tellers’ area, Benitez stole over $50,000 in cash that had been delivered to the bank earlier in the day and was laid out on a table in a room adjacent to the teller’s area. At his guilty plea, Benitez admitted that he had also participated in three additional robberies in Nassau County during the summer of 2017. In each of those robberies, Benitez was the gunman who entered the banks and robbed the employees of the banks’ cash. In total, Benitez and the crew stole over $70,000 from four banks between July and September of 2017.
“Pedro Benitez thought committing armed bank robberies was a good way to get money, but he learned that it is just a good way to end up in prison,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies brought this crew to justice and prevented them from endangering other bank employees, customers, law enforcement officers and innocent bystanders.”
“The value of a dollar was worth more to Benitez than the value of someone’s safety. For the sake of quick and easy cash, Benitez placed bank customers and employees in grave danger, displaying a gun at each robbery,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “After stealing over $70,000 with his crew, Benitez may have believed his actions proved him successful, but his prison sentence clearly proves otherwise. The FBI New York Joint Violent Crimes Task Force will rigorously investigate bank robberies, ensuring these robbers reap what they sow.”
“The arrest and conviction of defendant Pedro Benitez is a classic example of the effective cooperation and information sharing between numerous law enforcement agencies,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder. “Through our diligence, we have taken a violent felon off the streets, thus making our communities safer. Defendant Benitez showed no regard for the safety of our residents and will now spend many years behind bars.”
Two other members of the bank robbery crew previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentence. Two additional members of the robbery crew are awaiting trial.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Maffei is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PEDRO BENITEZ
Age: 21
Far Rockaway, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-572 (JS)
Previously Convicted Bank Robber Thwarted by Law Enforcement During Cedar Grove Bank Robbery AttemptRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hoboken man was arrested today while allegedly trying to rob a Cedar Grove bank, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Frank Meletti, 53, is charged by complaint with one count of attempted bank robbery. He will appear in Newark federal court at a later date.
According to the complaint:
Meletti was previously convicted of bank robbery in June 2009 in the District of New Jersey. He was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
In early August 2018, Meletti allegedly asked another individual to act as the getaway driver for an upcoming bank robbery and provided the individual with details about the plan, including the name of the target bank and where to park during the robbery.
On Aug. 9, 2018, Meletti and the other individual went to the Investors Bank in Cedar Grove to investigate whether the bank had an armed guard or other security. Meletti instructed the other individual to pick him up for the bank robbery the following morning.
Earlier today, the individual picked up Meletti at the agreed upon time and asked Meletti if he was sure that he wanted to go through with the plan. Meletti responded affirmatively. During the ride to Cedar Grove, Meletti drafted numerous versions of a demand note that he would use for the robbery.
At approximately 10 a.m., Meletti exited the vehicle from a parking lot adjacent to the bank. He was wearing dark sunglasses, a black hat, and a black sweatsuit, and carrying a bag to hold proceeds from the robbery.
Meletti approached the front entrance to the Investors Bank and attempted to open the exterior door, tugging on it several times and attempting to look through the windows, whereupon he was arrested. The final version of the demand note was recovered from his person and read, “Place money in bag. No dye. No cops. No alarms.”
The attempted bank robbery charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked the Verona and Cedar Grove Police Departments for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Feldman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Protection Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Man Who Conspired to Distribute Painkillers Gets 7+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 92 months’ imprisonment and six years of supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to possess and distribute prescription opiate pain killers, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Mark Coleman, 39.
According to information presented to the court, Coleman participated in a criminal network of individuals who obtained large quantities of prescription opiates through a variety of means and illegally distributed those opiates to users in the Pittsburgh area. Coleman delivered pills and collected drug proceeds on behalf of higher-level members of the conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Coleman.
Pittsburgh Man Admits Involvement in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Pittsburgh resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Brent Williams, age 32, of pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Brent Williams was indicted in connection with a DEA wiretap investigation. The intercepted wiretap communications revealed that Williams and others conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute heroin between January and September 2016.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for January 3, 2019. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises. United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Williams.
Physician Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – United States District Court Judge Greg N. Stivers sentenced Franklin, Kentucky, physician, Roy D. Reynolds, to federal prison for 50 months with no probation in the federal system on 15 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances by way of prescribing opiate pain medications outside of the course of professional medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
“What this conviction is not,” stated U.S. Attorney Russell “is targeting of a physician who prescribed opioids in the course of professional practice and for a legitimate medical purpose. It is, however, sending a doctor to federal prison who became a drug dealer with a medical license. Our Commonwealth is blessed with many ethical and responsible medical practitioners; Roy Reynolds is not one of those”
Roy D. Reynolds was a doctor practicing in Franklin, Kentucky, in Simpson County during the time of the illegal activity. Reynolds was treating patient Jackie Hughes at the time of his death; court records show Reynolds doubled Hughes’ prescription for oxycodone twice in his final five-months alive. Reynolds also prescribed oxycodone, hydrocodone and Xanax to an additional four patients without a legitimate medical purpose. Those patients had medical histories of mental illness, doctor-shopping, and additional risk factors for opiate abuse and addiction.
One former patient had five drug overdoses while under Reynolds’s care, yet he continued to prescribe opioids and benzodiazepines after each overdose. Reynolds took his patient, Hughes, to a rock concert and saw that Hughes was high, and later admitted in a letter that “we reminisced this frequently . . . about how he was snowed the evening we went to Nashville.” Nonetheless, Dr. Reynolds continued prescribing opioids to Jackie Hughes until the patient died of an overdose.
From 2010 through 2012, the period of illegal activity covered at trial, Dr. Reynolds was in the top 2 percent of all Kentucky doctors for oxycodone prescriptions, the top 5 percent for hydrocodone prescriptions, and the top 4 percent for benzodiazepine prescriptions. In 2011, Reynolds prescribed 132,372 oxycodone pills (second most prescribed oxycodone pills by a primary care physician in Simpson County was 9,765) and in 2012 Reynolds prescribed 139,667 pills (second most oxycodone pills prescribed by a primary care physician in Simpson County was 11,794). In February of 2013, Reynolds lost his DEA license to prescribe opiate pain medications. However, during the first five week period, Reynolds prescribed more opiate pain medications than any other Simpson County physician prescribed during 2013. Reynold was convicted April 23, 2018 on 15 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances by way of prescribing opiate pain medications outside of the course of professional medical practice following a nine day trial.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Weiser and Rob Bonar with assistance from paralegals Mary Kennedy and Jane Bauer, and was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky Office of Inspector General, Division of Audits and Investigations, Drug Enforcement and Professional Practice Branch.
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Owner of Now-Defunct Real Estate Escrow Company Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
The owner of a former real estate escrow firm was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 24 months in prison for bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. LORI LYNN ANDREW, 49, of Cashmere, Washington, the owner of Hartman Escrow, Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. ANDREW stole more than $2.1 million through a variety of techniques, including making false entries in escrow closing documents, altering accounting records, and depositing checks into the general account instead of the trust account. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “Every single time you had an opportunity to change your mind and say ‘this is wrong,’ you kept doing it.”
“This defendant chose to victimize people when they were buying or selling a home–often the most important financial transaction of their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Like all real estate escrow agents, the defendant was responsible for ensuring large amounts of money went where they belonged. When she decided to line her own pockets rather than do her job, she crossed the line and earned the prison sentence that the court imposed today.”
According to records in the case, beginning in about January 2011, and continuing until July 2012, ANDREW used a variety of means to defraud financial institutions and individual home buyers and sellers who were involved in various real estate transactions. ANDREW made, or had others make, false settlement statements on closing transactions listing false or inflated fees and charges. ANDREW forged signatures on various statements and created false invoices, statements, and bills; she altered and deposited checks to her company account that should have gone to others; and she took client funds from her trust account and transferred them to her personal account for her own use. ANDREW used the money for casino payments, credit card bills, and other personal expenses. ANDREW defrauded individual customers, as well as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi Bank, Chase, and GMAC.
In all ANDREW defrauded the financial institutions and other customers of $2.185 million. In July 2012, the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions arranged for a receiver to take over the Tukwila, Washington, escrow company after finding evidence of fraud. ANDREW had her license to act as an escrow agent suspended in 2013, and her license has since been revoked. The receiver was able to recover some funds for unsecured claimants, but just over $1 million is still owed to defrauded clients.
The case was investigated by the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, the FBI, the Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG).
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Hugo Torres. Mr. Torres is a King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute financial fraud cases in federal court.
Oregon Domestic Terrorism Suspect in Custody After 12 Years on the RunRead the Press Release
Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, 50, of Seattle, Washington, an accused domestic terrorist and 12-year fugitive, has been apprehended and returned to the United States to face federal criminal charges in Oregon, California and Washington State.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams for the District of Oregon, and Special Agent in Charge Renn Cannon of the FBI in Oregon made the announcement.
“Whatever the motivation, terrorism is simply unacceptable,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Domestic terrorism is no exception. Because of the close cooperation between our international and intergovernmental partners, Dibee will now face the consequences for his crimes. This should send a clear message to all other criminals on the run: no matter how long it takes, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.”
“We will always continue in our mission to locate and bring to justice those who threaten our national security or seek to harm the American people,” said FBI Assistant Director McGarrity. “We thank all of the agents, analysts, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who have worked tirelessly on this case over the years.”
“More than two decades ago, a loosely affiliated group of environmental extremists set out to express their views using force, violence, sabotage, mass destruction, intimidation, and coercion,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Thankfully no innocent lives were taken by these senseless acts. Today we recognize the FBI’s unwavering pursuit of justice in returning longstanding fugitive Joseph Dibee. Dibee will now, as many of his co-conspirators have before, face the consequences of his actions. Using violent means to express one’s views will never be tolerated nor forgotten. We will bring every last person responsible for these crimes to justice.”
“Every act of violence comes with a choice—a choice to do harm,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Cannon. “A choice to do what may be irreparable damage to a family, a business, or a researcher’s life work. A choice to risk the lives of the firefighters who will respond to an incident. Most of the defendants in the FBI's long-running Operation BACKFIRE investigation have answered for those decisions they made with significant prison sentences and millions of dollars in fines. Mr. Dibee, who traveled the world to avoid capture, will now, finally, have to answer to the allegations of violence he faces.”
Dibee, an American citizen, is charged in the District of Oregon with one count of conspiracy to commit arson, one count of conspiracy to commit arson and destruction of an energy facility, and one count of arson. He also faces one count each of conspiracy to commit arson, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence in the Western District of Washington and one count each of conspiracy to commit arson, arson of a government building, and possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence in the Eastern District of California.
Dibee will make an initial appearance in federal court today at 1:30 p.m. before a federal magistrate judge in the District of Oregon. The government will seek his continued detention.
According to court documents, federal authorities learned Dibee was traveling through Central America on his way to Russia with a planned stop in Cuba. With the assistance of the Cuban authorities, particularly the Ministries of the Interior and Exterior, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security including the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations and the U.S. Embassy in Havana, the FBI arranged for Cuban authorities to detain Dibee before he boarded a plane bound for Russia, and return him to the United States. Dibee fled the United States in December 2005.
In 2006, a federal grand jury in Oregon indicted Dibee and 12 coconspirators as part of Operation BACKFIRE, a long-running FBI domestic terrorism investigation. The conspirators, known as “The Family,” have been linked to more than 40 criminal acts ranging from vandalism to arson between 1995 and 2001, causing more than $45 million in damages.
Many of the Dibee’s crimes were linked to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) or the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). Dibee’s “captured” poster can be seen at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/dt/joseph-mahmoud-dibee.
One fugitive remains at large from Operation BACKFIRE. Josephine Sunshine Overaker, an American citizen believed to be either 43 or 46 years old, fled to Europe in late 2001. Overaker faces 19 felony charges including conspiracy to commit arson, conspiracy to commit arson and destruction of an energy facility, attempted arson, and arson in the District of Oregon, the Western District of Washington, and the District of Colorado. Overaker speaks fluent Spanish and may seek employment as a firefighter, midwife, sheep tender, or masseuse. The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to her arrest.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Barrow of the District of Oregon, Andrew Friedman and Thomas Woods of the Western District of Washington and Heiko Coppola of the Eastern District of California, along with Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.Oregon Domestic Terrorism Suspect in Custody After 12 Years on the RunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, 50, of Seattle, Washington, an accused domestic terrorist and 12-year fugitive, has been apprehended and returned to the United States to face federal criminal charges in Oregon, California and Washington State.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Assistant Director Michael McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams for the District of Oregon, and Special Agent in Charge Renn Cannon of the FBI in Oregon made the announcement.
“Whatever the motivation, terrorism is simply unacceptable,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Domestic terrorism is no exception. Because of the close cooperation between our international and intergovernmental partners, Dibee will now face the consequences for his crimes. This should send a clear message to all other criminals on the run: no matter how long it takes, we will find you and we will bring you to justice.”
“We will always continue in our mission to locate and bring to justice those who threaten our national security or seek to harm the American people,” said FBI Assistant Director McGarrity. “We thank all of the agents, analysts, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who have worked tirelessly on this case over the years.”
“More than two decades ago, a loosely affiliated group of environmental extremists set out to express their views using force, violence, sabotage, mass destruction, intimidation, and coercion,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Thankfully no innocent lives were taken by these senseless acts. Today we recognize the FBI’s unwavering pursuit of justice in returning longstanding fugitive Joseph Dibee. Dibee will now, as many of his co-conspirators have before, face the consequences of his actions. Using violent means to express one’s views will never be tolerated nor forgotten. We will bring every last person responsible for these crimes to justice.”
“Every act of violence comes with a choice—a choice to do harm,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Cannon. “A choice to do what may be irreparable damage to a family, a business, or a researcher’s life work. A choice to risk the lives of the firefighters who will respond to an incident. Most of the defendants in the FBI's long-running Operation BACKFIRE investigation have answered for those decisions they made with significant prison sentences and millions of dollars in fines. Mr. Dibee, who traveled the world to avoid capture, will now, finally, have to answer to the allegations of violence he faces.”
Dibee, an American citizen, is charged in the District of Oregon with one count of conspiracy to commit arson, one count of conspiracy to commit arson and destruction of an energy facility, and one count of arson. He also faces one count each of conspiracy to commit arson, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence in the Western District of Washington and one count each of conspiracy to commit arson, arson of a government building, and possession of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence in the Eastern District of California.
Dibee will make an initial appearance in federal court today at 1:30 p.m. before a federal magistrate judge in the District of Oregon. The government will seek his continued detention.
According to court documents, federal authorities learned Dibee was traveling through Central America on his way to Russia with a planned stop in Cuba. With the assistance of the Cuban authorities, particularly the Ministries of the Interior and Exterior, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security including the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations and the U.S. Embassy in Havana, the FBI arranged for Cuban authorities to detain Dibee before he boarded a plane bound for Russia, and return him to the United States. Dibee fled the United States in December 2005.
In 2006, a federal grand jury in Oregon indicted Dibee and 11 coconspirators as part of Operation BACKFIRE, a long-running FBI domestic terrorism investigation. The conspirators, known as “The Family,” have been linked to more than 40 criminal acts ranging from vandalism to arson between 1995 and 2001, causing more than $45 million in damages.
Many of the Dibee’s crimes were linked to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) or the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). Dibee’s “captured” poster can be seen at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/dt/joseph-mahmoud-dibee.
One fugitive remains at large from Operation BACKFIRE. Josephine Sunshine Overaker, an American citizen believed to be either 43 or 46 years old, fled to Europe in late 2001. Overaker faces 19 felony charges including conspiracy to commit arson, conspiracy to commit arson and destruction of an energy facility, attempted arson, and arson in the District of Oregon, the Western District of Washington, and the District of Colorado. Overaker speaks fluent Spanish and may seek employment as a firefighter, midwife, sheep tender, or masseuse. The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to her arrest.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Barrow of the District of Oregon, Andrew Friedman and Thomas Woods of the Western District of Washington and Heiko Coppola of the Eastern District of California, along with Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.Onondaga County Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Donald J. Gardner, Jr., 42, of Lafayette, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison and five years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. Penrose, who handled the case, stated that in late January 2014 to early February 2014, Gardner pretended to be a 10 to 12 year-old boy and used his Facebook account to solicit child pornography images from three 10 year-old girls in the Town of Niagara, NY. Knowing that the girls were 10 years-old, the defendant directed them to create and send him child pornography images. One of the 10 year-old girls did send Gardner child pornography images via Facebook.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the Direction of Special Agent-in- Charge Gary Loeffert, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff James R. Voutour.
Ohio Resident Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography Using TwitterRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A former Henderson resident who distributed sexually explicit photos of children via a Twitter account was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson of the District of Nevada.
Mark Alan Stoneking, 40, previously of Henderson, Nevada, now a resident of Elyria, Ohio, pleaded guilty on March 1, 2018, to one count of distribution of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II sentenced him to lifetime supervised release and he will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
In his plea agreement, Stoneking admitted that, on December 20, 2014, and January 6, 2015, he distributed sexually explicit photos of children via a Twitter account. Those images were accessible to the account’s “followers.” On January 12, 2016, members of the Henderson Police Department and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force executed a search warrant at Stoneking’s residence in Henderson. They seized four electronic devices containing more than 600 videos and more than 200,000 images of child pornography.
A FBI task force arrested Stoneking on these charges in April 2017. Before the officers entered his residence, Stoneking unsuccessfully tried to hide his cell phone in the attic. A forensic examination showed that Stoneking stored sexually explicit photos of children on that phone as well.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Henderson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez prosecuted the case.
If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, make a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) by calling the 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or by making a CyberTipline report at www.cybertipline.com.
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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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North Country Man Sentenced to Prison, Ordered to Pay $3.5 Million for Contraband Cigarette SalesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jeffrey Lazare, age 48, of Hogansburg, New York, was sentenced yesterday to one year and one day in prison, and to pay a money judgment of $3.5 million, for failing to maintain required records relating to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Ronald N. Hancock, Acting Assistant Administrator for Field Operations, U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB).
Lazare pled guilty on February 14, 2018 before United States District Judge David N. Hurd. He admitted that from January 2014 through August 2014, in Franklin County, and as part of an effort to defraud the United States, he shipped, sold, and distributed quantities of cigarettes in excess of 10,000 in single transactions and failed to maintain required records. These records include the identity of, and shipping information for, each purchaser.
During this period, Lazare’s business, Braves Manufacturing and Braves Packaging, generated proceeds of at least $3.5 million from his unlicensed cigarette manufacturing operation.
Lazare’s failure to maintain required records was part of an effort to avoid paying the federal excise tax (FET) on the cigarettes he manufactured and distributed. His 38 separate sales of 10,000 or more cigarettes were subject to an FET of at least $247,623.60 that he did not pay.
The forfeiture figure of $3.5 million included $957,065.00 seized from Lazare’s bank account in 2013.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB), and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Eurenius.
Nampa Man Sentenced for Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ryan E. Curtis, 45, of Nampa, was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl resulting in death, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Curtis to 240 months in prison. Lodge also imposed three years of supervised release to be served after Curtis is released from prison.
According to court records, in August 2017, Curtis, a methamphetamine dealer in the Nampa area, began distributing what he called “China White”, a common street name for either pure heroin or a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. According to Curtis, he provided Dominico Stewart a sample of China White, asking that Stewart try the substance while Curtis was present so that Stewart understood how potent the drug was.
Shortly after Stewart ingested the substance, he collapsed. Instead of calling emergency services or seeking help for Stewart, Curtis tried to revive Stewart on his own through several different methods, including injecting Stewart with methamphetamine. Ultimately, Stewart died. Curtis did not notify law enforcement of the death, but attempted to conceal his role in Stewart’s death by dumping the body in an alleyway in Nampa.
The Nampa Police Department discovered Dominico Stewart’s body the following morning. A toxicology report showed that Stewart had a lethal dose of methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system at the time of his death. The coroner ultimately determined that Stewart died of a methamphetamine overdose.
The Nampa Police Department’s investigation into the death lead them not only to Ryan Curtis, but ultimately to a drug trafficking organization that was distributing both methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Treasure Valley. Matt Sedillo, Herman Sedillo, and Vaudencia Hamilton have been arrested and charged in federal court in Idaho for their role in trafficking the drugs that caused Stewart’s death. Their cases are still pending.
This case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. The Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada and Canyon County.
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NASA Contractor Arrested for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Anthony Joseph Culotta, Jr. (59, Brevard County) with possession of child pornography. Culotta faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Culotta has been a NASA contractor since at least 2004, and worked has with the Kennedy Space Center Launch Services Program. Between May 31 and August 7, 2018, Culotta used his NASA-issued laptop computer to search for, view, and possess sexually explicit images of children.
On August 7, 2018, special agents working with the NASA Office of Inspector General interviewed Culotta, who admitted that he used his NASA computer to search for and view images that piqued his curiosity. A search of the computer revealed over 1,000 images of child pornography, including images of known victims previously identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has violated federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by NASA Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Kennedy Space Center. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
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.
Mississippi Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Starkville, Mississippi tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney William C. Lamar for the Northern District of Mississippi.
According to documents and information provided to the court, from early 2012 through April 2016, Jameka Coffey managed ABS Tax Services, a tax preparation business in Starkville, Mississippi. Coffey falsified taxpayer client returns by claiming false education credits and reporting fake businesses in order to seek refunds to which her clients were not entitled. Coffey also admitted that she trained other preparers to file fraudulent returns.
Coffey faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Coffey's sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Lamar thanked agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Dabbs and Trial Attorney William Montague of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Selling HeroinRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A local man has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in June of 2017, defendant Christopher Thompson, 32, was stopped for a routine traffic stop. During the course of that traffic stop, law enforcement discovered heroin, a digital scale, and a large amount of money on the defendant. Evidence proved Thompson was a daily distributor of heroin in the Nutbush area of Memphis.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Our district opioid strategy focuses on those suppliers who are causing addiction, injury, and death by the illegal distribution of heroin. This case demonstrates our commitment to save lives by removing these dangerous drug dealers from our streets. If you are selling poison to our citizens, your days are numbered."
On February 14, 2018, Thompson pleaded guilty to the charges. On August 8, 2018, U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Thompson to 120 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department – Organized Crime Unit.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph F. Griffith prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Members of California-To-Florida Drug Trafficking Organizaiton Charged in ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Rodolfo Quiles (33, Tampa), Melissa Vasquez (28, Tampa), Alejandro Ortiz-Mendez, a/k/a “Andrew,” (43, Tampa), Gil William Garcia-Libran, a/k/a “Giwi,” (48, San Diego, CA), Stephen Johnson (25, San Diego, CA), Mauricio Ojeda, a/k/a “Pariente,” (39, San Diego, CA), Eduardo Trujillo, a/k/a/ “B.E.T.,” (38, Chula Vista, CA), and Melissa Day Swycaffer (22, National City, CA) with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including heroin. If convicted, they face penalties from 40 years to life in federal prison.
According to court documents, the defendants were part of a drug-trafficking organization that shipped kilogram-quantities of heroin, fentanyl, and other controlled substances from California to Florida and other east coast destinations for distribution. During the investigation, agents seized multiple kilograms of drugs that were destined for central Florida.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the San Diego Police Department, the El Cajon Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tampa Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Embry J. Kidd.
McNairy County Man Convicted of Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Following a jury trial in federal court, Michael Jay Harris, 46, of McNairy County, Tenn. was convicted of possessing 98 grams of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the conviction today.
According to information presented in court, on February 13, 2017, agents with the McNairy County Narcotics Unit, including officers with the Selmer Police Department and McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, went to the residence of Michael Jay Harris, in the northwestern corner of McNairy County, in Finger, Tenn., to arrest Harris on an outstanding warrant.
While searching the residence, law enforcement discovered Harris was in possession of a bag containing three and a half ounces of ice methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as digital scales and drug paraphernalia. Harris became combative and attempted to fight the officers. A chemist with the Drug Enforcement Administration stated the methamphetamine was more than 97 percent pure, and an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation testified it could have been distributed to more than a thousand drug users, based on its purity.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Harris is a career drug offender who was destroying this rural community by his sale of poisonous drugs, and his prior felony convictions have finally caught up with him. Thanks to the great investigative work by our local law enforcement partners at the Selmer Police Department and the McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, he has been held accountable and removed from the community."
Sentencing is set for November 9, 2018, before U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen. Harris has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for trafficking in cocaine and morphine, and assault charges. Based on his prior convictions, he faces up to life imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Selmer Police Department, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Upper Marlboro, Maryland, man convicted of Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Identity Theft was sentenced on August 6, 2018, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Victor Sasay, a/k/a Victor Sesay, age 38, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $60,399.47 in restitution along with his 2 other codefendants.
Sasay pleaded guilty to the charge on March 21, 2018. The charge related to Sasay and his codefendants using counterfeit access devices that had been manipulated to include credit card account numbers belonging to hundreds of victims across the Midwest. Sasay and his codefendants used the cards to acquire high dollar credit and gift cards from multiple stores in South Dakota and other locations across the Midwest. As a result of the theft scheme, local credit unions, as well as other FDIC insured banks across the Midwest, incurred approximately $60,000 in financial losses.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the police departments in Rapid City, Spearfish, and Sturgis, South Dakota, and Wheatland, Douglas, Laramie, Gillette, and Casper, Wyoming. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Sasay was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Codefendant, Roy Conteh, pleaded guilty on March 21, 2018, and was sentenced to the same terms and conditions on March 22, 2018.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Narcotics While Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Venable, 40, of Temple Hills, Md., pled guilty today to federal firearms and narcotics offenses.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department.
Venable pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a crime punishable in excess of 12 months in prison and one count of unlawful distribution of a detectable amount of heroin. He faces up to 30 years in prison. The Honorable Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for Oct. 16, 2018.
Venable’s charges arise from a law enforcement investigation regarding alleged drug trafficking from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. On Feb. 1, 2018, law enforcement agents from ATF, MPD and the Prince George’s County Police Department executed search warrants on three locations and five vehicles, which led to the seizure of firearms, ammunition, and quantities of narcotics. During the course of the investigation, Venable had been arrested twice in possession of distribution quantities of narcotics and a loaded firearm.
According to the government’s evidence, on Dec. 5, 2017, MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division was conducting undercover operations in the 600 block of Yuma Street SE. After purchasing crack cocaine, a lookout was given for the suspect dealer. Law enforcement moved in to stop the suspected dealer, who was standing with Venable next to Venable’s vehicle. An MPD canine officer and canine responded to the location and the canine gave a positive reaction for the presence of a firearm in the immediate area of the front-passenger-seat compartment. Upon opening the compartment, law enforcement observed a loaded 9 mm handgun. Venable was subsequently arrested with 32 grams of heroin on his person.
Then, on Feb. 1, 2018, while he was on pretrial release from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for his Dec, 5, 2017 arrest, law enforcement executed search warrants on Venable’s residence and vehicle in Maryland. Law enforcement recovered three baggies containing approximately 10.6 grams of heroin and $852 in cash from Venable’s person. During the search of Venable’s vehicle, law enforcement recovered an AWS-600 digital scale on the driver’s side floor, a small black digital scale in the center console, and a black Sharpstone box containing a silver press in the trunk. During the search of Venable’s residence, law enforcement recovered a loaded .45 caliber pistol that had been reported stolen. In the kitchen, law enforcement recovered a black scale, a silver press, plastic sandwich baggies, and a strainer. In the hallway closet, law enforcement located a blue Nike bag containing two scales, a spoon, and plastic baggies, as well as, additional packing material for narcotics.
Venable was charged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and he agreed to have the charge transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia as part of a global resolution to the charges against him.
One other defendant pled guilty to charges in the case and another is awaiting trial. Darryl Smith, 41, the manager of the Next Level Cuts barbershop, pled guilty to federal narcotics and firearms offenses and is to be sentenced on Aug. 15, 2018. Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., was indicted for drug trafficking offenses and is awaiting trial.
In announcing the guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, Chief Newsham, and Chief Stawinski commended the work of those investigating and prosecuting the cases. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Teesha Tobias, and Kim Hall; Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Parker Tobin and Rebecca Caruso of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Sykes.
Man Indicted for Shooting a Police OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against John Terry Chatman, Jr., 34, of Tulsa, charging him with Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Obstruction of Justice by Attempting to Kill a Witness, and Carrying, Using, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The indictment alleges that Chatman possessed a 32 caliber revolver and ammunition after prior felony convictions, attempted to kill a Tulsa police officer, and carried and discharged a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the obstruction of justice by attempting to kill a witness charge; and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine for the carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge.
United States Attorney Shores stated, “This indictment alleges that John Terry Chatman violated federal laws when he shot and wounded a Tulsa police officer with a firearm that he illegally possessed. We will seek to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and hold him accountable in a court of law. Like any other shooting victim of a felon with an illegal gun, the wounded police officer in this case deserves justice.”
United States Attorney Trent Shores represents the United States as lead prosecutor in this matter. The case was investigated by the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department.
The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Member of Valley Park Drug Trafficking Operation Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today the conviction of a defendant charged in connection with an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation targeting a drug trafficking network based in Baton Rouge and operating in Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement uncovered an illegal dog fighting operation. Numerous defendants were charged with significant drug trafficking offenses involving cocaine, marijuana and heroin, as well as violations of the Federal Animal Welfare Act.
Today, COREY T. BROWN a.k.a. “Black,” age 31, of Baton Rouge, appeared before Chief Judge Shelly Dick and pled guilty to his role in the drug trafficking network. Brown pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 46.5 grams of heroin, 28.5 grams of cocaine and 28.35 grams of marijuana, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute heroin. BROWN also plead guilty to violating the Federal Animal Welfare Act, for his part in a multi-state dog fighting operation.
On July 2, 2018, Eric Lashawn Williams, a.k.a. “E” and “EZ,” age 35, of Baton Rouge, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 46.5 grams of heroin, 285 grams of cocaine and 28.35 grams of marijuana, one count of the unlawful use of a communication facility, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. WILLIAMS also pled guilty to a Bill of Information charging him with violating the Federal Animal Welfare Act by possession of animals in animal fighting ventures.
On July 17, 2018, MARCO MURPHY, a.k.a. “Big Daddy,” age 34, of Baton Rouge, appeared before Judge Shelly Dick and pled guilty to his role in the drug trafficking network. Murphy pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams of cocaine and 28 grams of marijuana, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana.
On August 1, 2018, ED WILLIAMS JR., a.k.a. “Cooter,” age 31, of Baton Rouge, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, and one count of distribution of heroin.
Because of their guilty pleas, each defendant faces a significant term of imprisonment, fines, and the forfeiture of proceeds from their illegal activity.
According to documents filed in connection with the guilty pleas, ERIC WILLIAMS along with BROWN were the organizers and leaders of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for the distribution of cocaine, marijuana and heroin in the Valley Park neighborhood of Baton Rouge. MURPHY and WILLIAMS JR. were distributors in the organization.
During the investigation into the drug trafficking, law enforcement agents became aware that WILLIAMS and BROWN were also involved in an illegal dog-fighting operation. Law enforcement intercepted WILLIAMS, BROWN and others over numerous telephone conversations regarding the results of dogfights in states including Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi, future fights, the stakes (cash) wagers on upcoming fights, as well as the breeding, sale, and training of dogs for dogfighting.
On August 24, 2017, law enforcement agents conducted a search at two residences in Baton Rouge and seized 13 pit bull dogs related to dog-fighting activities. The dogs belonged to the defendant WILLIAMS and five were located at a residence owned by BROWN.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “The good people of Valley Park don’t deserve, nor do they want, people like these defendants in their neighborhood selling drugs and using the proceeds to fight dogs for sport. We are glad to bring this organization to justice. This is yet another victory in the fight to rid our streets of wrongdoers.”
This investigation is another effort by the OCDETF Program, which was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, money laundering organizations, and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
This OCDETF operation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana and the FBI Baton Rouge Capitol Area Gang Task Force. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
Loan Officer Sentenced for His Role in Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Daniel Cardenas (37, Tampa) to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Cardenas pleaded guilty on April 24, 2018.
According to court documents, from as early as October 2007 through May 2008, Cardenas and others conspired to execute a wire fraud scheme affecting financial institutions. The goal of the scheme was to sell condominium units at The Preserve at Temple Terrace, a 392-unit condominium complex in Tampa. To entice buyers to purchase the units, the conspirators offered cash payments to buyers, either before or after closing. Payment of the funds to the individual buyers was neither known to nor approved by the mortgage lenders.
The conspirators made material false statements on loan documents, such as purchase and sale agreements, loan applications, and HUD-1 settlement statements, to induce mortgage lenders to approve loans for otherwise unqualified borrowers. The conspirators used several entities to conceal the payments to buyers from the mortgage lenders.
Cardenas’s role in the conspiracy, as a loan officer at Transcontinental Lending Group’s branch in Tampa, included but was not limited to preparing, signing, and certifying false and fraudulent loan applications submitted to lenders in order to induce the institutions to provide funding for buyers. The false representations submitted to and relied upon by the mortgage lenders included representations concerning occupancy, income, source of funds, and assets. Cardenas’s participation in the mortgage fraud conspiracy caused approximately $710,000 in losses to the victim mortgage lenders.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hoffer.
Lanham Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Demetrius Darrius Rasberry, age 36, of Lanham, Maryland, to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for the robbery of a convenience store and for using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during the robbery. Rasberry also committed two other armed robberies in Prince George’s County. Judge Chuang ordered that Rasberry pay restitution in the full amount of the loss.
The sentence 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 Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on April 7, 2017, Rasberry entered a convenience store in Lanham, Maryland, pointed a semiautomatic handgun at an employee and demanded that the employee open the cash drawer. Rasberry then went behind the counter, ordered the employee to the ground and stole $148.42. After putting the money into a bag, Rasberry jumped over the counter and exited the store. As he was leaving, Rasberry turned and fired two shots into the store, then ran away.
According to Rasberry’s plea and other court documents, on April 8, 2017, Rasberry and co-conspirator Jose Orlando Johnson robbed two liquor stores in Forestville and Camp Springs, Maryland, respectively. In each robbery, Johnson drove to the location and waited outside while Rasberry entered the store and robbed the employee at gunpoint. At the first liquor store, Rasberry stole $500 and two bottles of Hennessy cognac. Rasberry then exited the store and got into the car driven by Johnson and the two drove away from the area. In the second liquor store robbery, Johnson waited in the car at a gas station nearby while Rasberry entered the store and robbed the store employee at gunpoint. At the second liquor store Rasberry stole approximately $1,080 and a bottle of Hennessy cognac packaged in a black and gold box. Rasberry ran out of the store in the direction of the gas station where Johnson was waiting. An officer who was in the area saw Rasberry fleeing toward the gas station.
Shortly after the robbery, officers canvassing the area located the car and could see two men in the front seats. As they approached, Rasberry got out of the front passenger seat and attempted to run away. Rasberry was quickly apprehended near the vehicle and arrested. Johnson was located in the driver seat and his 5-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son were also present in the vehicle.
Rasberry and Johnson were taken in custody. Officers searched Rasberry and Johnson and recovered $993.81 from Rasberry and $954 from Johnson. From the vehicle, officers recovered: a loaded black and silver Ruger P89 9mmx19 semiautomatic handgun, with one unfired cartridge in the chamber, and eight cartridges in the magazine (front passenger floorboard); a Hennessy cognac decorative box with bottle inside (front passenger floorboard); and two unopened bottles of Hennessy cognac.
Analysis performed by the Prince George’s County Firearms Examination Unit revealed that the shell casings recovered from the scene of the robbery at the convenience store were fired from the Ruger handgun recovered from the vehicle.
Johnson, age 26, of Suitland, Maryland, pleaded guilty to the liquor store robbery and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 2018.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Eyler Kaplan and Timothy F. Hagan, who prosecuted the case.
Lake Worth Resident Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), announced that Wilfredo Roy Madrigal, a/k/a “Fredo,” a/k/a “Wolfman,” 34, of Palm Beach County, was sentenced yesterday, by United States District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to the court record, on March 6, 2018, Madrigal sold heroin to an individual outside of his hotel room in Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida. On March 8, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Madrigal’s hotel room and seized a number of controlled substances including, heroin, marijuana, Adderall, and Methoxyacetyl Fentanyl pills (which were made to look like Oxycodone pills), as well as, plastic baggies and digital scales.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DEA and PBSO, for their assistance in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci.
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
KC Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm After Eluding DWI CheckpointRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who attempted to elude a DWI checkpoint while he was intoxicated was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Derrick J. White, 30, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to eight years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 5, 2018, White pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. White admitted that he was in possession of a Ruger 9mm handgun, which was found by Independence, Mo., police officers who searched his vehicle following a pursuit when he attempted to elude a sobriety checkpoint.
White was driving a vehicle while intoxicated when he encountered a DWI checkpoint near U.S. 24 Highway and Vassar Road in Independence at about 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2016. White refused to stop at the checkpoint, and instead accelerated and fled. Officers deployed stop-sticks and disabled White’s vehicle.
According to court documents, officers observed many of the physical signs of someone under the influence of an intoxicant. White failed the standard field sobriety tests and refused to provide a breath sample to determine his blood alcohol content. During this encounter, he was uncooperative and argumentative with the officers. White was arrested for driving while intoxicated and fleeing. When officers searched his vehicle, they found the Ruger 9mm, with an obliterated serial number, underneath the driver’s seat.
According to court documents, White was arrested by Kansas City, Mo., police officers on May 8, 2017, after officers were dispatched on a disturbance involving the defendant. When the officers approached him, White refused to stop and fled on foot. Ultimately, White was detained, but throughout his detention, he was combative, uncooperative, and belligerent. Upon being arrested, he was found in possession of a High Point Arms, semi-automatic firearm.
Officers attempted to book White into the Jackson County Detention Center, but he was so intoxicated that the booking process could not be completed, so officers were forced to take him to a hospital. While at the hospital, White was belligerent to the hospital staff and security officers. He also made direct and indirect threatening comments about shooting the officers. Those statements included that he was happy each time he heard an officer had been shot and killed. He also threaten an officer directly by saying “when I get out in 10 or 15, shootin you is a cold fact.”
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. White has two prior criminal felony convictions for illegally possessing a firearm and prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance. Additionally, White has 27 misdemeanor convictions, including two offenses that involved firearms, three offenses that involved resisting arrest, nine driving offenses and three offenses that involved alcohol or drugs. White has been incarcerated, on parole, probation, or supervised release for approximately 10 of the past 11 years.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jury Delivers Verdicts in Trial of FBI Special AgentRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – A federal jury today acquitted W. Joseph Astarita, a member of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) based in Quantico, Virginia, on charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice.
"We thank the jury for their dedicated service and for giving full consideration to an important case. We strongly believe this case needed to be brought before the court and decided by a jury," said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. "Our system of justice relies on the absolute integrity of law enforcement officials at all levels of government."
"The OIG respects the jury’s verdict. We will continue to investigate allegations of misconduct by Department of Justice employees to ensure the integrity of our law enforcement components," said Michael E. Horowitz, U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General. "We also would like to thank the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Major Incident Team for their assistance with this investigation."
Astarita was one of a number of FBI agents assigned to the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and was present during the shooting of Robert LaVoy Finicum on January 26, 2016, in Harney County, Oregon.
Astarita was accused of knowingly and willfully making false statements to FBI Supervisory Special Agents. Specifically, Astarita told his supervisors he had not fired his weapon during the attempted arrest of Finnicum.
A federal grand jury charged Astarita with three counts of making false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001 and two counts of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1521(b)(3) on June 20, 2017. One count each of making false statements and obstruction of justice were dismissed pre-trial.
The verdicts concludes a three-week trial during which jurors heard testimony from FBI agents, state and local law enforcement officers, forensic scientists and ballistics experts.
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated this case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. The case was prosecuted by Gary Y. Sussman and Paul T. Maloney, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Illegal Alien Who Has Been Deported on Three Prior Occasions Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that JORGE LUIS OCHOA-MORALES, age 49, pled guilty to a single count indictment charging him with illegal reentry into the United States by a removed alien.
On February 11, 2018, OCHOA-MORALES was encountered in the Ascension Parish Detention Center. OCHOA-MORALES was born 1968, in Mexico and is a citizen and national of Mexico with no legal status to live, reside or work in the United States. He has been deported or removed from the United States on three prior occasions: on June 17, 2011, from at or near Nogales, Texas; on June 24, 2010, from at or near Hidalgo, Texas; and on or about December 31, 2005, from at or near Brownsville, Texas.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement matched OCHOA-MORALES’ fingerprints to previous records and positively identified him. OCHOA-MORALES admitted that he entered the United States illegally, never having obtained the consent of the Attorney General of the United States or his successor, the Secretary for Homeland Security.
U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “Our duty is to enforce our nation’s laws by protecting the border wherever we find illegal aliens. This prosecution is one of many that my office intends to bring in support of the Attorney General’s Immigration Enforcement Policy and in fulfilment of my duty to the residents of the Middle District. I appreciate the hard work by all those involved in this important matter.”
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
Hattiesburg Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy and Illegal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – William Russell Oswalt, 29, of Hattiesburg, entered guilty pleas yesterday before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (heroin) and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Oswalt faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and 5 years to life in prison for the firearm charge. He further faces fines of $250,000 and $1 million, along with at least 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for October 16, 2018, at 9:45 a.m.
On January 4, 2016, the Twelfth Circuit Court Narcotics Enforcement Team made an undercover purchase of heroin. On January 17, 2017, armed with an arrest warrant, law enforcement located Oswalt at a Hattiesburg hotel in possession of marijuana, methamphetamine, digital scales, numerous pills and a loaded firearm. With this information, Agents with the DEA and ATF conducted an investigation of Oswalt that revealed he had been distributing heroin in the Hattiesburg area since 2013. Agents identified his sources in New Orleans, one of whom verified Oswalt purchased quantities of heroin. Other associates admitted they purchased heroin from Oswalt. He was indicted on the federal charges in April 2018.
The Twelfth Circuit Court Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Hartford Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD RIVERA, 35, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a DEA Hartford Task Force investigation revealed that individuals were distributing heroin from the Katty Grocery store located at 584 Franklin Avenue in Hartford. During the investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, RIVERA obtained distribution quantities of heroin from Franklyn Caraballo-Almonte at the Katty Grocery. In December 2016 and January 2017, an undercover agent made multiple controlled purchases of heroin from RIVERA.
On January 31, 2017, RIVERA was arrested on state narcotics charges after he agreed to sell 900 bags of heroin to the undercover agent. On that date, investigators seized from RIVERA 950 bags of heroin and $1,642 in cash. A subsequent search of RIVERA’s South Street residence revealed quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana, $14,963 in cash, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.
RIVERA has been detained since his arrest. On February 21, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin.
RIVERA forfeited the cash seized during the investigation.
Caraballo-Almonte has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Grand Jury Indicts Physician for Illegal Remuneration for Health Care ReferralsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Adam Gallardo Arrendondo, 56, of Waxahachie, Texas, charging him with Illegal Remuneration for Health Care Referrals.
The indictment alleges that Arrendondo solicited and received checks in exchange for referring compounding prescriptions paid for by federal programs. Compounding prescriptions are the result of combining or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient that are not FDA approved. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
United States Attorney Shores stated, “Illegal payment for health care referrals undermines the integrity of our health care system. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will bring to justice those who engage in health care fraud by exploiting programs that provide care for millions of Americans.”
Assistant United States Attorney Melody N. Nelson represents the United States as lead prosecutor in this matter. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General.
The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Four Members of a Drug Trafficking Organization Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Yesterday, four members of a drug trafficking organization based in Lee County pled guilty to charges against them on the second day of their trial, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Their guilty pleas bring the total number of members of the organization who have pled guilty in federal court to eighteen[i]. A nineteenth federal defendant, Phillip Maddox, 41, from Auburn, Alabama, is set for trial in October.
The four individuals who pled guilty yesterday were, Worldly Dieago Holstick, 36 and Timothy Lamar Spinks, 43, both from Auburn, Alabama; James Earl McIntyre, 28, from Montgomery, Alabama; and James Lee Hamilton, 41, from Santa Rosa, California.
According to witnesses who testified during the trial Wednesday, Holstick was the leader of the drug trafficking organization which stretched from Georgia to California. Spinks obtained cocaine from Holstick and distributed it in Lee County. McIntyre provided addresses to Holstick so that he could have boxes containing five to ten pounds of marijuana shipped from California to Alabama. Finally, Hamilton helped launder the proceeds of the drug activity through numerous bank accounts in California.
Holstick and Spinks pled guilty to various crimes including conspiracy to sell cocaine and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. They each face a maximum sentence of life in prison. McIntyre pled guilty to various crimes including conspiracy to sell marijuana and he faces up to five years in prison. Hamilton pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison.
These cases were investigated by the following agencies: DEA – Montgomery Resident Office, Auburn Police Division, Eufaula Police Department, Prattville Police Department, Alabama Attorney General’s Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Alabama HIDTA Task Force, Alabama National Guard, Autauga County Sheriff’s Office, Central Alabama Drug Task Force (CADTF), Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Millbrook Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County District Attorney’s Office, Opelika Police Department, Troy Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.
The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Verne Speirs, Kevin Davidson, Josh Wendell, and Curtis Ivy.
[i] Thirteen federal defendants were originally arrested in August 2017. Additional members of the drug trafficking organization have been arrested since then.
Former New Port Richey Resident Sentenced to More Than Ten Years in Connection with Consumer Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL –U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced David Owen (40, Largo) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring to commit extortion, money laundering, and mail fraud, in connection with several consumer fraud schemes. As part of his sentence, the Court also ordered restitution to the victims in the amount of $697,500, and entered a money judgment in the amount of $1,185,652, representing the proceeds of the fraud.
According to court documents, Owen, who was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on January 30, 2018, and a co-conspirator, Andrew Corrigan, used straw account owners to open bank accounts into which they deposited money from victims of their tax impersonation scheme. The conspirators extorted money from victims by falsely representing that the victims had financial obligations to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Canadian tax authorities, or other entities. They then threatened the victims with arrest, prosecution, or other legal consequences for their purported debts and demanded that they pay the conspirators the “owed” money.
The conspirators monitored the victims’ deposits online in order to ensure that the straw owners of the accounts (who were controlled by the conspirators) made timely withdrawals. The conspirators provided the straw account owners with the victims’ names, locations, and amounts of deposits. The conspirators then directed the straw account owners to withdraw the funds in cash, and turn it over to them (often less a payment to the straw account owner for opening the account or conducting the transaction) victims were also directed to pay via money transfers and prepaid debit cards, which were also collected and deposited by the defendants. Owen and Corrigan collected more than $850,000 from their victims.
For his role in this scheme, Corrigan was sentenced to 10 years in prison on January 30, 2018.
Owen also devised another telemarketing fraud scheme, which primarily targeted elderly victims. Callers located outside of the United States contacted at least three elderly victims and falsely represented to those victims that they had won millions of dollars in the Publisher’s Clearing House lottery. The callers then induced the victims to provide financial information and mail large cashier’s checks to a straw business (Edgewater Elite) in Florida, set up by Owen, to pay “advance” taxes on the alleged winnings, or for some other related purpose. Once the victims’ funds were deposited into the Edgewater Elite bank accounts, they were quickly disbursed by the straw business owner, at the direction of Owen. Over $315,000 was collected from the three elderly victims.
"This sentence today represents a victory not just for the IRS, but for the many hard-working Americans who have received an intimidating phone call from the perpetrators of this despicable scam," stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui of IRS Criminal Investigation. "We remind taxpayers that the IRS does not initiate contact by phone and we will never call with threats to arrest you. Education is your best defense, so we invite everyone to spread the word to be on the watch for phone calls from IRS impersonators."
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Gulfport Police Department, the Toronto Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Rachel Jones.
Former Mississippi Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing a Fraudulent Tax Refund ClaimRead the Press Release
A former resident of Durant, Mississippi pleaded guilty today to preparing and filing a fraudulent claim for a tax refund with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr. of the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to court documents and information provided in court, from 2005 through 2015, Teresa C. Chism operated tax return preparation businesses in Mississippi named Mo’ Money, MoneyCo USA, and Lady T Taxes . Chism falsified her clients’ returns in different ways in order to increase their tax refunds, including reporting false wages, false self-employment income and expenses, and false education credits. In total, Chism prepared more than 550 false tax returns, seeking over $3.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds. The IRS paid at least $3.2 million in refunds on these bogus claims. Chism also did not file individual tax returns or pay taxes on her own income for 2013-2015, despite earning more than $100,000 during those years.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2018. Chism faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Hurst commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Robert J. Boudreau and William Montague of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall of the Southern District of Mississippi, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Former MLB All-Star Pitcher Esteban LoaizaPleads Guilty to Possessing 20 Kilograms of Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 10, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Former Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza pleaded guilty in federal court today to an Information charging him with possession of 20 kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute.
In a change of plea hearing before United States District Judge Janis L. Sammartino, Loaiza admitted that on February 9, 2018, he took possession of a silver Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle that he knew to contain cocaine. He further admitted that he drove the SUV to a townhouse he rented in Imperial Beach, California, where he transferred 20 kilograms of cocaine to another vehicle in the garage, and that he did so with the intent to distribute the cocaine to another person.
Loaiza will remain on bond and subject to electronic location monitoring pending his sentencing hearing.
Sentencing is scheduled to occur before Judge Sammartino on November 2, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
DEFENDANTS Case 18CR1743-JLS
Esteban Antonio Loaiza Age: 46 Imperial Beach, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment and $10,000,000 fine
AGENCIES
United States Drug Enforcement Administration
United States Border Patrol
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
Former JP Morgan Chase Bank Employee Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Selling Customer Account InformationRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Peter Persaud, a former personal banker at JP Morgan Chase Bank, was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 48 months’ imprisonment for aggravated identity theft in connection with access device fraud. Persaud pleaded guilty to these charges on March 7, 2017.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“Persaud abused his position by victimizing unsuspecting customers, and will now pay the penalty for his fraudulent conduct,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and industry partners to vigorously prosecute those who undermine the integrity of the financial system.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office and the New York City Police Department, which jointly investigated the case.
According to the publicly filed documents and facts presented at sentencing, from 2011 to 2015, Persaud sold personal identifying information and account information that belonged to bank customers to others, or used it himself, in order to make unauthorized withdrawals from the accounts. Persaud’s scheme was exposed when he sold this information to a confidential informant in 2014 and to an undercover law enforcement officer in 2015. Persaud told the undercover officer that he had to “take it easy” because Chase might notice he had accessed all of the bank accounts that “got hit.” Persaud offered to sell the undercover officer identifying information for a client’s bank account that contained more than $180,000.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tiana Demas and Andrey Spektor are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
PETER PERSAUD
Age: 28
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-0462 (ENV)
Former Federal Way, Washington Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison in Repeat Case of Filing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A former tax return preparer is now facing a second 37-month prison term, followed by three years of supervised release, for preparing false tax returns, after serving more than two years in prison for her first conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. KWANGBAE P. KIM, 63, operated “Tea and Tax” in Federal Way, Washington. From 2011 to 2016, KIM engaged in a scheme to file false income tax returns–mirroring the scheme that had resulted in a 27-month prison term in 2003. At sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The Court’s largest concern is that she failed to learn from her prior time in prison.”
“Instead of learning from her past crimes, this defendant chose to go right back to abusing our tax system,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Along the way, she betrayed her clients and a family member. I commend the work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations special agents in this case, and so many others, to ensure our tax system serves our country and is fairly enforced.”
According to records filed in the case, in 2003, KIM prepared tax returns for customers with false and fraudulent business expenses. After the IRS investigation began and agents contacted some of KIM’s clients, she orchestrated “cover stories,” had clients rehearse their stories, and gave them falsified documentation to try to make the fraudulent expense deductions look legitimate. The tax loss in the 2003 case was $430,000.
After the prison sentence, KIM returned to tax preparation and again prepared returns with false and fictitious expense deductions. Between 2011 and 2016, KIM prepared more than 30 false tax returns resulting in a tax loss of at least $113,000. In order to try to hide her conduct, KIM used other people’s Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTIN). These numbers are assigned by the IRS so it can identify who prepared the return. KIM applied for a PTIN in the name of a relative who did not prepare taxes and did not know about the PTIN. She also used the PTINs of two other people. As in the 2003 case, when the IRS started asking clients about their deductions, KIM encouraged them to lie to the IRS and provide false and misleading documents.
While KIM did not directly profit from the increased tax refunds enjoyed by her clients, the refunds may have increased her profit by encouraging others to use her business. Of the $113,000 tax loss, KIM’s clients have paid most of the loss after their returns were audited. Chief Judge Martinez ordered KIM to pay restitution of the remaining $29,478.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS‑CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Dion and Matthew Diggs.
Florida Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL –U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced William Joseph McClenathan (30, Sanford) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. McClenathan pleaded guilty on May 16, 2018.
According to court documents, in December 2017, McClenathan distributed an image depicting a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A forensic review of McClenathan’s electronic devices revealed that he possessed 171 images of child pornography and 338 videos of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alejandro J. Salicrup.
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.
Felon in Possession of Firearms Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced CHRISTOPHER CARTER a/k/a Christopher James Carter, age 28, of Baton Rouge, to 60 months in federal prison following his conviction for two counts of possession of firearms by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
On June 12, 2017, at approximately 10:35 p.m., Baton Rouge Police Department (“BRPD”) officers were dispatched to the 2900 block of Tecumseh Street, in the Middle District of Louisiana, relative to multiple shots being fired. A BRPD officer observed an individual, later identified as CARTER, exit the front passenger side of a vehicle and go inside of a residence. After a search of the vehicle, a Glock, model 26, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, and two extended magazines, containing 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition, were found lying underneath the front passenger seat of the vehicle where the defendant had just been observed sitting. CARTER admits that he knowingly possessed the gun that evening.
On July 5, 2017, BRPD stopped a car occupied by CARTER for a traffic violation. A BRPD officer observed the defendant shove a handgun into the back seat pocket of the driver’s seat of the vehicle. BRPD officers removed CARTER from the vehicle, advised him of his Miranda rights, which the defendant acknowledged, and asked him about the gun. CARTER admitted that the gun was his and that he was a convicted felon. The firearm was a Canik, model TP-9SA, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm caliber ammunition.
Judge Jackson noted on the record that CARTER had five prior convictions, three of which involved firearms, and two other arrests which were uncharged that also involved firearms.
Both weapons were surrendered by CARTER pursuant to his plea of guilty.
U.S. Attorney Fremin stated, “As long as unrepentant violent felons choose to illegally possess guns we will be there to enforce the law. This conviction and sentence is yet another example of how strong partnerships with the Baton Rouge Police Department and the ATF can produce results. I am proud of the continuing efforts of our state and local partners and look forward to many similar successful prosecutions.”
ATF Resident Agent-in-Charge Antonio L. Pittman stated, “Law enforcement partners will continue to work together towards the safety of our communities by focusing our efforts on armed violent felons. I am proud of the support we are receiving from our community. We will continue to remove the criminal element from our city and parish by presenting relevant investigative work to our Middle District of Louisiana US Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Baton Rouge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth White.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Former Chicago Man for Attempting to Join ISISRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a former Chicago man for allegedly attempting to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham.
FARESS MUHAMMAD SHRAITEH, 21, is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to ISIS, and one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS. The indictment was returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Shraiteh is a United States citizen who formerly resided in Chicago and now lives in Israel.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was investigated by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of representatives from the FBI and numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
According to the indictment, Shraiteh and two other individuals began conspiring to join ISIS in November 2014. In May 2015 the trio traveled from Chicago to Egypt, where they allegedly spent time in Cairo and Sharm El-Sheik, before flying to Istanbul, Turkey. Shraiteh was denied entry into Turkey, while the two others were allowed in, the indictment states. Shraiteh went to Israel, where he has family, and later communicated with one of the other individuals that he planned to renew his passport and join them, the charges allege.
One of the other individuals was later killed while conducting a suicide attack on behalf of ISIS, the indictment states. The charges allege that Shraiteh knew ISIS was a terrorist organization when he conspired to join it.
Each charge in the indictment is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Shraiteh is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Peter S. Salib of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Lolita Lukose of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Former Mississippi Return Preparer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former resident of Durant, Mississippi pleaded guilty today to preparing and filing a fraudulent claim for a tax refund with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr. of the Southern District of Mississippi.
According to court documents and information provided in court, from 2005 through 2015, Teresa C. Chism operated tax return preparation businesses in Mississippi named Mo’ Money, MoneyCo USA, and Lady T Taxes . Chism falsified her clients’ returns in different ways in order to increase their tax refunds, including reporting false wages, false self-employment income and expenses, and false education credits. In total, Chism prepared more than 550 false tax returns, seeking over $3.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds. The IRS paid at least $3.2 million in refunds on these bogus claims. Chism also did not file individual tax returns or pay taxes on her own income for 2013-2015, despite earning more than $100,000 during those years.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2018. Chism faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Hurst commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Robert J. Boudreau and William Montague of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall of the Southern District of Mississippi, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Eleven Members of Lakeland Drug Trafficking Organization Plead Guilty to Causing Four Overdose Deaths, an Overdose Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Heroin and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the guilty pleas of the individuals listed below with charges stemming from conspiracy to distribute more than 1 kilogram of heroin, 400 hundred grams of fentanyl, and 100 grams of a fentanyl analogue, the distribution of which resulted in four deaths and in serious bodily injury to a victim. The defendants face penalties from 10 years to life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The plea agreements also require certain individuals to make restitution to the families of the victims.
Salik Stevens Drug Trafficking Organization
Name
Age, Residence
Status
Salik Stevens, a/k/a “Carlito,” ‘Dough”
35, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Hasan Pearson, a/k/a “Julio,” “Hoov”
36, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Naboris Lampkin , a/k/a “Beezy”
32, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Ladarius Oglesby, a/k/a “Hitta”
23, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
William Jones, a/k/a “Book”
39, Mulberry
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Dominic Matthews, a/k/a “Gargamel”
30, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum term of life imprisonment.
Prince Grant
37, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
Justin Martin
33, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
Jeminine Poe
37, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
John Brown
54, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of attempted possession of heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Dalyshia Dexter
28, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
On January 5, 2018, in a related case, Antonorio Nelson, a/k/a “Nep,” (29, Lakeland) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute furanyl fentanyl resulting in death. He faces a minimum mandatory of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the plea agreements, the defendants were part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues, and operated in and around Lakeland. As part of the conspiracy, Stevens and Pearson received controlled substances via packages shipped from New Jersey. They then distributed the drugs, packaged in individual user amounts referred to as “bindles,” to Lakeland dealers. The organization utilized three primary premises for the storage and distribution of controlled substances, including a car wash, a residence, and an apartment complex.
Law enforcement identified several overdoses in Polk County between February and April 2017, that were linked to the organization. Specifically, investigators identified four victims who had died from ingesting furanyl fentanyl and carfentanil sold by members of the DTO, and one victim who was medically resuscitated after a carfentanil overdose.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized thousands of individual bindles of heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues, three firearms, and over $10,000 in cash.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Eldorado Woman Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
On August 9, 2018, Betsy J. Gutowski, 45, of Eldorado, Illinois, pled guilty in federal court to charges that she engaged in a scheme to steal from a federal health care program, Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Prior to her guilty plea, Gutowski’s bond was revoked, and she remains in custody pending sentencing, which is currently set for November 15, 2018. Gutowski faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
During her plea hearing, Gutowski admitted submitting false and fraudulent bills for personal assistant services in the Home Services Program, a Medicaid waiver program designed to allow individuals to stay in their homes instead of entering a nursing home. Gutowski admitted she falsely billed the program between December 1, 2011 and October 15, 2012, when she purportedly rendered personal assistant services to a customer who, in fact, was in a hospital or nursing home at the time. In total, Gutowski improperly billed 349.5 hours of services and obtained $4,036.73 in payments for services not performed.
This prosecution is part of the "Operation Home Alone" initiative. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General,
and the Illinois State Police - Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Quinley.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, or you may call 1.800.447.8477.
Eight Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine in NE AlabamaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge this week sentenced eight members of a northeast Alabama methamphetamine conspiracy to prison sentences ranging from two years to life, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr.
U.S. District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced JEFF MORRIS BEAM JR., 37, of Gadsden, to life in prison as the leader of an Etowah County-based conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine in Etowah, Marshall and Calhoun counties in Alabama and in areas of northwestern Georgia.
“The ringleader of this drug-trafficking operation will spend the remainder of his youth, middle age, and the rest of his life in a federal prison,” Town said. “All eight of his co-defendants, to include his sister, have been reserved bed space in a federal prison, half of whom will be there for at least a decade. Federal, state and local law enforcement have a shared commitment to take drug traffickers off the streets and direct them to federal custody where there is no sanctuary of parole,” he said.
“The work done by the North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force dismantled this criminal enterprise, which was bringing large quantities of methamphetamine to the streets of Etowah County,” Sharp said. “I want to thank the Etowah County Drug Task Force, the Etowah County District Attorney’s Office, the Anniston Police Department, and the Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office for their work to help to bring Beam and his criminal organization to the justice they deserve.”
A federal jury convicted Beam in April of the conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine between December 2014 and April 28, 2016. The jury also convicted Beam for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on Aug. 18, 2015, and for possession with intent to distribute five grams or more on Aug. 25, 2015. The total amount of methamphetamine trafficked through the conspiracy was at least 33 kilograms, or nearly 73 pounds.
The seven other defendants involved in the conspiracy included Beam’s sister, JAMIE LEANN BEAM, 41, RICHARD WENDELL EDMONDSON, 36, HENRY CURTIS GILLEY, 34, HAROLD DEWAYNE DEAL, 39, and RICHARD LEE KIRBY, 35, all of Gadsden, and HANNAH BLAIR CROWDER, 25, and ROY CLAUDE FARLOW JR., 58, both of Attalla. All but Deal and Kirby pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge.
Edmondson pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and to two counts of possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, once in Calhoun County on Jan. 3, 2016, and in Etowah County, along with co-defendant Farlow, on March 8, 2016. Judge Haikala sentenced Edmonson to 10 years in prison.
The judge sentenced Beam’s sister to 14 years in prison. Jamie Beam pleaded guilty in March to the conspiracy and to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on July 1, 2015, and possessing with intent to distribute five grams or more on Oct. 14, 2015, both in Etowah County.
Gilley pleaded guilty in January to the conspiracy and to one count of possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The judge sentenced Gilley to 12 years in prison.
Deal pleaded guilty in January to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The judge sentenced Deal to 10 years and 10 months in prison.
Crowder pleaded guilty in January to the conspiracy, possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams and possessing with intent to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine. The judge sentenced Crowder to seven years and seven months in prison.
Kirby pleaded guilty in January to possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The judge sentenced Kirby to five years and 10 months in prison.
Farlow pleaded guilty in January to the conspiracy and to one count of possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The judge sentenced Farlow to two years and four months in prison.
The FBI investigated the case in conjunction with Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura D. Hodge and Erica Williamson Barnes prosecuted the case.
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