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10 August 2018
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Tyrone Hopkins, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a federal firearms charge stemming from his arrest last fall in a narcotics investigation, announced 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), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hopkins pled guilty in July 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, Hopkins was arrested on Oct. 16, 2017, in the 1900 block of West Virginia Avenue NE after he and another man sold crack cocaine to an undercover MPD officer. When MPD officers arrested Hopkins, they discovered an additional amount of crack cocaine in his pocket and a loaded firearm tucked in his waistband. Hopkins had previously been convicted of a felony offense and was, at the time of his arrest, on pre-trial release for a pending drug charge in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
The firearm recovered from Hopkins was linked to a broader investigation into a firearms ring that acquired guns in Atlanta, Ga., and transported weapons into the District of Columbia for resale. According to the evidence, the gun in Hopkins’s possession was purchased by Jeremy Carr at a store in Smyrna, Ga. Carr, 34, of Marietta, Ga., has been indicted along with two co-defendants on federal charges in a separate case in the District of Columbia, including a charge of taking part in a conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. All three defendants have pled not guilty to charges and are awaiting further court proceedings.
According to court documents filed in the case against Carr, more than 20 firearms that Carr purchased have already been recovered in the District of Columbia.
These cases are being investigated by ATF and MPD. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and Gregory Rosen of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
District Man Sentenced to 30-Month Prison Term for Illegal Possession of Gun on MetrobusRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael N. Jackson, 44, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 30-month prison term on a federal firearms charge, stemming from his possession of a loaded handgun onboard a Metrobus in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Ron Pavlik, Chief of the Metro Transit Police Department.
Jackson pled guilty in June 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and one count of simple possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced on Aug. 9, 2018, by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 14, 2017, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Jackson boarded a Metrobus at 8th and H Streets NE. He was highly intoxicated, and initiated an argument with another passenger. He later threatened to shoot and kill everyone on the bus.
Officers with the Metro Transit Police Department responded to the bus after it arrived at the Minnesota Avenue bus bay. They made contact with Jackson, and recovered a loaded 9-mm handgun from his waistband. After Jackson’s arrest, officers found crack cocaine in his pocket. Further investigation revealed that the handgun had been stolen from Prince George’s County, Md. Jackson has been in custody since his arrest.
This case marked Jackson’s fifth conviction for an offense involving a handgun. They included a 2006 conviction of a federal firearms charge in the District of Columbia and a 2014 conviction of a firearms charge in Prince George’s County, Md.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Pavlik commended the work of the officers who investigated the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akhi Johnson, Lisa Walters, and William Schurmann, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 15-Year Prison Term for Killing Woman Near Southeast Washington Bike PathRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elliott A. Starks, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 15-year prison term for killing a woman in December 2016 along a bicycle trail in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Starks pled guilty in May 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison term of 15 years. The Honorable Craig Iscoe accepted the plea and sentenced Starks accordingly. Following his prison term, Starks is to be placed on five years of supervised release. However, he also faces revocation of his parole for an earlier killing.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim, Antina Pratt, 40, was slain on Nov. 7, 2016, just over an hour after she left the restaurant where she worked. After work, Ms. Pratt took a bus from a stop near the restaurant to the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Howard Road SE, a short distance from the Sheridan Station apartment complex. When she got off the bus, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Starks, who knew Ms. Pratt, walked up to her at a location behind the apartment complex. The two walked alongside each other onto the 2600 block of Pomeroy Road SE, and towards a bike path adjacent to Suitland Parkway SE.
Several minutes later, while in a grassy area near the bike path, Starks drew a knife and stabbed Ms. Pratt repeatedly, inflicting a total of 29 stab wounds. She fought back, and in the process, scratched her assailant with her fingernails. She eventually collapsed and Starks fled on foot. A passerby found Ms. Pratt’s body the following afternoon.
Starks had been paroled in June 2016 after serving a term of imprisonment for other offenses, including a murder that he committed in 1999, also in Southeast Washington. In the earlier murder case, he had been sentenced to a prison term of 14 to 42 years.
Telephone records revealed that Starks and Ms. Pratt had communicated with each other on the night of Nov. 7, 2016. As a result, MPD detectives arranged to interview Starks. During the interview, on Dec. 22, 2016, Starks acknowledged knowing Ms. Pratt and being aware of her death. But he denied being responsible for the stabbing.
The District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, meanwhile, had examined Ms. Pratt’s fingernail clippings and found the presence of an unknown male’s DNA profile. The profile was uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes. Because of his convictions for the earlier offenses, a sample of Starks’s DNA profile had been uploaded into the CODIS database. On Dec. 30, 2016, MPD was advised that Starks’s DNA profile matched the one found on the fingernail clippings.
At the time of Ms. Pratt’s murder, Starks was still under supervision following his parole for the earlier crimes. However, in January 2017, he stopped reporting for meetings. On Jan. 6, 2017, a warrant was issued for his arrest for Ms. Pratt’s murder. He was arrested on Oct. 4, 2017, and has been in custody ever since.
As a result of this crime, Starks faces revocation of his parole for the earlier conviction. He could be required to serve the remaining 25 years on the sentence for that crime.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Metro transit system. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark and Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews-Yette. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Liebman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Following Discovery of Guns and Drugs in His ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Leroy Jones, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to one count of possessing firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jones pled guilty in May 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea, which was subject to the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Reggie B. Walton accepted the plea and sentenced Jones accordingly.
According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the plea, on June 28, 2017, Deputy U.S. Marshals came to an apartment building in the 1300 block of Kenyon Street NW to conduct an eviction. Building management provided them with the keys to the apartment. The deputy marshals announced their arrival for an eviction and entered the unit. No one was inside. The deputy marshals observed suspected narcotics, ammunition, and a firearm in plain view and reported the discovery to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department secured the apartment while a search warrant was sought. The officers who secured the apartment locked the front door and waited inside the apartment. While they waited, Jones returned to the apartment and unlocked the front door. Officers came to the front of the unit and detained Jones in the hallway.
Officers then searched the apartment pursuant to a search warrant. They found, among other things a duffel-style bag containing a Wyndham Weaponry .223-caliber short-barreled rifle, a rifle-pistol, two handguns, several high-capacity magazines and various types of ammunition. They also discovered in the apartment a ballistic vest, loose ammunition, a loaded magazine, suspected narcotics, and $3,409 in cash.
The suspected narcotics were submitted to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and a lab analysis determined them to be mixtures of substances containing cocaine and cocaine base.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Marshal Hughes, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Marshals Service and Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the DEA. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Catherine O’Neil, Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton, and Criminal Investigator Derek Starliper. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys C.B. Buente, Steven B. Wasserman, Emory V. Cole, and Vincent Caputy, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Taking Part in Drug Conspiracy Based in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Crevonte Johnson, 25, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base, commonly referred to as crack cocaine, in the Washington, D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Johnson pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base. The plea, which is subject to the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. The Honorable Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for Oct. 26, 2018.
Johnson was among 12 people indicted in December 2017 following an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. One other defendant has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges, and ten others are awaiting trial.
According to plea documents filed today, law enforcement began investigating drug trafficking activities in the 2600 block of Birney Place SE in late 2015. Throughout the investigation, an undercover police officer purchased crack cocaine from Johnson on multiple occasions. The first such purchase took place in 2015 and Johnson continued selling crack cocaine to the undercover officer on a regular basis throughout 2016. The last of these sales took place on Dec. 14, 2016, in the parking lot of a grocery store in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Throughout the investigation, Johnson sold the undercover officer approximately $10,080 worth of narcotics. Johnson admitted in Court that he was responsible for conspiring to distribute over 280 grams of crack cocaine.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The prosecution was sponsored and supported by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working with MPD, the FBI, and other law enforcement partners on a Justice Department initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods that is expected to generate additional cases targeting drug organizations. Under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to a coordinated law enforcement approach and identifying and addressing the most violent locations in the District of Columbia and the offenders.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Safe Streets Task Force, including the FBI, MPD, U.S. Park Police, Prince George's County, Md. Police, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Finally they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with the forfeiture aspects of the investigation.
District Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in 2015 Slaying in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Sean Green, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed and other charges for killing a man in July 2015 in Northwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), announced today.
Green also was found guilty of assault with intent to kill while armed and related firearms offenses. The verdict, on Aug. 9, 2018, followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for Nov. 2, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 30, 2015, at approximately 9:25 p.m., Green encountered the victim, Derrick Black, 24, who had flashed a gun at him in the area of the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue NW. Green left the area and immediately retrieved his own gun for the purpose of killing Mr. Black. Green did just as he had intended. He returned to the area where he last saw Mr. Black and fired multiple shots at the fleeing victim, causing him to run into the street and collapse to the ground from gunshot wounds to his head and back. According to the government’s evidence, Mr. Black never fired a shot at Green. Moreover, an unknown individual safely escaped Green’s gunfire while running alongside the victim into the street.
Green was arrested on Oct. 19, 2015, and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Pace, David Misler, Katherine Earnest, and Silvia Gonzalez Roman; Appellate Division Deputy Chiefs Nicholas Coleman and Suzanne Curt; Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Supervisor Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling and Paul Howell; Supervisory Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Michelle Wicker; Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite, Kelly Blakeney, and D’Yvonne Key, and Law Clerk Alexa Perlmutter.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Akhi Johnson and Michelle D. Jackson, who prosecuted the case at trial, as well as Law Clerks Julie Bessler and Siri Palm, who handled all aspects of courtroom technology.
Covington Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky., — Ryan J. Brock, 34, of Covington, was sentenced yesterday to 360 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge David L. Bunning, for production of child pornography. The sentence imposed was the maximum allowed by the statute.
Brock previously admitted to sexually abusing a minor relative and producing photographs and videos of the abuse using a tablet device. When a search warrant was executed at Brock’s residence in Covington, his device was not located, but an empty box for the device was found inside his vehicle. Agents also located a laptop that was forensically examined and found to contain images and videos depicting the sexual abuse perpetrated by Brock, as well as other child pornography. He pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2017.
Under federal law, Brock must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 25 years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Field Office; and Chief Robert Nader, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and the Covington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Elaine K. Leonhard.
Corporate Officers for Bozeman-Based USA Brass Company, Inc. Plead Guilty to False Statement and Clean Water Act Offenses Related to Company's Discharges of Lead-Contaminated Waste WaterRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Two former corporate officers of USA Brass Company, Inc. a Bozeman-based company that cleaned and polished spent ammunition casings for resale and reuse, pled guilty to separate offenses related to the company’s unauthorized discharges of lead-contaminated waste water into the City of Bozeman’s sewer system in 2013. U.S. Magistrate Jerimiah Lynch presided over the plea hearings held in Missoula on August 2 and August 9.
Zachary Daniel Flanagan, a 26-year old resident of Bozeman, Montana and former Chief Executive Officer of USA Brass, pled guilty to a felony false statement offense for making false representations to the pretreatment coordinator for the City of Bozeman’s Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) regarding the nature of lead-contaminated industrial waste water generated by USAB to gain permission to discharge the wastewater into the city’s sewer system.
Flanagan pled guilty to an information alleging that he falsely stated in a November 2013 email to the pretreatment coordinator that USAB’s laboratory analysis of the waste water had been reviewed by an environmental consultant who concluded that the lead-contaminated waste water “would be fine to send down the sewer.” Flanagan admitted that the statement was false because the consultant had not reviewed analytical results and had not concluded that the waste water was suitable for discharge to the city sewer. Sentencing for Flanagan is scheduled for November 15, 2018.
Nolan Michael Schimpf, a 26-year old resident of Bozeman, Montana, and former Chief Production Officer of USA Brass, pled guilty to a misdemeanor count under the federal Clean Water Act for negligently discharging the lead-contaminated waste water into the Bozeman POTW without authorization from September 2013 to December 2013, in violation of the City’s pretreatment program that regulates industrial discharges of pollutants into the City’s Publicly Owned Treatment Works. Schimpf is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2018.
The EPA’s criminal investigation into the company’s waste water disposal practices followed a 2013 OSHA investigation into lead exposure of workers at the USA Brass facility that resulted in OSHA citations for worker safety violations. USA Brass has since closed the Bozeman business.
"The defendants jeopardized public health and safety by discharging lead contaminated wastewater into public sewage systems, and lied to a local City official to obtain permission for the discharges,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Martinez of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Montana. “This case sends a clear signal that EPA will hold accountable those who violate laws designed to protect our communities and the environment.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan R. Whittaker and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric E. Nelson. It was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, Montana Office.
Columbia Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Mail FraudRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Federal jury sitting in Frankfort has convicted Ronnie C. Rodgers, 62, of Columbia, Ky., of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and securities fraud, arising from the sale of interests in oil and gas exploration ventures in South Central Kentucky, between 2007 and 2017. Rodgers, along with his brother, Ricky Rodgers, sold interests in oil and gas programs, in Adair, Clinton, Pulaski, and Warren Counties, and various sites in Tennessee, utilizing false and misleading representations about the chances of hitting productive oil wells, the length of time the wells would produce, and the amount of profit the investors could expect. The investments, totaling around $10 million, were sold under the names Rick-Rod Oil, Big South Resources, R&R Plus, and Hydro & Green Global Energy.
United States District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2018, in Frankfort. Rodgers faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, on the single count of conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Securities. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Taylor and Neeraj Gupta.
Citizen of Mexico Convicted of Illegal Re-Entry and Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Ramon Lopez-Alvarado (58), a citizen of Mexico, guilty of one count of illegal re-entry into the United States. Prior to trial, Lopez-Alvarado also pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), for failing to register as a sex offender when he returned to the United States. Lopez-Alvarado has previous felony convictions for committing a lewd act on a child and failing to register as a sex offender. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2018.
According to evidence presented at trial, Lopez-Alvarado, an alien of the United States who had previously been removed in 2000, 2009, and 2013, was found to be back in the Orlando area on March 17, 2018. Lopez-Alvarado claimed he was a naturalized United States citizen, despite his naturalization application having been denied.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara M. Wick.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Attempting to Create Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Mark Brookbank, 54, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 262 months in prison for attempting to create child pornography through the photographs of a five year old.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
According to court documents, from at least June 2017 through December 2017, Brookbank attempted to create child pornography by photographing his five-year-old relative. For example, Brookbank took a digital photograph of himself wearing a pair of children’s underwear and touching his exposed penis to the head of the relative while she slept. Brookbank also took photographs of the five year old while he touched her genital area.
Brookbank uploaded the photographs to a foreign file-sharing website trafficked by child pornographers and named his photo album “Toy.”
After learning that law enforcement was pursuing him, Brookbank destroyed some of the child pornography in his possession.
Brookbank pleaded guilty in April to one count of attempting to produce child pornography.
“The defendant abused his position of trust in his family to prey upon a vulnerable child,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The public needs to be protected from such a predator. His heinous crimes warrant the sentence he received.”
“Today’s sentencing should serve as a stern warning about the consequences awaiting child predators who produce and distribute child pornography,” said Steve Francis, special agent in charge of HSI for Michigan and Ohio. “Protecting our children from predators remains an HSI priority, and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, arrest and bring these criminals to justice.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by HSI Special Agent Jason Kearns, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney, who is representing the United States in this case.
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9 August 2018
Zuni Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Terrence Cachini, 31, an enrolled member and resident of Zuni Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty this afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assaulting a minor resulting in serious bodily injury. Cachini’s plea agreement recommends five years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Cachini was arrested on March 6, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a female child by striking and biting her on Feb. 24, 2015, resulting in serious bodily injury to the victim. According to the complaint, as the result of the assault, the victim sustained extensive bruising to her entire body consistent with multiple and repeated impacts, which could have resulted in muscle breakdown, kidney failure, and potentially death.
Cachini was indicted on March 24, 2015, and was charged with assaulting a female by striking, kneeing and biting her, resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, Cachini committed the crime between Jan. 5, 2015 and Feb. 23, 2015, on Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Cachini pled guilty to an information charging him with assaulting a minor under the age of 16 years, resulting in substantial bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Cachini admitted that between Jan. 5, 2015 and Feb. 23, 2015, he assaulted the minor victim on more than one occasion by striking and injuring the victim. Cachini acknowledged that as the result of the assaults, the victim suffered lacerations and significant bruising. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case.
Whiteville Man Sentenced for Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, LEROY MOORE, JR., 31, of Whiteville, North Carolina, was sentenced by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan to 60 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
MOORE was named in a two-count Superseding Indictment on November 29, 2017. On January 24, 2018, MOORE pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack).
On July 1, 2014, deputies with the Columbus County Sheriff's Office conducted a license check point at an intersection in Whiteville. A Deputy made contact with a vehicle which was being driven by MOORE. The deputies detected an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and noticed smoke coming from the vehicle’s center console. When asked about the smell of marijuana, MOORE stated he had just extinguished his “blunt.” During a search of MOORE’S person, several pieces of cocaine base (crack) fell from MOORE'S pants leg. MOORE also possessed three plastic bags containing cocaine base. During a search of MOORE’S vehicle, several pieces of cocaine base, digital scales, an empty pill bottle, and .42 grams of marijuana were recovered. Laboratory analysis of the cocaine base that was recovered confirmed the total weight to be approximately 29 grams of cocaine base (crack).
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Crime Laboratory, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Waterbury Grocery Store Worker Charged with Food Stamp Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that, on August 7, 2018, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging MUHAMMAD SHAHBAZ, 49, a citizen of Pakistan residing in Jersey City, New Jersey, with one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud and two counts of unlawful use of food stamp benefits.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (“SNAP”) is administered by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and utilizes federal tax dollars to subsidize low-income households to provide them with the opportunity to achieve a more nutritious diet by increasing their food-purchasing power. SNAP recipients purchase eligible food items at retail food stores through the use of an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, and SNAP benefits may be accepted by authorized retailers only in exchange for eligible items. Items such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, paper goods and soaps are not eligible for purchase with Food Stamp benefits, and it is a violation of the rules and regulations governing the food stamp program to allow benefits to be used to purchase ineligible items. SNAP benefits may not lawfully be exchanged for cash under any circumstances. The program is designed so that the total amount of each purchase is electronically transferred to the retailer’s designated bank account.
As alleged in the indictment, SHAHBAZ was employed at WB Trade Fair Grocery, LLC, a grocery and convenience store located 43 Willow Street in Waterbury. From November 2014 until June 2016, SHAHBAZ and others illegally allowed customers to redeem their food stamp benefits for cash and other ineligible items, including cigarettes, pipes, hookahs and a circular saw.
SHAHBAZ was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on July 31, 2017. He is released on a $50,000 bond.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia King and Neeraj Patel.
Upshur County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Marlin E. Beckner, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, has admitted to a methamphetamine distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Beckner, age 44, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Beckner admitted to possessing crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, in September 2017 in Upshur County.
Beckner faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force; the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; Upshur County Sheriff’s Office; Lewis County Sheriff’s Office; the Buckhannon Police Department; and the Weston Police Department investigated.
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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Unlawful Firearms Dealer Sentenced to 40 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE - Fabian Gonzalez, 27, of Caldwell, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Gonzalez was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to court records, during the summer of 2017, Gonzalez sold a government informant eight firearms for a total of $6650. The firearms sold included tactical rifles, a tactical shotgun, pistols, and an unregistered sawed-off shotgun. During the sales, which occurred in various parking lots throughout the Treasure Valley, the informant told Gonzalez that he was prohibited from possessing firearms and that he was buying the guns to give to others. The informant first contacted Gonzalez through a social media website on which Gonzalez was advertising guns for sale.
In December 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Gonzalez for unlawful dealing in firearms. That offense makes it illegal for anyone who is not a licensed firearms dealer to sell firearms as a trade or business with the intent of making a profit through the repeated purchase and sale of firearms. The offense does not apply to persons who sell firearms as a hobby or to enhance a collection. Gonzalez was not a licensed firearms dealer. During the sales to the informant, Gonzalez offered to continue selling guns to the informant so they could make a profit and encouraged the informant to find out what types of guns the informant’s “homies” wanted so he could arrange future gun sales.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”). After every firearms sale with Gonzalez, ATF agents recovered the firearms from the informant. As part of Gonzalez’s prosecution, those firearms were forfeited by the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
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U.S. Attorney OpEd--Maine Voices: Prosecution Must Remain Weapon in the War Against Opioid TraffickingRead the Press Release
https://www.pressherald.com/2018/08/09/maine-voices-prosecution-must-remain-weapon-in-the-war-against-opioid-trafficking/
Toledo man indicted for robbing two banks last monthRead the Press Release
A Toledo man was indicted for robbing two banks last month.
Robert Andrew Harris, 41, was indicted on two counts of bank robbery. Harris is accused of robbing the Citizens Bank on South Detroit Street in Toledo on July 9 and the Fifth Third Bank on Woodville Road in Northwood on July 11.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Simko.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The burden of proof is always on the government to prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tiverton Bank Robber Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A man who stole a car in New Bedford, Mass., in April 2018 and then used it as his getaway vehicle after robbing a bank in Tiverton, R.I., pled guilty in federal court in Providence today to a bank robbery charge.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Cody Toolis, 28, admitted to the Court that on April 2, 2018, he robbed a branch office of Bank Newport in Tiverton of $460.
Toolis’ guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Tiverton Police Chief Patrick W. Jones, and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.
According to court documents, a couple of hours prior to robbing the bank Toolis stole a vehicle from the home of a New Bedford woman. At approximately 9:15 AM, he entered the branch office of Bank Newport in Tiverton and handed a note to a teller that read, “Do not move, I have a gun, need $500 in 20’s, I am desperate.” The teller gave Toolis $460, after which time Toolis fled the bank. A witness told police she saw the robber leave the bank parking lot in a vehicle that police determined fit the description of the vehicle stolen in New Bedford.
As part of the investigation, Tiverton Police posted on social media a still-photograph taken from bank surveillance video of the robber. Various tips from the public and other police departments identified the person in the photograph as being Cody Toolis. One week later, on April 9, Toolis turned himself in to the Bristol, R.I., Police Department.
Toolis is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on November 5, 2018. Bank robbery is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks the Fall River and New Bedford, Mass., Police Departments, the Bristol Police Department and the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance in the investigation and preparation of this case for prosecution in U.S. District Court.
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Three-Month Operation Nets 24 Defendants, Takes over 50 Guns Off StreetsRead the Press Release
SELMA, Ala – A three-month operation focused on reducing violent crime in Selma and the Gulf Coast region resulted in federal charges against 24 defendants, with about 50 guns seized, announced U.S. Attorney Richard Moore, Southern District of Alabama; U.S. Attorney Louis Franklin, Middle District of Alabama; Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Hyche along with Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF joined with local law enforcement in Selma and the Gulf Coast Region in an intense effort named “Operation Focused Remedy” which crime gun intelligence focuses on the arrest of violent offenders, disrupting the shooting cycle and taking guns off the streets. The participating agencies include Alabama Attorney General’s Office, Selma Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Gulf Coast Task Force, DEA, Moundville Police Department, 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, 4th and 17th Judicial Drug Task Forces as well as Dallas, Hale and Marengo County Sheriff’s Offices.
U.S. Attorney Moore said, “The level of gun violence in the Southern District of Alabama is too high. I appreciate the combined efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to interrupt this pattern of federal firearms violations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will stand with the citizens of our district to insist on our streets being safe for our children and particularly safe from gun violence. Our office in the near future will have a greater presence in Selma as a part of this new initiative.”
ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence resources include firearms tracing, the use of NIBIN (National Integrated Ballistic Information Network) and the issues surrounding stolen firearms from the public. The 24 defendants facing current gun charges all have multiple prior felony convictions.
“ATF and our partners are committed to removing the criminal element from the streets of Selma,” Watson said. “ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Centers are the driving force to reducing the violent crime and disrupting the shooting cycle that plagues our neighborhoods.”
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department of Justice’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.
Anyone with information regarding firearms related violent crimes should contact the ATF at (800) ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867). Information also can be sent to ATF via the mobile app www.reportit.com by using the Nashville Field Division as the location.Three Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Marijuana Conspiracy and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Kenneth R. McLemore, 29, of Destin, Justin G. Reimche, 39, of Lorain, Ohio, and Alex A. Mena, 30, of Stockton, California, were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to drug and firearm offenses. On June 7, McLemore was sentenced to 106 months in prison. On July 30, Mena was sentenced to 131 months in prison. Today, Reimche was sentenced to 120 months in prison. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
On November 29, 2017, a search warrant was executed at a house in Destin, where McLemore, Reimche, and Mena were residing and out of which they were distributing marijuana. Law enforcement officers seized firearms, marijuana, packaging material, scales, and over $32,000 in cash. McLemore, Reimche, and Mena were charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. McLemore and Mena were each charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and Mena was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. All three defendants pleaded guilty as charged, and all of them had prior felony drug convictions that subjected them to enhanced penalties.
“Combatting violent crime is a top priority for my office, the Department of Justice, and our many federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who tirelessly work to keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Canova.
“ATF’s primary focus is protecting the public by reducing violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary. “ATF continues to aggressively pursue violent offenders and will continue to protect and serve communities with our law enforcement partners.”
This case resulted from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Three Harrisburg Men Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Kevin L. Moody, age 27, Nathaniel P. Green, age 37, and Robert E. Hendrix, Jr., age 38, all of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were indicted on August 8, 2018, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that the three men conspired to distribute cocaine base and marijuana in late 2017 and possessed those same drugs with the intent to distribute on December 15, 2017, in Dauphin County. The indictment also alleges that the men possessed multiple handguns in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawfully possessed those guns as previously convicted felons.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrisburg City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Texas Woman Sentenced to Prison for Sending Murder Threats to Ft. Bragg Soldier over Internet Messaging ApplicationsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III, sentenced TANYATORN GHANJANASAK, 35, of Texas to serve one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, upon conviction for Interstate Threats to Injure. GHANJANASAK previously pleaded guilty to the charge on March 5, 2018.
According to the Indictment and evidence presented at sentencing, in 2015 GHANJANASAK’s then husband, D.C., began receiving threatening text messages over his cell phone. D.C., a soldier stationed at Ft. Bragg, could not determine who was sending the threats, as they appeared to come from various unknown numbers.
In 2016, while vising with GHANJANASAK at her residence in Ohio, D.C. attempted to drive his car, but discovered that the brake lines had been cut. Also while in Ohio with GHANJANASAK, D.C. became ill and felt that he had been drugged.
Shortly thereafter, in January of 2017, GHANJANASAK sent D.C. an anonymous message claiming that she had tried to kill D.C., and that “the brakes and the poisons were me and you dumb ass can’t figure it out.” Following this threat in February of 2017, GHANJANASAK transmitted a message to D.C. stating, “There’s a surprise coming for you which is to die for [smiley face emoticon]. I hope you like it.” The next weekend, while vising with GHANJANASAK in Ohio, D.C. suffered a second incident where he felt that he had been drugged, and almost fell down a flight of stairs. GHANJANASAK sent an anonymous message immediately after this event stating, “Did you like your beer?!?!?!?!?”. GHANJANASAK also sent various other threats to murder D.C. and two other individuals, over a period of several months. At sentencing the Court found that GHANJANASAK had engaged in the above described conduct, thereby evidencing an intent to carry out her threats.
The FBI engaged in an investigation which ultimately revealed that GHANJANASAK was transmitting the threatening communications to D.C. and others using anonymous messaging applications from her home and workplace. GHANJANASAK had a medical degree and was practicing medicine at the time of these events.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the government in this case.
Springfield Man Charged with Illegal Firearms Following Police PursuitRead the Press Release
A Springfield, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing several firearms following a police pursuit yesterday afternoon.
Clinton Demetrius McDonald, 30, was charged in the U.S. District Court in Springfield with being a felon in possession of firearms. McDonald, a convicted felon, was allegedly in possession of a loaded Palmetto 5.56-caliber semi-automatic rifle, a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a J.P. Sauer and Sohn .32-caliber semi-automatic pistol on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. McDonald is in federal custody.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, Springfield police officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the 2006 BMW McDonald was driving near the intersection of Cherry and National at about 3:42 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Officers were attempting to arrest McDonald in reference to a recent shooting incident. McDonald, the affidavit says, fled from the officers at a high rate of speed. His vehicle crashed moments later into the concrete steps of St. Agnes Cathedral near Cherry and Jefferson streets.
Officers arrived at the crash scene and found McDonald in the driver’s seat of the crashed vehicle. One passenger had been thrown forward onto the dash and windshield area. Another passenger was in the rear passenger seat.
The loaded J.P. Sauer and Sohn pistol was lodged in the windshield on the passenger side. Officers found a loaded Glock .40-caliber pistol in the front passenger side floor board of the vehicle, as well as a pill bottle on the driver’s side floor that contained suspected heroin. Officers had observed the loaded rifle being thrown out of the driver’s side window of the vehicle during the chase, the affidavit says, and also recovered the Glock 9mm pistol (which had been reported stolen) that a witness reportedly saw thrown from the vehicle during the chase.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. McDonald has a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sidney Meth Dealer Sentenced to over 18 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Martin Anderson was sentenced to 220 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided over the hearing.
Anderson previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In or before July 2016 Anderson entered into an agreement with other conspirators to import substantial amounts of methamphetamine into the Sidney area of Montana for redistribution. Law enforcement would learn that Anderson, who has an extensive criminal history, purchased from California and arranged for its transportation and re-distribution in Sidney and elsewhere. Law enforcement would conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Anderson. A search warrant executed on Anderson’s residence in March 2017 resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine and numerous items associated with narcotics distribution. At sentencing, Judge Watters found that at least 4.5 kilograms of actual methamphetamine was attributable to Anderson.
In a sentencing memorandum filed in federal court, federal prosecutors noted Andersons’s “life of crime” and his “sheer breadth” of this conduct in importing such a large quantity of methamphetamine to the Bakken. In that memorandum, the United States described how Anderson was responsible for approximately half a pound of methamphetamine per week. Anderson represented a significant player in the methamphetamine distribution network in Sidney and beyond.
Judge Watters sentenced Anderson to over 18 years in federal prison, with five years of supervised release to follow. Because there is no parole in the federal system, Anderson will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Anderson does have the opportunity to shorten the term of custody by earning credit for good behavior. However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Judge Watters previously sentenced other defendants directly affiliated with Anderson. His co-defendant, Autumn Guerrero was sentenced to 84 months. Co-conspirators Timothy Swope and Tiffany Boland were sentenced to 156 months and 60 months, respectively, by Judge Watters.
The Anderson case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Montana Department of Criminal Investigation, and other federal, state, and local agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Bryan Dake prosecuted Anderson.
Serial Bank Robber Pleads Guilty to Robberies Throughout Northern CaliforniaRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Gregory A. Vaughan pleaded guilty today in federal court to multiple counts of bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The plea was accepted by the Honorable William H. Orrick, U.S. District Judge.
In pleading guilty Vaughan, 51, of Daly City, Calif., admitted he robbed five Bay Area banks between March 15, 2018, and April 6, 2018. Specifically, Vaughan pleaded guilty to charges that he committed robberies of banks on the dates and at the places as follows:
- $3,080 from Bank of America in San Jose, California, on March 15, 2018
- $3,400 from Wells Fargo Bank in San Mateo, California, on March 17, 2018
- $700 from California Bank & Trust in San Mateo, California, on March 23, 2018
- $2,232.60 from U.S. Bank in San Mateo, California, April 4, 2018
- $1,047 from U.S. Bank in Campbell, California, on April 6, 2018
A federal grand jury indicted Vaughan on April 19, 2018, charging him with five counts of bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). Vaughan was arrested on April 7, 2018, and has been in custody since that date.
Judge Orrick scheduled Vaughan’s sentencing hearing for December 6, 2018. Vaughan faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of bank robbery. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kim Richardson and Alycee Lane. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the police departments of San Mateo, San Jose, and Campbell.
Scranton Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Armed Robberies of Efuel and Sunoco Gas StationsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Durrell Davenport, age 27, of Scranton, was sentenced on August 8, 2018, to ten years’ imprisonment and three year’s supervised release by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for two armed robberies of gas stations in the City of Scranton.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Davenport previously pleaded guilty to the charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with the armed robbery of the EFuel gas station, located on Pittston Avenue in Scranton, which occurred on June 8, 2017. Approximately $266 and several packs of cigarettes were taken in the robbery. Davenport also previously pleaded guilty to the charge of interference with commerce by armed robbery, in connection with the robbery of the Sunoco gas station, located on South Main Avenue in Scranton, which occurred on June 20, 2017. Approximately $312 and several packs of cigarettes were taken in that robbery. Davenport was indicted by a grand jury for both robberies in November 2017. A co-conspirator, Amod Phillips, age 28, of Scranton, was also indicted by the grand jury for the armed robbery of the Efuel gas station and was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by Judge Mannion.
The investigation was conducted by the Scranton Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
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.
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Rochester Man Sentenced for Illegally Importing EcstasyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Steven Zepp, 28, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of importing a controlled substance from a foreign country, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Moynihan, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in March of 2017, members of law enforcement intercepted several packages sent from Germany to 116 Frear Drive, in Rochester. The packages contained a substance believed to be 3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. Officers executed a search warrant at the Frear Drive location and seized multiple controlled substances, including additional quantities of MDMA, methamphetamine and marijuana. Officers arrested Zepp, who resided at the residence.
The sentencing is a culmination of an investigation on the part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy; the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Delany E. De Leon-Colon; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton.
Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging at Online AuctionsRead the Press Release
Real estate investor Christopher Graeve pleaded guilty today in West Palm Beach, in connection with an ongoing investigation into bid rigging at online public foreclosure auctions in Florida, the Department of Justice announced. Graeve is the second real estate investor to plead guilty in this investigation.
Felony charges of bid rigging were filed against Graeve on November 2, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. According to court documents, from around January 2012 through around June 2015, Graeve conspired with others to rig bids during online foreclosure auctions in Palm Beach County, Florida.
“Real estate investors who deal in foreclosed properties should be on notice that the Division will not tolerate the subversion of competition in foreclosure auctions,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “The Division will continue to prosecute antitrust violations that occur at these auctions, and will hold individuals who engage in this conduct accountable.”
“Real estate investors who think they can swindle the system to line their pockets with ill-gotten gains beware,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI Miami’s Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will vigorously investigate such schemes.”
The Department said that the primary purpose of the conspiracy was to suppress and restrain competition in order to obtain selected real estate offered at online foreclosure auctions at non-competitive prices. When real estate properties are sold at these auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with any remaining proceeds available to the homeowner. According to court documents, the conspiracy artificially lowered the price paid at auction for such homes. In the past several years, the Division and its law enforcement partners have secured convictions of more than 100 individuals for rigging public mortgage foreclosure auctions in six different states, including Florida.
The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section and the FBI’s Miami Division – West Palm Beach Resident Agency. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact the Washington Criminal I Section of the Antitrust Division at 202-307-6694, call the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Plymouth Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years After Conviction of Robbery and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, WILLIAM EDWARD WHITE, 34, of Plymouth, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Dever sentenced WHITE to 129 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
WHITE was charged in a two-count indictment on August 16, 2017 and pled guilty to those charges on April 19, 2018.
In the early morning of October 25, 2016, WHITE waited outside of Friendly Check Cashing in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. As an employee arrived and entered the rear door, WHITE pushed his way through the door behind the employee, pointing a handgun at her. He forced the employee into the main room where the safe was kept and threatened to shoot her if she did not open the safe quickly. While the employee was attempting to open the safe, WHITE struck the employee on the back of the head with the firearm. Once the employee had opened the safe, WHITE removed $45,500 in U.S. Currency. Before he left, WHITE bound the employee using duct tape, tearing the tape from the roll with his teeth. Detectives later identified WHITE as a suspect based on a match between his DNA and DNA isolated from the torn duct tape. When later questioned by authorities, WHITE admitted his involvement.
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
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Elizabeth City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh represented the government in this case.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The 10-count indictment, returned on August 7 and unsealed yesterday, named Sean Jamar Gaines, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
On July 30, 2014, May 26, 2016, and September 23, 2017, Gaines made false statements to a licensed firearm dealer in the acquisition of firearms and also made false statements on a federal firearms form in the acquisition of firearms.
The defendant faces a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Man Charged in Mystery Shopper ScamRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of fraud conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The three-count indictment, returned on August 1 and unsealed yesterday, named Robert Shon Jackson, 42, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Robert Shon Jackson was charged with being involved in a "Mystery Shopper" scam. A "Mystery Shopper" scam occurs when a victim is falsely led to believe that they are being employed to evaluate retail and business services. They unwittingly receive a counterfeit Postal Money order or counterfeit check to provide the funds for their evaluation purchases. They negotiate the counterfeit instrument and then send a large portion of the proceeds to a person designated by the fraudsters usually by wire. By this time, the counterfeit instrument is returned to the bank and they are charged for the funds paid to them by the bank.
Jackson is alleged to have conspired with certain persons knowingly to prepare and address fraudulent mail containing the counterfeit instruments to victims, who believed they were acting as "mystery shoppers." The victims unwittingly received the counterfeit commercial and Postal money orders and checks and cashed them to make small purchases for purposes of evaluating the commercial services provided. The victims then wire transferred excess funds back to Jackson and other unwitting accomplices. After these transactions, the money orders and checks were returned as counterfeit by the victims’ banks and they were left to repay the bank from their own funds. Jackson then wired, or caused to be wired, a portion of the fraudulent proceeds to other persons overseas. The estimated loss associated with Jackson is approximately $42,744.46.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty as Part of Largest Health Care Fraud Case Ever in MississippiRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Thomas Edward Spell, Jr., 50, of Ridgeland, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to a Criminal Information outlining his role in a more than $240 million dollar scheme to defraud TRICARE, the health care benefit program serving our nation’s military, veterans, and their respective family members, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze, IRS-Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman, III, and Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Southeast Field Office.
Spell’s case is part of the largest health care fraud scheme ever investigated and prosecuted in the State of Mississippi. The investigation is ongoing and prosecutions are continuing nationwide, including in states such as California, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Connecticut. Spell will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on October 16, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.
"Ripping off our veterans and members of the military is despicable, and that is exactly what this defendant and others have done by defrauding TRICARE and the American taxpayer. Rest assured that we will hunt down all those who commit this type of fraud and we will not stop until such criminals are brought to justice. I want to thank the agents, AUSAs, DOJ trial attorneys, and our other law enforcement partners for their tireless work on this far-reaching scheme. This fraudulent activity has gone on for far too long, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to enforce our federal laws and clean up crime and corruption throughout our state," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
"Spell’s guilty plea today proves that the scheme to defraud TRICARE, and the taxpayers who fund its services, operated throughout the highest professional levels in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Without the participation of those individuals in executive and decision-making positions, these schemes would often not materialize and/or profit those involved," stated Thomas J. Holloman, III, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS – CI. "Thomas Spell was a leader and organizer in this far-reaching fraud and his guilty plea today is a win for all taxpayers. The special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation will continue to seek justice on behalf of this nation’s taxpayers, and will pursue the prosecution of wrong doers at the highest levels of these criminal organizations."
"This guilty plea, resulting from the aggressive and tireless efforts of DCIS special agents, was part of a complex and widespread investigation with other law enforcement partners that brought to justice numerous defendants who believed they could get away with scheming to fleece the Department of Defense of hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars," said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. "Fraud and corruption in TRICARE, the Pentagon’s health care program, especially involving deceptive practices with prescription medications, is far from a ‘victimless’ crime. As a pharmacist who was entrusted with providing safe, effective medications, this defendant selfishly put greed and personal gain before the safety and well-being of our military members, combat veterans, and retirees, who deserve the best medications and care available."
From approximately August 2014 through January 2016, Spell owned and operated a pharmacy in Madison County, Mississippi, and several other pharmacies across the United States. During this time, Spell and other co-conspirators marketed compounded medications at his pharmacies. Rather than formulating compounded medications based on the individualized needs of patients, formulas were selected to maximize profit based upon reimbursements fromTRICARE and other health care benefit programs.
At the direction of Spell and his co-conspirators, Spell’s pharmacies submitted fraudulent claims to TRICARE and other health care benefit programs. The result was that TRICARE reimbursed Spell’s pharmacies on these fraudulent claims totaling over $243 million.
In order to further their scheme, Spell and his co-conspirators waived TRICARE’s requirement that a beneficiary make a copayment to receive medicine. Instead, Spell and his co-conspirators had their employees purchase prepaid debit cards and money orders to use towards a copayment for a beneficiary, with Spell and his co-conspirators reimbursing their employees. Additionally, Spell and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to marketers in order to obtain prescriptions for compounded medications from prescribers for beneficiaries who were covered by the most lucrative health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, irrespective of whether the compounded medications were medically necessary for the treatment of beneficiaries.
As a result of this fraudulent activity, Spell personally obtained over $29 million in proceeds from the illegal scheme. Spell used these proceeds to fund bank accounts and investment accounts in his name, in the name of familymembers, and in the name of various business entities. Spell also used these proceeds to lend money and to purchase vehicles, boats, and property. The United States is seeking forfeiture of these assets listed in the Information.
This case has been designated as a related prosecution to cases charged earlier this year in the Southern District of Mississippi. Silas K. Richmond, II, a licensed pharmacist and marketer, pled guilty on July 18, 2018, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud regarding a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, of more than $545,000. To date, a total of 11 people have been charged and 8 convicted in the compounding pharmacy scheme in the Southern District of Mississippi.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall and U.S. Department of Justice trial attorneys Katherine Payerle and Sean Welsh of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section.
Owners/Operators of a job-staffing company sentenced to federal prison for wire fraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Eric Powell and Ahmad McCormick, former owners and operators of National Vocation Group, who lured hundreds of job-seekers into paying for needless pre-employment certification training have been sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud.
“Powell and McCormick used their job-staffing company to dupe hundreds of victims into paying high fees for unnecessary training,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “The defendants further harmed their victims when they did not produce the jobs that were promised to them.
“Erick Powell and Ahmad McCormick deceived victims into believing they were applying for legitimate jobs that required certain Occupational Safety and Health Administration certifications when, in fact, they were not,” said Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Powell and McCormick used phony online job postings to lure unsuspecting applicants into fraudulently paying their company for unnecessary OSHA training certifications. We will continue to work with OSHA and our law enforcement partners to investigate those who prey on legitimate job seekers.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: From August 2015 through October 2015, Powell and McCormick operated a fraudulent job-staffing company in Atlanta called National Vocation Group (NVG). Powell and McCormick used Indeed.com and ZipRecruiter.com to advertise available jobs in the housekeeping and maintenance industries that paid above-average wages. The advertisements falsely represented that NVG had existing contracts with commercial cleaning companies throughout the Atlanta area; that the jobs paid above-average wages of up to $17 per hour; and that NVG could place its clients in these high-paying jobs.
When NVG’s job applicants were interviewed by Powell, McCormick, and other employees of NVG, the applicants were told that they would have to pay $349 for certain Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training prior to being hired for the advertised jobs. The applicants were falsely told that federal law required housecleaning and maintenance workers to take the OSHA General Industries Course before starting work in the advertised jobs. Hundreds of applicants paid the $349 fee and took the OSHA course as required, but none of those applicants received the high-paying jobs they were promised.
Several victims notified law enforcement, while others notified local media outlets regarding NVG’s practices. NVG relocated its offices from downtown Atlanta to East Point, Georgia, where the defendants continued their fraudulent activities. The company eventually disbanded in mid-October 2015, although both McCormick and Powell continued operating other fraudulent job-staffing companies after NVG ceased operating.
Erick Powell, 30, of New Windsor, New York, was sentenced today to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On December 11, 2017, after a four-day trial, a federal jury returned a verdict convicting Powell on one count of substantive wire fraud. The jury acquitted Powell on the other counts.
Ahmad McCormick, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release on July 2, 2018. McCormick pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on August 31, 2017.
This case was investigated by the U.S Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The East Point Police Department also provided assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John S. Ghose and Lynsey M. Barron prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Owners of Five Chicago-Area Restaurants Charged in Federal Investigation Targeting Underreporting of Gross ReceiptsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The owners of five Chicago-area restaurants are facing criminal tax charges as part of a federal investigation into the underreporting of gross receipts.
The charges allege that the restaurant owners willfully avoided paying the full amount of federal taxes by reporting gross receipts that were substantially lower than the true amounts. The federal investigation, which remains ongoing, has focused on sales suppression software and other techniques used by restaurant owners to manipulate gross receipts.
Charged with willfully filing false tax returns are SHULI ZHAO, 59, of Westmont, the owner of Katy’s Dumpling House in Westmont; CHUN XU ZHANG, 42, of Aurora, the owner of Sushi City in Downers Grove; QUAN SHUN CHEN, 53, of Chicago, the owner of Hunan Spring in Evanston; SANDRA SANCHEZ, 44, of Morton Grove, the owner of Cesar’s Tacos on North Clark Street in Chicago; and ISRAEL SANCHEZ, 43, of Chicago, the owner of Cesar’s on Broadway on North Broadway in Chicago. Arraignments in U.S. District Court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Gabriel L. Grchan, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Connie Beard, Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue.
“These charges send a clear message that restaurant owners who choose to illegally underreport gross receipts will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Recovering funds for the federal treasury is a top priority in our office.”
“The charges announced today are an important step in the fight against individuals and restaurants in our community that cheat on their taxes,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Grchan. “This is only the beginning. I want to warn those restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores, and other establishments that are currently using or thinking of using sales suppression software, that we are on to you and your methods. If you steal from the federal government, there will be serious consequences.”
“I commend the work of the Illinois Department of Revenue’s Criminal Investigations Division and the IRS as we continue efforts to protect taxpayers from tax fraud,” said Director Beard. “Today’s charges should send a message that technology cannot shield criminals from being held accountable.”
Zhao, Zhang and Chen were charged in indictments returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Zhao allegedly underreported gross receipts for the calendar years 2013 to 2015; Zhang for the calendar years 2012 to 2015; and Chen for the fiscal years 2012 to 2015 and the calendar years 2015 and 2016. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri H. Mecklenburg represents the government in the Zhao, Zhang and Chen cases.
Sandra Sanchez and Israel Sanchez were charged in criminal informations filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Sandra Sanchez and Israel Sanchez allegedly underreported gross receipts for the calendar year 2012. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yusef Dale represents the government in the Sandra Sanchez and Israel Sanchez cases.
The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Filing false tax returns carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Olean Man Sentenced for Committing Bank Fraud and Tax EvasionRead 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 Joseph Stevens, 54, of Olean, NY, who was convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion, was sentenced to serve 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The defendant was also ordered to pay $512,982.00 in restitution to the victim and the Internal Revenue Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie P. Grisanti, who handled the case, stated that in August 2012, the defendant, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), was hired by a business owner to handle all of the bookkeeping responsibilities for his business. Responsibilities included paying vendors, employee payroll, and personal and business tax return preparation. In order to perform the accounting duties, Stevens was given access to the business’ bank account information for the business owner’s two business accounts at a Five Star Bank branch in Warsaw, NY.
Beginning in early 2016, the defendant began to notify the business owner that the business was not doing well financially. For instance, a $30,000.00 line of credit at Five Star Bank was maxed out without authorization. When questioned about the line of credit, Stevens told the business owner that the business was not generating enough revenue. Also, sometime in 2016, the business owner received a letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that his 2015 taxes had not been paid. When the business owner questioned the defendant, Stevens again stated that the business was not generating enough revenue.
In September 2016, the business owner realized that monthly statements for the Five Star Bank accounts were no longer being received at the business owner’s office. On March 24, 2017, the business owner went to the bank branch to review the business accounts activity.
Between August 2012 and April 2017, Stevens made approximately $342,700.00 in unauthorized electronic withdrawals from the business owner’s accounts to his personal accounts and forged approximately 39 checks, made payable to himself, in the amount of $87,800.In addition, the defendant failed to file an income tax return for 2015 resulting in a loss of $53,296.00 to the IRS and also failed to file an income tax return for 2014 resulting in a tax loss of $29,186.00.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Delany E. De Leon-Colon of the Boston Division.
Oklahoma Man Charged with Creating Malicious Software Used in Attack on Bay Area Company’s WebsiteRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE - A federal grand jury in San Jose indicted Travis Cole Malone, Jr., on July 12, 2018, for conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse and for causing the transmission of code to damage protected computers, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
According to the indictment unsealed today, Malone, 20, of McAlester, Okla., is alleged to have coded and developed the “Medusa IRC Botnet DDoS” malicious software (“malware”). When installed on a victim computer, the malware joined the victim computer to a “botnet” that could be used to conduct distributed denial of service (“DDoS”) attacks against websites. Malone, using the moniker “stevenkings,” advertised the malware on various internet forums. He then leased access to the botnet to co-conspirators for the purpose of executing DDoS attacks. The indictment alleges that the malware was used in a January 2016 DDoS attack on the webservers for a San Francisco digital currency company.
Malone was arrested on August 7, 2018, and made his initial appearance in federal court in Muskogee, Oklahoma, yesterday. Malone was released on bond and his next scheduled appearance is at 1:30 p.m. on September 12, 2018, for an initial appearance in the Northern District of California before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000, restitution, and forfeiture, for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
This case is being prosecuted by the Northern District of California’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section with the assistance of Elise Etter and Vanessa Quant. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI in San Francisco and Muskogee. The FBI received assistance during the investigation from security researchers at Arbor Networks.
Northern California Woman Sentenced for Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Starsheka Mixon, 35, of Pinole, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to three years and one month in prison for a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
“The defendants used taxpayer information to enrich themselves by submitting false tax returns to the IRS,” said Tara Sullivan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “This scheme went on for three years and victimized innocent taxpayers and the government. Identity theft can have a negative financial impact on taxpayers and can take years to repair. Taxpayers must be careful who they share their personally identifiable information with when choosing a tax return preparer.”
According to court documents, between January 2011 and June 2013, Mixon and co‑defendant Denna Chambers, 35, of Fairfield, conspired together and with others to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by filing false tax returns in the names of other people with the Internal Revenue Service. The tax returns included false statements about the taxpayers’ income, dependents, and occupations in order to obtain refunds and tax credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled, including the Earned Income Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit. Some of the fraudulent tax returns used the name and personal information of individuals without their knowledge or consent.
The fraudulently obtained refunds were typically placed on prepaid debit cards controlled by Chambers, Mixon, or their associates. In their respective plea agreements in February 2018, Chambers and Mixon both admitted that in all, approximately 174 false federal income tax returns were filed seeking over $880,000 in tax refunds, of which approximately $477,348 was paid out by the IRS.
Judge England also ordered Mixon to serve two years of supervised release. She was ordered to self-surrender on October 18, 2018, to begin serving her sentence. Chambers is scheduled to be sentenced on September 13, 2018.
This case is the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.
For 2018, the IRS, the states, and the private-sector tax industry are working together to identify and apply safeguards to better protect taxpayers and fight identity theft. You can find identity theft protection for prevention, detection, and victim assistance at: www.irs.gov/identity‑theft-fraud-scams.
North Carolina Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Joplin ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A North Carolina man was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of a child in Joplin, Mo.
David Lee Perkins, 34, of Winston-Salem, N.C., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to life in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Perkins to pay $6,325 in restitution to his victim.
On Jan. 18, 2018, Perkins was found guilty following a bench trial of crossing state lines into Missouri with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child victim under the age of 12 from April 16, 2014, to Dec. 11, 2016.
Additionally, Perkins had already pleaded guilty on Jan. 3, 2018, to two additional counts contained in the Jan. 18, 2017, federal indictment. Perkins admitted that he used the child victim to produce child pornography and that he distributed child pornography.
Joplin police officers were dispatched to a local hotel where Perkins was staying on Dec. 11, 2016. A female acquaintance of Perkins told officers that she found several videos on an iPad of Perkins engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the child victim. Officers contacted Perkins in his hotel room and placed him under arrest.
Perkins told investigators he used his iPad and iPhone to photograph and create videos of the sexually explicit conduct he engaged in with the child victim in various hotels and motels in Joplin. Investigators found three video files on Perkins’s iPad. Perkins shared those images and videos of child pornography with at least one other person by attaching them to text messages.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ami Harshad Miller and Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, and the Newton, N.C., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery and Interstate Transportation of Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RONALD VANTRESS JR., age 53, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to a three-count indictment in which he was charged with bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a), interstate transportation of stolen property in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2314, and interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2312.
According to court documents, RONALD VANTRESS, JR., pleaded guilty to robbing the Gulf Coast Bank and Trust, located at 201 North Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 21, 2018. In addition, RONALD VANTRESS JR. pleaded guilty to transporting a stolen 2009 Toyota Camry, a stolen license plate, and other stolen property from New Orleans to Texas after the robbery.
For bank robbery, RONALD VANTRESS JR. is facing a maximum penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment. For the stolen property and stolen vehicle counts, RONALD VANTRESS JR. is facing a maximum penalty of up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution
Navajo Man from San Juan County Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Neddanyl Sims, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Nenahnezad, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assault and firearms charges. Sims entered the plea under a plea agreement that recommends he be sentenced to six years of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Sims was arrested on Sept. 1, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence on Aug. 16, 2016. According to the complaint, Sims shot at an occupied vehicle and injured one of the three occupants, following an argument over money.
Sims was indicted on Nov. 15, 2016, and was charged with assaulting two victims with a rifle with the intention of causing them bodily harm. It also charged Sims with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the indictment, Sims committed the offenses on Aug. 16, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Sims pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and to a felony information charging him with possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In entering the guilty plea, Sims admitted that on Aug. 16, 2016, he fired four rounds at the victim’s vehicle intending to do bodily harm following an argument over money Sims owed to the victim. Sims acknowledged that several shots hit the victim’s vehicle, one of which struck the victim’s arm.
Sims was arrested on tribal charges on Aug. 16, 2016, and remained in tribal custody until he was transferred into federal custody on Sept. 1, 2016. He has been in federal custody since that time and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Navajo Man from Albuquerque Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jason Jonas Lee, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court to a misdemeanor assault charge.
Lee was arrested on Jan. 11, 2018, on a four-count indictment charging him with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with the intention of doing bodily harm, and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The indictment alleged that Lee committed the crimes against two victims, one with a baton and the other with a crowbar. According to the indictment, Lee committed the crimes on April 14, 2017, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Lee pled guilty to a misdemeanor information charging him with assault by striking, beating and wounding. In entering the guilty plea, Lee admitted that on April 14, 2017, he entered the residence of one of the victims and assaulted the victim with a baton. After leaving the residence, he struck the other victim with the baton. Lee acknowledged that both victims sustained injuries as a result of his actions, and one of the victims required orthopedic surgery to repair a broken arm sustained as the result of Lee’s assault.
At sentencing, Lee faces a maximum statutory penalty of a year of imprisonment. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez is prosecuting the case.
Nash County Man Sentenced for Voting by an AlienRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces the sentencing of ROBERTO HERNANDEZ-CUARENTA, age 57, of Zebulon, North Carolina, for two counts of Voting by Alien. HERNANDEZ-CUARENTA was sentenced to time served on both counts which is four months of imprisonment.
On November 6, 2012 and November 8, 2016, HERNANDEZ-CUARENTA, knowing he was not a United States Citizen, did knowingly vote in two elections held in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for the Office of President, Vice President, and Member of the House of Representative.
The evidence presented at sentencing showed that the defendant was granted a Special Agricultural Worker application in June of 1992. He was subsequently given legal and permanent resident status as a seasonal agricultural worker. However, HERNANDEZ-CUARENTA was never naturalized as a United States Citizen and there are no pending applications or petitions on behalf of the defendant for United States Citizenship. HERNANDEZ-CUARENTA is a citizen of Mexico.
Mr. Higdon commented: “The right to vote is a precious privilege available only to citizens of the United States. When a non-citizen votes in a federal election it serves to dilute and devalue the vote of American citizens and places the decision making authority of the American electorate in the hands of those who have no right to make those choices. My office will do its part to protect the rights of every American citizen to cast their vote freely and to have it counted fairly.” There are no pending applications or petitions on behalf of the defendant for United States citizenship.
The case was investigated by the North Carolina Board of Elections and the Homeland Security Investigation Raleigh Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes is handling the case for the government.
Mexican National Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Defendant had two prior removals for illegally entering the United States
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Javier Leon Villagomez entered a guilty plea to the felony offense of Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Villagomez, 40, of Guanajato, Mexico, faces up to 2 years in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2018. Villagomez also faces removal proceedings at the conclusion of any sentence of incarceration. United States Attorney Mike Stuart praised the work of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I hate terms like “zero tolerance” but, for these crimes, we absolutely mean “zero tolerance,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We will prosecute every single one of these cases. And for those that illegally enter this country and commit crimes of violence, their removal can’t happen fast enough.”
On May 12, 2018, Villagomez was arrested for domestic violence charges near Ravenswood, Jackson County, West Virginia by officers working for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. In investigating the case, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department contacted ICE to confirm Villagomez’s legal status. ICE agents spoke to Villagomez, and confirmed that he was not legally present in the United States. ICE agents further submitted Villagomez fingerprints for a forensic examination. The results of the examination matched Villagomez to two prior removals from the United States. One prior removal was in 2007 and the second in 2008, both from the Milwaukee, Wisconson area. After being deported on two separate occasions, Villagomez then illegally reentered the United States without lawful permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security. Villagomez is a citizen of Mexico.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution. Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the guilty plea.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Man Sentenced to Prison for Third Federal Firearm ConvictionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 6 1/2 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted of a felon.
“Corey Spruill has a criminal history filled with violence,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “He has numerous convictions for assaulting women and children, and possessing firearms. This office is committed to aggressively prosecuting violent individuals like Mr. Spruill. I want to thank our law enforcement partners at the Richmond Police Department and the ATF for the efforts on this case.”
According to court documents, Corey Spruill, 41, was approached by Richmond police officers after the car he was driving failed to stop at an intersection. When the officer approached Spruill’s car, he smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. A lawful search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of a backpack containing marijuana, a digital scale, and baggies used to package narcotics. In addition, a loaded firearm was recovered from the center console of the car. Spruill was also in possession of a quantity of cocaine that he had inside a baggie in his pocket. Spruill has prior convictions for misdemeanor assault and battery, and was convicted in 1999 and again in 2005 of federal firearms charges, making this his third federal felony conviction. While Spruill was on bond on state charges associated with this case, he was arrested and later convicted of assault and battery of a family member.
“The ATF is dedicated to removing violent criminals and those that illegally possess and use illicit firearms from our streets,” said Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “This investigation demonstrates how ATF actively collaborates with its federal, state and local law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and keep communities safe.”
“This is a great example how the Richmond Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office work together to prosecute repeat offenders and keep our streets safer,” said Roger Russell, Acting Deputy Chief of the Richmond Police.
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.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Alfred Durham, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:18-cr-32.
Man Found Guilty of Bank Robberies Despite Insanity PleaRead the Press Release
DALLAS, Texas — Darius Whetstone was found guilty of committing three armed bank robberies in June 2016. The decision came in a written opinion issued one week after a two-day bench trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn. Whetstone had agreed that he robbed the three banks, but asked the court to find him innocent by reason of insanity because he was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions at the time. The court found that, though Whetstone had proved that he suffered from a severe mental disease or defect when he committed the robberies, he failed to show that he was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his acts.
According to the court’s findings and evidence presented at trial, Whetstone entered a Capital One bank branch in Dallas on June 2, 2016, brandished a knife, and forced employees to turn over cash from one of the tellers. Whetstone used the money from the first robbery to purchase a variety of goods, including two duffel bags and a car that, on June 7, 2016, he used to rob two more Dallas banks in the same manner as the first. The second bank Whetstone robbed was a Bank or America branch. The third was a BB&T branch.
In its written decision, the court indicated that “at the time of each offense, Whetstone established by clear and convincing evidence that he suffered from a severe mental disease or defect.” But the court also found that Whetstone “did not prove by clear and convincing evidence that he was unable to appreciate that his acts were wrong when he committed each offense,” and specifically that “at the time he committed each robbery, Whetstone knew it was against the law to rob a bank and that bank robbery was wrong.” Therefore, the court concluded, “Whetstone was not insane under 18 U.S.C. § 17 when he committed the bank robberies.”
Whetstone’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case.
The Feberal Bureau of Investigation investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Bunch and Russell Fusco are prosecuting the case.
Lynnfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynnfield woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to filing false tax returns, on which she claimed, among other things, more than a $370,000 mortgage interest deduction, even though the loan was in default and property had gone into foreclosure.
Karyn M. Ingram, 51, pleaded guilty to three counts of filing false tax returns for tax years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Ingram was arrested and charged in January 2018. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Nov. 29, 2018.
Ingram filed tax returns in which she reported false and inflated Schedule A deductions and in one year, a Schedule C business loss, in order to reduce her overall tax liability. For example, for tax years 2010 and 2011, Ingram filed returns claiming mortgage interest deductions of $45,072 and $371,427, but she had not made any mortgage payments since 2008; in fact, the loan had defaulted, and the property had gone into foreclosure. She also claimed real estate tax deductions in those same tax years, when, in reality, the real estate taxes had been paid by the mortgage lender and not by Ingram. By falsifying the deductions and losses, Ingram fraudulently reduced her tax liability by more than $126,000.
The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of no greater than three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Local Pharmacies and Owner Agree to Pay $100,000 to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Accuserv Pharmacy, with two locations in North Huntington and Pittsburgh, and its owner Marvin P. Sheffler, Jr., a registered pharmacist, agreed to pay $100,000 in civil penalties to resolve allegations that they failed to keep and maintain accurate records of controlled substances, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The Controlled Substances Act mandates registered pharmacies and pharmacists to adhere to strict requirements regarding inventory control and recordkeeping. These requirements ensure that pharmacies account for controlled substances from the time of purchase until they are dispensed to patients. The alleged violations include failure to keep accurate records of hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, methadone, and carisoprodol.
"Pharmacies and pharmacists are required by law to keep accurate records to ensure that highly addictive drugs do not end up being diverted for illegal purposes," U.S. Attorney Brady said. "A failure to do so puts public safety at risk, which we can not tolerate."
The United States Attorney commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration for conducting the investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Rachael L. Mamula handled the settlement on behalf of the United States.
Laguna Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Kidnapping ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Aaron Alonzo, 35, an enrolled member of Laguna Pueblo who resides in Dulce, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a kidnapping charge. Alonzo entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that recommends a prison sentence within the range of 60 to 120 months followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Alonzo was arrested on Feb. 6, 2017, on an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse, kidnapping, and assault of an intimate partner by strangling or suffocating. According to the indictment, Alonzo committed the offenses on Nov. 7, 2015, on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation in Rio Arriba County, N.M.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Alonzo pled guilty to the kidnapping charge. In entering the guilty plea, Alonzo admitted seizing and confining the victim in a residence against her will on Nov. 7, 2015, to prevent her from calling the police. Alonzo also admitted threatening the victim with physical violence if she attempted to leave the residence or to reveal his presence to a visitor in the residence. When the victim escaped from the residence the following morning, Alonzo fled when he learned that the police had been called.
Alonzo remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Jicarilla Apache Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Murphy is prosecuting the case as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Katie Stygles Sentenced for Defrauding Bradford EmployerRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Katie Stygles, 29, of Piermont, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Rutland to five years of probation following her guilty plea to a charge of credit card fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford also ordered that Stygles pay restitution totaling $71,583.On September 28, 2017, a federal grand jury in Burlington returned a two-count indictment charging Stygles with wire fraud and access device fraud. According to the indictment, Stygles began working for ARC Mechanical Contractors in Bradford, Vermont in 2010. In February 2016, she was promoted to the position of office manager. In that job, Stygles had access to the company credit card number, which she used to order supplies.
According to the indictment, beginning in August 2016 and continuing through early May 2017 when she was fired, Stygles used the ARC Mechanical credit card about 130 times to purchase tack, barn supplies and equine, canine and livestock products for KMS Stables, a business that Stygles owned. She ordered the products from a vendor in Ohio using ARC Mechanical’s telephones and computers. During this time period, Stygles also diverted customer payments that were intended for ARC Mechanical into a Pay-Pal account for KMS Stables, and used ARC Mechanical’s United Parcel Service account to pay for goods she was shipping to customers of KMS Stables.
The indictment charges that the total fraud amounted to more than $70,000.
This case was investigated by the Bradford Police Department and the United States Secret Service.
Stygles is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Steven Barth. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.