Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 22 June 2018
District Man Sentenced to 45 Years Prison for 2014 Murder in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –James Young, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 45 years in prison on murder and other charges stemming from the slaying of a man in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Young and a co-defendant, Tyrone Michael Hight, were found guilty in April 2018 of first-degree felony murder while armed, second-degree murder while armed, armed robbery, first-degree burglary while armed, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, and related weapons offenses. The verdicts followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Young was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
Hight, 26, also of Washington, D.C., is awaiting sentencing.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 7 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2014, the victim, Willard Carlos Shelton, drove to the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road SE to purchase narcotics. About10 minutes after Mr. Shelton arrived, Hight and Young produced firearms, attempted to rob him, and then pistol-whipped him. Hight and Young then fired several shots at Mr. Shelton, who attempted to escape the onslaught of bullets.
One of the bullets struck Mr. Shelton in the abdomen, knocking him to the ground. Once the gunshots ended, Young went over to Mr. Shelton and took his personal effects, including his wallet and keys. Young then pointed a gun at Mr. Shelton’s head, but this time he did not fire. Mr. Shelton, 38, of Alexandria, Va., later died from his injuries.
Following the shooting, Hight and Young fled the scene, broke into a nearby apartment, and hid the firearms used to shoot Mr. Shelton. Young later attempted to obstruct justice by making threatening statements directed at a government witness. Hight later attempted to obstruct justice by convincing someone who was not a witness to the shooting to make false statements to law enforcement about the murder.
Hight and Young were arrested in September 2014 and have been in custody ever since.
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 (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Liaison and Operations Manager Linda McDonald; Paralegal Specialists Debra Joyner, Sharon Newman, and Kelly Blakeley; Criminal Investigators John Marsh and Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Anisha Bhatia, and Jeanie Latimore-Brown; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington; Witness Security Specialists M. Laverne Perry, Wanda Queen, and Tanya Via, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Barker and Laura Crane, who investigated and prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kendra Briggs, Jeffrey Nestler, Thomas Saunders, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Eckert, who investigated and indicted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for 2017 Slaying in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Martel Hall, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 12-year prison term on a charge stemming from the stabbing death of a man in Southwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Hall pled guilty in April 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentencing range of 10 ½ to 12 years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea today and sentenced Hall to 12 years. Following his prison term, Hall will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the night of Sept. 11, 2017, the victim, David Neal, and a relative went to the 7-Eleven in the 3900 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SW. As Mr. Neal was waiting in line to purchase food, Hall came into the 7-Eleven and told Mr. Neal to come outside. Moments later, Mr. Neal walked out of the 7-Eleven and into the parking lot. Surveillance footage shows Hall follow Mr. Neal into the parking lot, where a physical altercation ensued. Mr. Neal sustained wounds and lacerations to his head, body and hands. These included two stab wounds to the chest, a stab wound stretching approximately five to six inches across Mr. Neal’s abdomen, a stab wound above his left eye, and a laceration in the inner left elbow. There were defense wounds to his hands and an additional stab wound to the backside of Mr. Neal’s left shoulder. Mr. Neal, 31, died from injuries that night.
According to eyewitnesses, and corroborated by surveillance video, Mr. Neal and Hall began tussling with one another in the 7-Eleven parking lot. During the struggle, Mr. Neal began gushing blood and collapsed. Hall, who sustained a single cut to his face, then fled the scene, discarding a knife in the 7-Eleven parking lot. As he was leaving the scene, Hall took off his shirt, which was covered in blood, and left it in the 7-Eleven parking lot. Hall was arrested on Sept. 27, 2017 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Barker, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Des Moines Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa-- On June 21, 2018, Timothy Ray Kain, age 30, of Des Moines, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 210 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Kain was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term.
Kain pleaded guilty to the charges on February 6, 2018, and admitted to conspiring with others to distribute in excess of five kilograms of pure methamphetamine and he possessed a firearm during his drug trafficking activities.
This investigation was conducted by the Des Moines Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Deputy Attorney General Recognizes South Dakota Prosecutor for Superior Performance in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Timothy M. Maher, Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota, was one of 58 individuals or group prosecution teams or administrative teams recognized at the Department of Justice by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director James Crowell, IV at the 34th Director’s Awards Ceremony in Washington D.C. on June 15, 2018.
The District of South Dakota was one of 35 districts represented at the ceremony, which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
In addressing the award recipients and guests, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said, “Today’s honorees earned the esteem of their colleagues. But most importantly, they earned the gratitude of our fellow citizens — the people whose communities you made safer, whose lives you improved, and whose trust you rewarded. Today, we pause to honor and recognize a small portion of your work.”
Maher has been the Supervisor in the Pierre branch of the U.S. Attorney’s office since March 2015. He has been an AUSA since the Fall of 2008. Throughout, he has provided exceptional contributions to the Department of Justice’s efforts in Indian country, in his case handling, his leadership, training conducted, and in his outreach to our tribal partners.
As branch supervisor, Maher currently leads a team of six prosecutors and four support staff covering the Central third of the State. The majority of the case load consists of the prosecution of offenses involving murder, manslaughter, aggravated sexual abuse, felony assault, burglary, robbery and other offenses occurring on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, the Crow Creek Indian Reservation, the Lower Brule Indian Reservation, and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The remainder of the caseload consists of cases involving illegal narcotics, firearms, wildlife offenses, fraud, and sex offender noncompliance. In 2016, there were 566 Indian country defendants charged (including juveniles) in the District of South Dakota, and Maher oversaw about 64 percent of the District’s Indian country work.
From 2008 to 2015, as a line AUSA, Maher prosecuted a wide variety of murders, manslaughters, child pornography, child sexual abuse, assaults upon law enforcement officers, and firearm offenses. Where needed, he defended those convictions on appeal. During his time as a line prosecutor, he conducted numerous meetings involving child abuse multi-disciplinary teams, proper sexual abuse response team procedures, domestic violence protocols, and supported the Department's efforts to pursue predators who use the internet to sexually offend. A former state prosecutor and Hughes County State’s Attorney from 2004 to 2008, Maher helped conduct evaluations of tribal court systems and other prosecutor offices. Over the years, Maher has routinely instructed law enforcement officers on search and seizure, report writing, photography, criminal law, criminal procedure, and has helped secure hundreds of search warrants involving tribal communities.
“The Department of Justice has chosen wisely in honoring our friend and colleague Tim Maher with this prestigious national award,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “Tim has spent his career building relationships and working together with our Tribal government partners every day to help keep their communities safe. We could not be more proud of him.”
EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.
###
Davi Bailey Arrested for Witness RetaliationRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Davi Sarah Bailey, 28, of Battle Creek, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint that alleges she threatened the sister of a 16-year-old identified only by the initials K.P.
K.P. testified at a federal trial last week that she was sexually exploited by a Michael Clayton. Clayton is the father of Bailey’s child. K.P.’s sister attended the court proceedings as support for K.P. The jury ultimately found Clayton guilty of sex trafficking a minor and producing child pornography using three girls, one of whom was K.P. The jury also found Clayton guilty of conspiring to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The complaint against Bailey includes a copy of the following message Bailey allegedly sent K.P.’s sister through Facebook:
It is a federal crime to threaten any person for the attendance of a witness at an official proceeding or the testimony given by that witness at the proceeding. In this case, the complaint alleges Bailey threatened K.P.’s sister for K.P. having attended and testified at Clayton’s trial. This charge is punishable by up to life in prison.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26. The charges in a criminal complaint are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
END
Dark Web Gun Trafficker from Nevada County Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Dealing in FirearmsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Michael Paul Grisham Smith, 44, of Grass Valley, pleaded guilty today to unlawful dealing and manufacturing in firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Smith contacted a firearms vendor on the dark web seeking to sell AR-15-style “ghost” guns that have no serial number. The firearms vendor was in fact an undercover law enforcement agent working for the Homeland Security Investigations. Between October 5, 2017, and February 15, 2018, Smith manufactured and sold eight AR‑15‑style firearms without serial numbers to the undercover agent in exchange for payment in bitcoin.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Quinn Hochhalter and Justin Lee are prosecuting the case.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on September 7, 2018. Smith faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Crown Point Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay over $1 Million Dollars in RestitutionRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Walter Woldt, 55, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced before District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen on his plea of guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Woldt was sentenced to 14 months in prison followed by 24 months of home detention and ordered to pay $1,004,991 in restitution. He was ordered to report to the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) on August 3, 2018.
According to documents in this case, in 2006 and 2007 Woldt worked with Al Rodenburg, a mortgage broker based in Texas, to purchase 14 residential properties in Northwest Indiana in the span of 30 days with no money down. Defendants Rodenburg and Woldt worked out an arrangement where Woldt obtained mortgages that Rodenburg found for him on multiple properties beginning on January 3, 2007. They continued the process of closing on multiple properties roughly twice a week up through February 1, 2007. They knew that by closing on the properties so quickly mortgages Woldt obtained in early January 2007 would not hit his credit report for at least 30 days thereby depriving subsequent lenders, including lenders who purchased these mortgages in the secondary market, of material information they would want and need to know about Woldt’s debts for purposes of evaluating credit worthiness. Defendant Rodenburg did this for the commission he received on the mortgages Woldt obtained. Defendant Rodenberg was sentenced on February 22, 2018 to a 14 month prison term, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1, 004,991 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the FDIC-Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Berkowitz.
###
Court of Appeals Upholds Conviction and Sentence of Rwandan Refugee Who Actively Participated in the Rwandan GenocideRead the Press Release
In an opinion issued today, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence of a man who actively participated in the Rwandan genocide and then committed naturalization fraud.
Ken Ngombwa, 57, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted by a federal jury in January 2016 of one count of naturalization fraud; one count of conspiracy to unlawfully procure citizenship; and one count of making a materially false statement to agents of the Department of Homeland Security.
On March 2, 2017, United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade sentenced Ngombwa to serve 15 years’ imprisonment. Judge Reade also revoked Ngombwa’s citizenship.
On appeal, Ngombwa challenged the denial of his motion for new trial claiming his trial counsel provided constitutionally ineffective assistance at trial. Ngombwa also claimed the district court erred at sentencing by relying upon statements of genocide victims given to United States investigators in Rwanda; his two prior convictions for genocide in the local Gacaca (“grass courts”) of Rwanda; and the testimony of an expert on the Rwandan genocide who testified via video link at the sentencing.
The Court of Appeals rejected each of Ngombwa’s challenges. The Court noted Ngombwa “told a number of lies” in the course of gaining entry into the United States and eventual citizenship. Most prominent of these lies was Ngombwa’s claim that he was the brother of Faustin Twagiramungu, a moderate Hutu and former Prime Minister of Rwanda. Ngombwa also lied about certain other family relationships and about having previously been beaten in the Rwandan capital. The Court found trial counsel made strategic decisions as to how to limit the impact of adverse evidence concerning the Ngombwa’s false claims regarding his family relationships.
The Court of Appeals also found the district court properly applied the sentencing guidelines and did not error in considering evidence concerning Ngombwa’s participation in the Rwandan genocide. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented testimony about the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which hundreds of thousands of people from the Tutsi ethnic group were killed. The evidence showed that Ngombwa was charged and convicted in two Gacaca courts in that country for his involvement in the Rwandan genocide. He was also named in an Indictment brought in 2010 against Jean Uwinkindi by the United Nations Joint Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, as a co-participant in a “joint criminal enterprise whose common purpose was the commission of genocide against the Tutsi racial or ethnic group and persons identified as Tutsi or presumed to support the Tutsi[.]” Uwinkindi was convicted of the charge in the Indictment and sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2015.
Further, the evidence presented at sentencing showed that Ngombwa is currently under Indictment in the Republic of Rwanda. That Indictment was brought by the country’s Prosecutor General in 2014. An international arrest warrant remains outstanding on that Indictment. The Rwandan Indictment charges Ngombwa in Count 1 with “Genocide” and alleges, in part, that Ngombwa “is individually liable for having, between 7th April 1994 and July 1994 ordered and committed crimes perpetrated with the intent to destroy in whole the Tutsi ethnic group.” The Indictment alleges Ngombwa drove members of the Interahamwe to the Catholic church “in order to attack and kill Tutsi who had sought refuge there.” Further, it alleges that Ngombwa transported members of the Interahamwe to the Kanzene communal office to kill Tutsi seeking refuge there. It also alleged Ngombwa and the Interahamwe militia, armed with guns and traditional weapons, “such as machetes, spears clubs and other traditional tools, attacked the Tutsi who had sought refuge in the premises of priests” at the Catholic Church, and attacked and killed them. There are additional allegations in Count 1. Moreover, Count 2 charges Ngombwa with “extermination as a crime against humanity.” Count 3 charges Ngombwa with “murder as a crime against humanity.”
Department of Homeland Security agents testified at sentencing that as part of their investigation, they personally interviewed multiple witnesses in Rwanda who saw Ngombwa commit acts of violence during the Rwandan genocide. For instance, many witnesses stated that Ngombwa drove members of the Interahamwe (a youth militia group) and the military – killers – to locations where they conducted mass killings of Tutsi. According to the witnesses, Ngombwa made derogatory statements concerning the Tutsi; he encouraged others to kill Tutsi; and he personally participated in the killings. According to the witnesses, Ngombwa also participated in the theft or looting of property belonging to Tutsi.
In addition, evidence was presented at sentencing about Ngombwa setting fire to his Habitat for Humanity home in Cedar Rapids in 2013.
“Today’s decision marks the successful conclusion of a remarkable case; one that helped bring a measure of justice to a criminal participant in a horrible chapter in modern human history,” said United States Attorney Deegan. “This case also is an important example of why our nation’s immigration laws must be respected and why those who violate them must be held accountable.”
The case was originally referred to the Department of Homeland Security in 2011 by the Prosecutor General of Rwanda. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard L. Murphy and Ravi T. Narayan, and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
The opinion and order of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals is available at http://media.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/18/06/171688P.pdf.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 14-CR-00123.
Follow the office on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Clovis Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing Unregistered Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alan William Weber, 37, of Clovis, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to the 49 days of time he has already served in custody to be followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws by possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun. Weber’s term of supervised release will include 15 months of home detention under electronic monitoring during which time Weber will be required to comply with a curfew. Weber also was ordered to forfeit the eight firearms seized from his residence in Jan. 2017.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) arrested Weber on Feb. 23, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with firearms offenses. According to the complaint, Weber pointed a firearm at an EMS crewmember on Jan. 30, 2017, during a call for service at Weber’s residence. Law enforcement agents subsequently found a large gun safe in Weber’s residence containing multiple firearms and ammunition while executing a search warrant incident to Weber’s arrest on local charges. Subsequent investigation in Feb. 2017 by ATF revealed that Weber did not have any firearms registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) and that Weber previously had been convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense.
Weber was indicted on July 27, 2017, and was charged with being a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense in possession of a firearm, and possession of an unregistered firearm on Jan. 30, 2017, in Curry County, N.M.
On Nov. 17, 2017, Weber pled guilty possession of an unregistered firearm. In entering the guilty plea, Weber admitted that on Jan. 30, 2017, he possessed a sawed-off shotgun that was not registered to him in the NFRTR.
This case was investigated by the ATF office in Albuquerque and the Clovis Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley.
Cleveland man indicted for armed robberies of credit unions in Willoughby and Shaker HeightsRead the Press Release
A Cleveland man was indicted in federal court for his role in armed robberies of credit unions in Shaker Heights and Willoughby on the same day last year.
Richode Meredith-Hill, 20, was indicted on two counts of armed credit union robbery and two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
Meredith-Hill attempted to rob the Buckeye State Credit Union on Chagrin Boulevard in Shaker Heights and robbed the Cardinal Community Credit Union on Euclid Avenue in Willoughby. Both took place on April 3, 2017, according to the indictment.
Meredith-Hill aided and abetted another who used a firearm during these crimes of violence, according to the indictment.
This case is being prosecuted as part of "Project Safe Neighborhoods," a gun violence reduction program administered by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio. The program targets armed criminals for federal prosecution.
This case was investigated by the FBI and police departments in Cleveland, Shaker Heights, Euclid and Willoughby. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cincinnati Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati man was convicted today by a federal jury in Covington for conspiring to distribute carfentanil in the Boone County Jail Work Camp resulting in death.
After slightly under three hours of deliberations following a five day trial, the jury convicted 41 year old Johnny L. Shelton of conspiracy to distribute carfentanil resulting in death.
According to testimony at trial, Shelton led a conspiracy to smuggle carfentanil, an extremely powerful opioid, into the Boone County Jail Work Camp on or about October 15, 2016. Evidence revealed that Timothy Marcum, a fellow inmate, consumed some of the carfentanil and died. Jailers found Marcum’s deceased body in the work camp during the early morning hours of October 16, 2016.
Shelton and others were indicted in March of 2017. Two other members of the conspiracy, Chad Prodoehl and Gordon Wanser have been convicted in connection with this conspiracy. Prodoehl was sentenced to 25 years in prison on May 29, 2018. Wanser is still awaiting sentencing.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Bracke and Wade Napier.
Shelton will appear for sentencing on October 18, 2018. He faces a term of life imprisonment due to prior felony drug trafficking convictions. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal statutes before imposing a sentence.
Carter Lake Woman Sentenced in Fentanyl Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
Amalia Pandis sentenced for role in drug-related overdoses
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – On June 20, 2018, Amalia Pandis, age 24, of Carter Lake, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner for Conspiracy to Distribute a Fentanyl Analogue that caused death or serious bodily injury, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum.
Pandis was part of a drug trafficking organization responsible for receiving and distributing fentanyl analogues obtained from a source in China to individuals in Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. The investigation began on June 28, 2015, when law enforcement officers were called to a Carter Lake residence regarding an unresponsive male. Law enforcement found the body of a 20-year old deceased male at the home. Law enforcement also discovered a second male had been transported to a local hospital, and placed on life support, from the same location prior to law enforcement’s arrival.
Subsequent investigation revealed Pandis’ co-defendant Charles Beuterbaugh provided acetyl fentanyl to both victims, which was determined to be the cause of death and the reason for the hospitalization. Beuterbaugh had obtained the acetyl fentanyl from Pandis. She obtained the acetyl fentanyl through an organization that began distributing fentanyl, or an analogue of fentanyl, in November of 2014 and continued to distribute into April of 2016.
All members involved in the distribution of the acetyl fentanyl entered guilty pleas. On August 23, 2017, Senior Judge Gritzner sentenced Michael David Redmond, Jr. to 120 months in prison. On October 26, 2017, Dustin C. Sullivan was sentenced to 162 months inprisonment and Cody Jay Lanus was sentenced to 144 months. Charles J. Beuterbaugh was sentenced November 7, 2017, to 240 months in prison, and Walter J. O’Donohue was sentenced February 28, 2018 to 180 months imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Carter Lake Police Department, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Omaha Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement, United States Postal Inspection Service and United States Drug Enforcement Administration-Nebraska. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Canton woman charged with theft of government fundsRead the Press Release
A Canton woman was charged today with theft of government funds, said Justin E. Herdman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
For over 12 years, Michelle L. Cyrus, 41, falsely reported to the Social Security Administration that her husband did not live with her in the family home. As a result, she received more Social Security benefits that she was entitled to receive.
Special Agent Kelly Clark from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the Court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Camden, New Jersey Woman Charged with Theft of Public FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced than an indictment was unsealed today charging Concepcion Cedano, 48, of Camden, New Jersey with one count of criminal conspiracy to commit theft of public funds and one count of theft of public funds.
According to the indictment, Cedano and her co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to steal public money by obtaining federal refund checks fraudulently caused to be issued by the United States Treasury. Cedano deposited at least 60 fraudulent refund checks into five bank accounts under her control, resulting in a theft of $298,779.52 from the United States government.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, two years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000, and a special assessment of $200.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Bedford man arrested, charged with having firearms while trafficking cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Bedford man was charged in federal court with drug and firearms crimes.
Lamont Colvin, 32, was charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, being a felon in possession of a firearm, distribution of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Colvin was arrested on Feb. 7 when DEA agents found him with approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine, 28 grams of fentanyl and 84 grams of cocaine, as well as four loaded firearms, according to the indictment.
Colvin on Feb. 7 had a Glock 45-caliber pistol, a Glock 40-caliber pistol, a Taurus 40-caliber pistol, a Palmetto State Armory PA-15 rifle and ammunition, despite numerous prior convictions for drug trafficking that made it illegal for him to possess firearms, according to the indictment.
Colvin also sold nearly 300 grams of cocaine on two dates prior to his arrest, according to the indictment.
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.
This case was investigated jointly by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Sweeney.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anderson Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Matthew Vinson Leopard, age 40, of Anderson, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Anderson, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain, of Anderson, sentenced Leopard to 120 months imprisonment and five years of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Leopard had been dealing in both methamphetamine and firearms. Specifically, Leopard was arrested, on November 22, 2016, in possession of 166 grams of methamphetamine, a Kel-Tec 9mm handgun, an SKS sawed off rifle, a 16-guage shotgun, and a .22 Long Rifle.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney D. Josev Brewer of the Greenville office handled the case.
#####
Aliquippa Woman Admits Role in Heroin and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Beaver County resident pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and one count of conspiracy to launder money, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Britny Beaver, 25, of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from January 2015 to February 2016, Beaver conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute kilogram quantities of heroin. She also conspired to launder $60,000 of the proceeds of the heroin trafficking.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for October 22, 2018. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Hopewell Township Police Department, Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, Aliquippa Police Department, and the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Beaver.
20 Individuals Charged in a West Texas Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — In a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Caprock HIDTA (Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Task Force, and the Texas (Lubbock) Anti-Gang Center (TAG), 20 individuals are in federal custody on a federal criminal indictment for a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Those defendants arrested yesterday or in custody on other charges are:
Jose Garcia-Lizanaga, also known as “Chepe”, 43, Lubbock
Jorge Luis Lizarraga-Tirado, also known as “Luis” or “Barba”, 30, Mexican citizen
Antonio Alvarez, Jr., also known as “Tony”, 42, Lubbock
Eduardo Agustin Cruz, also known as “Lalo”, 41, Lubbock
Robert Lee Melendez, also known as “Roberto”, 26, Meadow
Jesus Marcus Franco, also known as “Jesse”, 34, Brownfield
Juana Sanchez, also known as “Juana Salazar” or “Jaime”, 41, Littlefield
Richard David Hupper, also known as “Piraton”, 42, Pennsylvania
Andrew Doyal Pugh, 29, Alabama
Gregory Holleman, also known as “G”, 50, Lubbock
Saul Chavira-Molina, 25, Kansas
Jermaine Edgar Garmon, 40, Lubbock
Shad Everett Evans, 42, Brownfield
Arturo Sanchez, 39, Lubbock
Petra Maria Sauceda-Perez, also known as “Aunt” or “Tia”, 38, Fabens, Texas
Kim Herrera, 27, Lubbock
Jessica Angel Deleon, 34, Lubbock
Broderick Bradley, 35, Lubbock
Ambrosio Garcia, Jr., also known as “Bocho”, 33, Lubbock
Ambrosio Garcia-Rodriguez, Sr., 58, Mexican citizen
“This is just an example of the amazing results that have come, and will come, by uniting federal, state, and local law enforcement in fighting drug trafficking in West Texas. By adopting the ‘one mission, one team’ approach to narcotics, violent crime, and gang enforcement, the HIDTA and TAG will produce exceptional results for the people of the South Plains,” stated U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox.
The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in Lubbock, Texas earlier this month, and unsealed yesterday, charging 20 individuals in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana; distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana; unlawful use of a communications facility; and bulk cash smuggling. Fifteen of those defendants were arrested yesterday, five were already in custody at the Lubbock County Detention Center on related state charges.
As a result of this operation, law enforcement seized approximately one pound of cocaine, five pounds of hydroponic marijuana, five firearms, twelve vehicles, and a recreational vehicle.
Most of the defendants arrested will make their initial appearances in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant, Jr.
According to the indictment, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and other illegal narcotics throughout West Texas and elsewhere. The indictment further alleges that from approximately January 2018 through June 2018, the defendants conspired together, and with others, to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; five kilograms or more of cocaine, and marijuana.
A federal criminal indictment is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of the federal sentencing guidelines and factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.
The Caprock HIDTA Task Force and TAG are comprised of agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Police Department. The United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations-Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Hockley County Sheriff’s Office, the Terry County Sheriff’s Office, the Brownfield Police Department, and the Levelland Police Department rendered invaluable assistance in the operation. The Drug Enforcement Administration offices in Midland and El Paso, and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office were instrumental in assisting with those individuals located in other jurisdictions.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long.
# # #
Thursday 21 June 2018
Wheeling man sentenced for firearms violationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Eban Joseph Keith Beyah, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 51 months incarceration for unlawful possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Beyah, age 45, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in February 2018. Beyah, having previously been convicted of burglary and several drug-related charges in Commons Pleas Court in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, admitted to possessing a 9mm pistol in Ohio County on June 2017.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Wheeling man sentenced for failing to register as sex offenderRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph J. Weidman, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to three years probation for failing to register as a sex offender, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Weidman, 51, failed to register and update his registration as a sex offender in Ohio County, West Virginia, after having moved from Massachusetts in May, 2016. Weidman is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by reason of a conviction under state law.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
West Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Thomas Owen Haynes II, 46, of Bluefield, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of Distribution and Receipt of Child Pornography and one count of Possession of Child Pornography. The Receipt and Distribution count is punishable by a minimum five years imprisonment and a maximum of twenty years imprisonment. The Possession count is punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment.
Facts at Haynes’ guilty plea indicated that the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) sent a lead to the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI used the ICAC lead to obtain a search warrant for Haynes’ home where they obtained evidence that Haynes’ had been using his cell phone to view, receive and distribute child pornography images and videos. Haynes’ plea was accepted by United States District Court Judge David C. Norton, who will sentence Haynes at a later date.
The conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Williams is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
#####
Waterloo Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Sex OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who engaged in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and distributed child pornography was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison.
Juan Rangel, age 36, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the sentence after a December 27, 2017 guilty plea to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of distribution of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Rangel admitted that, between 2014 and 2016, he traveled from the United States to Mexico and engaged in sex acts with a minor. He also admitted that he distributed visual depictions of child pornography using the Internet.
Rangel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Rangel was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $10,200 was imposed, and Rangel must also serve a 7-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
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.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 17-2085.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Two Prattville Men Sentenced for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Two Prattville men were sentenced today to more than 16 years in prison for the sex trafficking of minors, announced United States Attorney Louis Franklin, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan, Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson, Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans, and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
Michael Graham Lowe, 25, was sentenced to serve 220 months in prison for the sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Joshua David Rose, 30, was sentenced to serve 200 months for the sex trafficking of a minor. There is no parole in the federal system. Both Lowe and Rose were also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release upon the completion of their prison sentences. In addition, they were both ordered to pay restitution to their victims.
Rose had previously pled guilty in August 2017 and Lowe was found guilty after a four-day trial in February 2018.
The investigation was initiated by the Prattville Police Department and showed that in May 2016, Lowe, along with Rose, trafficked a minor victim out of a motel in Montgomery. Evidence presented at trial showed that Rose, with the assistance of Lowe, advertised the victim on the classified advertising website Backpage.com, arranged meetings for the victim to engage in commercial sex acts, and stood watch outside of the motel room while the victim engaged in commercial sex acts. Testimony showed that Lowe also transported the minor victim to another location to engage in a commercial sex act and that Lowe and Rose used the profits to purchase illegal narcotics.
“There is no place in our community for those who prey on children,” stated U.S. Attorney Franklin. “I hope that these sentences send a clear message that exploiting and prostituting a child will not be tolerated. I am grateful for the hard work of everyone involved in this case, but I would like to extend a special thank you to the Prattville Police Department, who initiated this investigation. I pledge that my office will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners to bring predators like these to justice.”
“Michael Lowe and Joshua Rose preyed on and trafficked a minor girl, using Backpage.com to arrange meetings for the victim to engage in sex for money that the defendants used to purchase illegal narcotics,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “Thanks to the outstanding efforts of the prosecutors and agents who worked on this very important case, Rose and Lowe will be held accountable for their reprehensible crimes, and some measure of justice has been achieved for the victim they so cruelly exploited.”
“The Prattville Police Department is grateful for the relationship we have with the U.S Attorney’s Office and all the agencies involved in this case,” stated Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson. “These sentences should send a strong message to anyone committing these types of crimes that we will work hard to find you and send you to prison. We are very proud of our Criminal Intelligent Unit for the effort they put into this case. It shows that Prattville PD is very proactive and we will continue to develop better ways to combat crime.”
“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, and the threats and abuse inflicted on these particular victims only adds to the heinous nature of the crime,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security New Orleans Jere T. Miles. “HSI is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to find and prosecute criminal traffickers while ensuring the victims of this terrible crime are rescued and get the care they need.”
“These men cruelly exploited the vulnerability of their young victim and the severity of their crimes more than warrants the long prison sentences they have received,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall. “Human trafficking is a horrific crime that traps its victims in a life of misery and abuse. This prosecution was the result of a long and painstaking investigation by many agents and officers. I applaud the diligence of the Prattville Police Department, which initiated these cases, working with agents of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and assisted by the Montgomery Police Department. I also want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its successful prosecution to bring these criminals to justice. As Alabama’s Attorney General, I am committed to continue this kind of cooperative and dedicated teamwork among agencies, which is the key to making our state a safer place.”
This case was jointly investigated by the Prattville Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service and Montgomery Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hollie Worley Reed of the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Leslie Williams Fisher of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Two Buffalo Men Charged in A Second Superseding Indictment with Drug Distribution Which Resulted in Two Overdoses and an Overdose DeathRead 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 a federal grand jury has returned a second superseding indictment charging Dontrell Wise, 32, and Lamario Jones, 31, both of Buffalo, NY, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, butyryl fentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute butyryl fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl causing death; and distribution of a controlled substance causing serious bodily injury.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, the indictment alleges that the conspiracy generally, and Wise specifically, between mid-November of 2017 and November 23, 2017, distributed fentanyl which caused the death of an individual identified as A.J. The “death results” charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $1,000,000 fine. In addition, Jones is accused of distributing a controlled substance which resulted in two overdose incidents causing “serious bodily injury” to individuals identified as K.M. and K.P. The “serious bodily injury” charges are also punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $1,000,000 fine.
“To date, our office has charged nearly a dozen defendants with causing the overdose deaths of 19 people,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Those lives represented 19 of our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and friends. Yet, for the first time ever in this District, this indictment also includes charges against two defendants for causing serious bodily injury by putting potentially deadly opiates into the hands of individuals who are struggling with addiction. That offense, like the death results offense, carries a 20 year mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum sentence of life in prison. As this charge highlights, these drugs not only kill but they cause serious injury to many in our community. To date, our efforts have rightfully been focused on saving lives, and that ongoing effort—thanks to law enforcement working with treatment providers, prevention specialists, and concerned citizens—seems to be working, as we are beginning to see a downward trend in the number of families losing loved ones to these deadly drugs. But our responsibility is greater than just saving lives. We must also work to ensure the quality of life and to protect our citizens from harm. It is something that the dedicated men and women of this Office do every day through their unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law and creatively utilizing all of the tools given to us by Congress to fight our battle on behalf of all of our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and friends.”
The defendants will be arraigned on June 25, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy.
A third co-defendant, Jerell Weathersby, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute butyryl fentanyl and is awaiting sentencing.
The second superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt.Two Alabama Men Sentenced to Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Two Alabama men were sentenced today to more than 16 years in prison for the sex trafficking of minors, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin Sr. of the Middle District of Alabama, Prattville Police Chief Mark Thompson, Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.
Michael Graham Lowe, 25, of Prattville, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 220 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release for the sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. Joshua David Rose, 30, also of Prattville, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release for the sex trafficking of a minor. The defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler of the Northern District of Alabama, who ordered both Lowe and Rose to pay restitution in the amount of $560 to one victim and ordered Rose to pay an additional $7,140 in restitution to two victims.
Rose pleaded guilty in August 2017. Lowe was found guilty after a four-day trial in February 2018. According to evidence presented at trial, in May 2016, Lowe, along with Rose, trafficked a minor victim out of a motel in Montgomery, Alabama. Evidence presented at trial showed that Rose, with the assistance of Lowe, advertised the victim on Backpage.com, arranged meetings for the victim to engage in commercial sex acts, and stood watch outside of the motel room while the victim engaged in commercial sex acts. Testimony showed that Lowe also transported the minor victim to another location to engage in a commercial sex act. Testimony at trial showed that Lowe and Rose used the profits made from the victim’s commercial sex acts to purchase illegal narcotics.
“Michael Lowe and Joshua Rose preyed on and trafficked a minor girl, using Backpage.com to arrange meetings for the victim to engage in sex for money that the defendants used to purchase illegal narcotics,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “Thanks to the outstanding efforts of the prosecutors and agents who worked on this very important case, Rose and Lowe will be held accountable for their reprehensible crimes, and some measure of justice has been achieved for the victim they so cruelly exploited.”
“There is no place in our community for those who prey on children,” said U.S. Attorney Franklin. “I hope that these lengthy sentences send a clear message that exploiting and prostituting a child will not be tolerated. I am grateful for the hard work of everyone involved in this case, but I would like to extend a special thank you to the Prattville Police Department, who initiated this investigation. I pledge that my office will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners to bring predators like these to justice.”
“The Prattville Police Department is grateful for the relationship we have with the U.S Attorney’s Office and all the agencies involved in this case,” said Prattville Police Chief Thompson. “These sentences should send a strong message to anyone committing these types of crimes that we will work hard to find you and send you to prison. We are very proud of our Criminal Intelligent Unit for the effort they put into this case. It shows that Prattville PD is very proactive and we will continue to develop better ways to combat crime.”
“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, and the threats and abuse inflicted on these particular victims only adds to the heinous nature of the crime,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Miles. “HSI is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to find and prosecute criminal traffickers while ensuring the victims of this terrible crime are rescued and get the care they need.”
“These men cruelly exploited the vulnerability of their young victim and the severity of their crimes more than warrants the long prison sentences they have received,” said Alabama Attorney General Marshall. “Human trafficking is a horrific crime that traps its victims in a life of misery and abuse. This prosecution was the result of a long and painstaking investigation by many agents and officers. I applaud the diligence of the Prattville Police Department, which initiated these cases, working with agents of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and assisted by the Montgomery Police Department. I also want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its successful prosecution to bring these criminals to justice. As Alabama’s Attorney General, I am committed to continue this kind of cooperative and dedicated teamwork among agencies, which is the key to making our state a safer place.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Prattville, Alabama Police Department, with assistance from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery, Alabama Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Leslie Williams Fisher of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hollie Worley Reed of the Middle District of Alabama.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Three Individuals Convicted and Sentenced to Prison for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
Boat Captain Assaulted During Smuggling Venture
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, announce the conviction and sentencing of three individuals who injured a man while smuggling aliens by sea.
According to the court docket, in September of 2016, Giorgi Abrakhamia, 37, Giorgi Kokuashvili, 41, and Mikheil Gogiashvili, 30, all from the Republic of Georgia, smuggled two Brazilian nationals by boat into South Florida from Freeport, Bahamas. During the course of the alien smuggling venture, Abrakhamia and Kokuashvili stabbed a Bahamian charter boat captain with a knife and pushed him overboard in the Straits of Florida before comandeering his vessel to transport the aliens. The captain survived the attack.
On February 21, 2018, Kokuashvili pled guilty to alien smuggling. On March 27, 2018, Abrakhamia and Gogiashvili also pled guilty to alien smuggling. On June 20, 2018, U.S. District Judge Kennetth A. Marra sentenced Abrakhamia and Kokuashvili to 78 months in prison, and Gogiashvili to 36 months in prison (Case No. 17-CR-80112).
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI in this matter. Mr. Greenberg also thanked the Royal Bahamiam Police Force for their assistance. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Rose and Philip Jones and United States Attorney Adrienne Rabinowitz.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Three Illinois Men Indicted on Federal Civil Rights and Hate Crimes Charges in the Bombing of Bloomington, Minnesota, Islamic CenterRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore, United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald, and Jill Sanborn, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division, today announced a five-count federal indictment charging Michael Hari, 47, Michael McWhorter, 29, and Joe Morris, 22, with charges including federal civil rights and hate crime violations, in connection with an explosion at the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center (DAF) in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Aug. 5, 2017. McWhorter, Morris, and Hari were previously named in a criminal complaint filed on March 13, 2018, in the District of Minnesota, charging them with arson.
The three defendants are currently being held in custody in Urbana, Illinois, on separate charges.
“All people – regardless of where they worship – have the right under federal law to live free from the threat of violence and discrimination,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “This Justice Department will hold accountable under the law anyone who attempts to commit violent acts of hate by threat or action.”
“These three defendants allegedly plotted and executed a plan designed specifically to spread fear and threaten a fundamental right afforded to all, the freedom of religion,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald. “In spite of the destructive and violent act alleged in the indictment, our communities have found strength in taking a unified stand against the attack. My office and our law enforcement partners are committed to upholding the laws that protect the civil rights of all Americans.”
“Last year's bombing was more than just an attack against a single structure, it was an attack on the very religious freedoms we enjoy as Americans,” said Jill Sanborn, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Division. “The ability to worship how and where we want is a cornerstone of our country's foundation, and the FBI stands ready to work with the community and our law enforcement partners whenever those freedoms are attacked.”
The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that Hari constructed a pipe bomb and rented a pickup truck in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Hari, McWhorter, and Morris drove from Illinois to Bloomington, Minnesota, in the pickup truck, stopping along the way to purchase diesel fuel and gasoline. The defendants mixed these ingredients together in a plastic container.
The indictment alleges that, in the early morning of Aug. 5, 2017, Morris broke a window at DAF and threw the plastic container containing the diesel fuel and gasoline mixture into the building. It is alleged that McWhorter then lit the fuse and threw the pipe bomb in the broken window at DAF. According to the court documents, the window that was broken was part of the Imam’s office. When the pipe bomb exploded, it ignited the mixture in the plastic container, causing extensive damage in the Imam’s office. McWhorter and Morris returned to the pickup truck, where Hari was waiting, and sped off, driving back to Illinois.
The charges allege that the defendants targeted the mosque with intent to damage the mosque because of its religious character and with intent to obstruct Muslims from worshipping there. DAF serves as a religious center as well as a religious school for children. As described in the complaint previously filed with the Court, McWhorter said in reference to the DAF explosion, that the defendants did not intend to kill anyone, but they wanted to “scare [Muslims] out of the country” and to “show them hey, you’re not welcome here…”
As described in the complaint previously filed with the Court, a tip from a confidential source helped to lead investigators to the defendants.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie E. Allyn and John F. Docherty, with assistance from Trial Attorney Timothy Visser of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The team is working in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of Illinois.
Three Illinois Men Indicted on Federal Civil Rights and Hate Crime Violations in the Bombing of Bloomington, Minnesota, Islamic CenterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald and Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore today announced a five-count federal indictment charging MICHAEL HARI, 47, MICHAEL MCWHORTER, 29, and JOE MORRIS, 23, with federal civil rights and hate crime violations, and using a destructive device in connection with an explosion at the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center (“DAF”) in Bloomington, Minnesota, on August 5, 2017.1 MCWHORTER, MORRIS, and HARI were previously named in a criminal complaint filed on March 13, 2018, in the District of Minnesota, charging them with arson.
The three defendants are currently being held in custody in Urbana, Illinois, on separate charges.2
“These three defendants allegedly plotted and executed a plan designed specifically to spread fear and threaten a fundamental right afforded to all, the freedom of religion,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald. “In spite of this destructive and violent act alleged in the indictment, our communities have found strength in taking a unified stand against the attack. My office and our law enforcement partners are committed to upholding the laws that protect the civil rights of all Americans.”
“Last year's bombing was more than just an attack against a single structure, it was an attack on the very religious freedoms we enjoy as Americans,” said Jill Sanborn, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Division. “The ability to worship how and where we want is a cornerstone of our country's foundation, and the FBI stands ready to work with the community and our law enforcement partners whenever those freedoms are attacked.”
“All people – regardless of where they worship – have the right under federal law to live free from the threat of violence and discrimination,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “This Justice Department will hold accountable under the law anyone who attempts to commit violent acts of hate by threat or action.
The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that HARI, MCWHORTER, and MORRIS engaged in a conspiracy to use an explosive device to intentionally cause damage to the DAF Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, which serves as a religious center as well as a religious school for children. The defendants targeted this location because of the religious character of the DAF Islamic Center, and for the purpose of making Muslims feel frightened and intimidated by interfering with their free exercise of religious liberty. As part of the conspiracy, HARI constructed a pipe bomb and, on July 27, 2017, rented a pickup truck from a vehicle rental business in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. On August 4 and 5, 2017, HARI, MCWHORTER, and MORRIS drove together in the rented pickup truck from Illinois to Bloomington, Minnesota, stopping along the way to purchase diesel fuel and gasoline, which the defendants mixed together in a plastic container.
As alleged in the indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, in the early morning of August 5, 2017, MORRIS used a sledge hammer to break a window at the DAF Islamic Center and threw the plastic container containing the diesel fuel and gasoline mixture into the building. It is alleged that MCWHORTER then lit the fuse on the pipe bomb that HARI had built and threw the pipe bomb through the broken window at the DAF Islamic Center. According to the court documents, the window that was broken was part of the Imam’s office. When the pipe bomb exploded, it ignited the mixture in the plastic container, causing extensive fire and smoke damage to the Imam’s office. MCWHORTER and MORRIS returned to the pickup truck, where HARI was waiting, and sped off, driving back to Illinois.
As alleged in the previously filed criminal complaint, MCWHORTER said in reference to the DAF Islamic Center explosion, that the defendants did not intend to kill anyone, but they wanted to “scare [Muslims] out of the country” and to “show them hey, you’re not welcome here, get the [expletive] out.”
As alleged in the previously filed criminal complaint, on January 27, 2018, investigators received a tip from a confidential source with information about the three defendants and their involvement with the bombing at the DAF Islamic Center.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie E. Allyn and John F. Docherty of the District of Minnesota, with assistance from Trial Attorney Timothy Visser of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The team is working in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of Illinois.
Defendant Information:
MICHAEL HARI, 47
Clarence, Ill.
Charges:
- Intentionally Defacing, Damaging, and Destroying any Religious Real Property Because of the Religious Character of that Property, 1 count
- Intentionally Obstructing, and Attempting to Obstruct, by Force and the Threat of Force, the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs, 1 count
- Conspiracy to Commit Federal Felonies by Means of Fire and Explosives, 1 count
- Carrying and Using a Destructive Device During and in Relation to Crimes of Violence, 1 count
- Possession of an unregistered destructive device, 1 count
MICHAEL MCWHORTER, 29
Clarence, Ill.
Charges:- Intentionally Defacing, Damaging, and Destroying any Religious Real Property Because of the Religious Character of that Property, 1 count
- Intentionally Obstructing, and Attempting to Obstruct, by Force and the Threat of Force, the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs, 1 count
- Conspiracy to Commit Federal Felonies by Means of Fire and Explosives, 1 count
- Carrying and Using a Destructive Device During and in Relation to Crimes of Violence, 1 count
JOE MORRIS, 23
Clarence, Ill.
Charges:- Intentionally Defacing, Damaging, and Destroying any Religious Real Property Because of the Religious Character of that Property, 1 count
- Intentionally Obstructing, and Attempting to Obstruct, by Force and the Threat of Force, the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs, 1 count
- Conspiracy to Commit Federal Felonies by Means of Fire and Explosives, 1 count
- Carrying and Using a Destructive Device During and in Relation to Crimes of Violence, 1 count
###
Additional news available on our website.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[2] Superseding Indictment Adds New Charges Against Four East Central Illinois Men
Three Defendants Sentenced for Roles in Federal Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Comprehensive drug investigation led to the indictment of nearly a dozen defendants, all of whom have now pled guilty
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Three defendants implicated in a federal heroin conspiracy were sentenced this week, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jennifer Benson and Bernard Spann of Parkersburg were sentenced today to 71 and 60 months in prison, respectively, and Dennis Carter of Detroit was sentenced on Monday to 188 months imprisonment, for guilty pleas each previously entered to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Stuart commended the collaborative investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Parkersburg Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, and the Police Departments of the cities of Parkersburg, Vienna, and Williamstown.
“This case brought down a significant heroin distribution network operating in and around Parkersburg,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “The citizens of Wood County are no doubt safer as a result of this prosecution. I applaud the thorough investigation conducted by our federal, state and local partners which resulted in 11 convictions and lengthy sentences in this case.”
Benson, Spann, and Carter previously admitted to their involvement with several other individuals in distributing heroin at various locations throughout the Parkersburg area. Benson and Carter admitted distributing between one and three kilograms of heroin, while Spann admitted to distributing between 100 and 400 grams of heroin.
Debra Martin, Joseph Reeder-Shaw, Ralph White, Jonathan Brown, Heather Wells, Kennedy Walker, Rachel Kuhn and Sir Pritis Williams, all codefendants involved in the same conspiracy as the three defendants sentenced this week, will be sentenced in August.
Assistant United States Attorney John Frail is in charge of these prosecutions. The plea hearings were held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
###
Three Convicted on Charges Related to Foreclosure Prevention Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Late on June 20, 2018, a federal jury convicted Michelle Sylethia Jordan, a/k/a Michelle Harris and Michelle Welsh, age 49; her husband, Michael Paul Anthony Welsh, a/k/a Michael A. Welsh and Michael Paul S. Welsh, age 45, both of Laurel, Maryland; and Carrol Antonio Jackson, a/k/a Jack Jackson, age 48, of Hinesville, Georgia, on conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges in connection with a foreclosure prevention fraud scheme. After the verdict was announced, U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus ordered that Jordan and Welsh be detained pending sentencing and they were immediately taken into custody.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Rene Febles of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Bertrand Nelson of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG); Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Chief Henry P. Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; Sheriff Steve Sikes of the Liberty County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office; and Vernon M. Keenan, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to the evidence presented at the eight-day trial, Jordan was chief executive officer and director of MJ Loan Auditor Group, LLC (MJLAG), a limited liability company registered and doing business in Maryland. Welsh was president, vice president, and director of MJLAG. Jackson was the owner and manager of CJ Maxx Group LLC, a limited liability company doing business in Maryland, Virginia, and Georgia.
The evidence showed that from August 2012 until February 2017, Jordan and Welsh falsely told victim homeowners that, for a fee, MJLAG could help these homeowners modify their mortgage loans and prevent foreclosure of their homes. Jordan and Welsh falsely represented that MJLAG could help the homeowners get “free and clear” title to their homes, with no debt or liens against the property, and that MJLAG could obtain money from the homeowners’ lenders, typically by suing the lenders. Jordan and Welsh told homeowners that they needed to purchase one or more “audits” of the homeowners’ mortgage loans in order to uncover fraud and alleged illegal acts committed by the lenders, and that these “audits” could be used as evidence in lawsuits against the lenders and in negotiating for a loan modification.
Witnesses testified that as part of the scheme, Jordan and Welsh had homeowners sign a “contract fee agreement” setting out what fees would be charged for the “audit.” The contract fee agreement contained the seal of the National Association of Mortgage Underwriters (NAMU), even though the defendants and their companies had no current affiliation with NAMU. Jordan advised clients to submit baseless complaints about their lender to state and federal agencies, and to stop paying their mortgages. Jordan further advised MJLAG clients whose homes already were in foreclosure proceedings to file for bankruptcy in order to delay the foreclosure proceedings and as part of the process to prevent foreclosure of the clients’ homes. Jordan assisted MJLAG clients in filing for bankruptcy, by preparing bankruptcy petitions and related documents and court filings.
The evidence proved that Jordan and Welsh paid Jackson to prepare fraudulent documents purporting to be “Forensic Audit Reports” and “Real Estate Securitization Audits” relating to loans for properties owned by MJLAG clients. The victim homeowners paid money to MJLAG with the expectation of receiving assistance with modifying their mortgage loans and preventing foreclosure of their homes.
The defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, and 20 years in prison for each of ten counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus has scheduled sentencing for September 28, 2018 at 9:00 a.m.
The Maryland Mortgage Fraud Task Force was established to unify the agencies that regulate and investigate mortgage fraud and promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of mortgage fraud schemes. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Task Force, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to protect consumers from fraud and promote the integrity of the credit markets. Information about mortgage fraud prosecutions is available http://www.justice.gov/usao-md/financial-fraud-and-identity-theft.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FHFA-OIG, HUD-OIG, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Police Departments, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for their work in the investigation, and recognized the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulations for its assistance. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristi N. O’Malley and Nicolas A. Mitchell, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Boison, who are prosecuting the case.
Thirty-One Year-Old Man Sentenced to 198 Months in Prison for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – U.S. District Court Judge Francisco A. Besosa sentenced Byron H. Montijo-Maysonet to 16 years and six months of imprisonment for one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and four counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity with a minor, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. Montijo-Maysonet was found guilty of these charges on March 7, 2018.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on November 24, 2015, the defendant along with co-defendant, Luis Meléndez-Ramos, transported a 13-year-old female minor and a 14-year-old minor from their middle school in Manatí, PR, to a motel located in Barceloneta, PR, with the intent to engage in sexual activity. After this first encounter, the defendant and Mr. Meléndez-Ramos used an internet instant messaging service to persuade one of the minors to return to the motel this time with a different 13-year-old female minor. On November 30, 2015, the defendant and Mr. Meléndez-Ramos picked up the two 13-year-old girls from their middle school and transported them to the motel to engage in sexual activity.
“The conclusion of this case shows the commitment of our state and federal law enforcement agencies to apprehend and prosecute criminals who victimize children,” said United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico will continue to prosecute sexual predators in order to protect the vulnerable victims of these crimes, our children.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief for the Immigration, Cybercrimes, and Exploitation Unit Nicholas W. Cannon, and AUSA Ginette Milanes, and investigated by ICE-HSI.
# # #
Superseding Indictment Returned Against Irvin Mayfield and Ronald Markham for Defrauding New Orleans Public Library FoundationRead the Press Release
IRVIN MAYFIELD, age 40, and RONALD MARKHAM, age 39, both residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, were charged by a federal grand jury in a 23 count superseding indictment for conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
Adding two counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering, the superseding indictment alleges that MAYFIELD and MARKHAM transferred and caused to be transferred $139,793.48 from the New Orleans Public Library Foundation (NOPLF) in addition to the unlawful transfers detailed in the December 14, 2018 indictment and accompanying press release. The superseding indictment further alleges that the NOPLF funds were used for additional New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) operating expenses, NOJO salary payments for the defendants, expenses related to NOJO’s Gala, $20,000 in payments to a booking agency for a performance in Chicago, Illinois, and $12,793.94 for another stay by MAYFIELD at the Ritz Carlton in New York.
If convicted, the defendants face five years of imprisonment as to Count 1, 20 years of imprisonment as to Counts 2 through 8, ten years of imprisonment as to Counts 9 through 22, and 20 years imprisonment as to Count 23. All counts also carry a possible $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Duane Evans reiterated that the superseding indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Inspector General’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer, Deputy Chief of the Fraud Unit, Brandon Long, and Hayden Brockett.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Freedom Woody, age 22, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty to on February 21, 2018 to production of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Woody to a 21-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 30-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison. Upon release from prison, Woody will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, investigators found Woody and a 13-year old girl from Oregon in a homeless camp near the Spokane River after the girl’s grandmother reported her missing. When interviewed by officers, Woody admitted having sex with her. A search of Woody’s phone revealed child pornography images of seven additional minor aged victims. Woody enticed the minors to engage in sexual activity with him, produced child pornography, and distributed several of the images.
United States Attorney Harrington said, “This case is a fine example of the great work that can be done when state and federal law enforcement work together. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute aggressively child exploitation crimes that occur in the Eastern District of Washington.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
• Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Spokane Child Exploitation Task Force in conjunction with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the Spokane Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Alison L. Gregoire, an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Solen, ND Man Sentenced to 19 years for Aggravated Sexual Assault by Use of ForceRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on June 11, 2018, Chief United States District Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Clifford See Walker, age 27, Solen, ND, on charges of Aggravated Sexual Assault by Use of Force. Judge Hovland sentenced See Walker to serve 19 years, 7 months in federal prison, with time served; 15 years supervised release; and $100 special Assessment.
On April 25, 2017, See Walker entered the victim’s residence in Ft. Yates, ND, made his way to the lower level of the residence where the victim was sleeping, and forcefully held her down while he sexually assaulted her. The victim was able to eventually escape and call police. See Walker ran from the residence and was later arrested by Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Officers. Upon being interviewed, See Walker admitted that he entered the residence and sexually assaulted the victim. See Walker, who has numerous prior convictions involving burglaries and assaults, was released from prison just nine days prior to committing this crime.
This case was investigated by the following investigating agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the North Dakota Crime Lab.
Assistant United States Attorney Gary L. Delorme and Brandi Russell prosecuted the case.
####
Sixth Defendant Convicted in Holland-Area Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Jimmie “Peanut” Butler pled guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin and to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base. Five of his co-defendants had previously pled guilty to federal charges stemming from the distribution of heroin in the Holland, Michigan area. The conspiracy, which trafficked heroin from Chicago into the Holland area and the Upper Peninsula is linked to numerous overdoses and at least one death.
“In the face of the opioid epidemic, the U.S. Attorney’s Office aggressively pursues those who poison our communities with heroin,” said U.S. Attorney Birge. “This outcome is the result of the cooperation of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, which have jointly worked to investigate, charge and incarcerate those who take advantage of addicts for profit and spread heroin addiction.”
“The Butler investigation was a great example of the West Michigan Enforcement Team’s efforts to target the opioid epidemic in West Michigan,” said D/F/Lt. Andy Fias, WEMET Section Commander. “This investigation was also another great example of the cooperative efforts between federal, state and local agencies. That relationship is another reason these cases are successful.”
On August 15, 2017, a federal grand jury filed a superseding indictment against Jimmie Butler, Charles Oakley, Michael McKinley, Jimmy Moore, Corey Gross, and Monique Molina. The conspiracy spanned from as early as 2012 until July 2017, when the group was initially indicted. Michael McKinley was sentenced to 24 months’ incarceration. Corey Gross was sentenced to 46 months’ incarceration. Monique Molina was sentenced to 24 months’ incarceration. The remaining defendants have not yet been sentenced. Jimmy Moore faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison. Jimmie Butler and Charles Oakley face mandatory minimum sentences of ten years and up to life in prison.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Michigan State Police – West Michigan Enforcement Team, the Holland Department of Public Safety, and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sally Berens and Timothy VerHey prosecuted the case.
END
Six Previously Deported Aliens Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that six previously deported aliens were indicted separately on June 20, 2018, by a federal grand jury for illegal re-entry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Jose Morales-Garcia, age 24, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in September 2010. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after September 2010, and was found in the United States in Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Erickson Perez-Molina, age 24, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in October 2014. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after October 2014, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Rudy Cardona-Aldana, age 26, of Honduras, was previously deported from the United States to Honduras in July 2016. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after July 2016, and was found in the United States in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Juan Lopez-Munoz, age 44, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in February 2011, November 2013, and April 2014. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after April 2014, and was found in the United States in Columbia County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Jonathan Paredez-Perez, age 24, of Guatemala, was previously deported from the United States to Guatemala in April 2013 and January 2018. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after January 2018, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Eleazar Catalan-Martinez, age 23, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in May 2018. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after May 2018, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Under federal law, Morales-Garcia, Perez-Molina, Cardona-Aldana, Lopez-Munoz, Paredez-Perez, and Catalan-Martinez all face a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and Criminal Informations 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.
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.
# # #
Shelby Township Psychologist Charged with Billing for Unperformed Psychological TestsRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging psychologist Paul L. Smith, PhD, 54, most recently practicing in Shelby Township, Michigan, with fraudulently billing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) for neuropsychological and psychological testing that was never performed, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today. In total, according to the indictment, BCBSM lost approximately $5,000,000 as a result of Smith’s false claims. Smith is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court tomorrow afternoon.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters of the FBI’s Detroit Division and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
The indictment alleges that from January 2015 to February of 2018, Smith submitted approximately 1,700 false claims for neuropsychological testing (CPT Code 96118) and 140 false claims for psychological testing (CPT Code 96101). As an example of excessive and unnecessary billing, the indictment alleges that Smith billed BCBSM for allegedly providing neuropsychological testing on 21 occasions for a single patient within a single year, each claim involving 24 hours of professional service. BCBSM paid Smith approximately $61,000 based upon false claims on behalf of that patient. In total, according to the indictment, BCBSM lost approximately $5,000,000 as a result of Smith’s false claims.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI and HHS. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Engstrom and Shankar Ramamurthy.
Rockford Man Arrested on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was arrested Wednesday night on drug trafficking charges.
DEVONTE GORDON, 33, also known as "Slim," was indicted on June 19, 2018, and charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine in Rockford between September and November 2017, as well as one count of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine in Rockford on Oct. 4, 2017. Gordon was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston and pleaded not guilty. Gordon is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing on June 28, 2018, at 2:00 p.m.
TERVARIE T. LOTTIE, 30, of Rockford, also known as "Varie," "V," and "Ferrari," was also charged in the indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine in Rockford between September and November 2017. Lottie was already in federal custody pending trial on other charges.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Celinez Nunez, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Gary Caruana, Winnebago County Sheriff; and Dan O’Shea, Rockford Police Chief. The investigation was conducted by the FBI-led Rockford Area Violent Gang Task Force, which includes the above agencies as well as the Loves Park and Freeport Police Departments.
Each count in the indictment carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release of at least four years and up to life, and a fine of up to $5 million. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.
Rochester Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing A GunRead 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 Emmanuel Feaster, 22, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted by a federal jury of being a felon in possession of a loaded handgun, was sentenced to 60 months in jail by Chief Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean C. Eldridge and Charles E. Moynihan, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that on September 27, 2015, Rochester Police Department officers, in the area of Jefferson Avenue, saw Feaster driving an all-terrain vehicle northbound on Jefferson Avenue, in the southbound lane. When officers attempted to stop the defendant, he drove the ATV onto the sidewalk and ran after being directed to produce his driver’s license. After a brief foot chase, Feaster fell to the ground and tried to get back up. The defendant struggled as officers tried to place him in handcuffs. During the struggle, Feaster threw a metal object under a vehicle parked nearby. Officers retrieved a .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun, which was loaded with six rounds of ammunition, from under the vehicle. Analysis by the Monroe County Crime Laboratory determined that DNA found on the gun belonged to the defendant.
In November 2013, Feaster was convicted in Monroe County Court on a felony weapons offense and was prohibited from legally possessing a firearm or ammunition.The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict.
Real Estate Attorney Sentenced for Role in Sweeping Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A real estate attorney was sentenced today in connection with a sweeping conspiracy to defraud banks and mortgage companies by engaging in sham “short” sales of residential properties in Merrimack Valley.
Jasmin Polanco, 37, of Methuen, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 15 months in prison, three year of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,224,489 in restitution. In March 2018, Polanco pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Co-defendants Vanessa Ricci, 41, of Methuen, a mortgage loan officer, pleaded guilty in March 2018 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to six months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $963,730; Greisy Jimenez, 50, of Methuen, a real estate broker, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and is awaiting sentencing; Hyacinth Bellerose, 51, of Dunstable, a real estate closing attorney, was sentenced in March 2017 to time served and one year of supervised release to be served in home detention after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
The charges arose out of a scheme to defraud various banks via bogus short sales of homes in Haverhill, Lawrence and Methuen in which the purported sellers remained in their homes with their debt substantially reduced. A short sale is a sale of real estate for less than the value of any existing mortgage debt on the property. Short sales are an alternative to foreclosure that typically occur only with the consent of the mortgage lender. Generally, the lender absorbs a loss on the loan and releases the borrower from the unpaid balance. By their very nature, short sales are intended to be arms-length transactions in which the buyers and sellers are unrelated, and in which the sellers cede their control of the subject properties in exchange for the short-selling bank’s agreement to release them from their unpaid debt.
The conspiracy began in approximately August 2007 and continued through June 2010, a period that included the height of the financial crisis and its aftermath. Home values in Massachusetts and across the nation declined precipitously, and many homeowners found themselves suddenly “underwater” with homes worth less than the mortgage debt they owed. As part of the scheme, Polanco, Jimenez, Ricci, Bellerose and others submitted materially false and misleading documents to numerous banks in an effort to induce them to permit the short-sales, thereby releasing the purported sellers from their unpaid mortgage debts, while simultaneously inducing the purported buyers’ banks to provide financing for the deals. In fact, the purported sellers simply stayed in their homes, with their debt substantially reduced.
The conspirators falsely led banks to believe that the sales were arms-length transactions between unrelated parties; in fact, the buyers and sellers were frequently related, and the sellers retained control of (and frequently continued to live in) the properties after the sale. The conspirators also submitted phony earnings statements in support of loan applications that were submitted to banks in order to obtain new financing for the purported sales. In addition, the defendants submitted phony “HUD-1 Settlement Statements” to banks that did not accurately reflect the disbursement of funds in the transactions. (HUD-1 Settlement Statements are standard forms that are used to document the flow of funds in real estate transactions. They are required for all transactions involving federally related mortgage loans, including all mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration.)
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, New York Field Office; and Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Frank, Chief of Lelling’s Economic Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Victor A. Wild, also of the Economic Crimes Unit, prosecuted the cases.
Punta Gorda Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Hollie Darlene Dustin (60, Punta Gorda) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 17, 2018.
According to the
plea agreement , Dustin, a licensed real estate broker, owned Home Choice Real Estate (HCRE), a company that contracted with the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) to manage and perform preservation services on various Fannie Mae foreclosed properties and potentially list those properties for sale. As part of a Master Listing Agreement with Fannie Mae, Dustin’s company was prohibited from using any vendors that she controlled or with which she had a conflict of interest to perform preservation services on Fannie Mae properties. Dustin fraudulently used ProPreserve, a company that she controlled, to perform preservation services on the properties without Fannie Mae’s knowledge or consent. Dustin submitted approximately 550 fraudulent ProPreserve invoices to Fannie Mae requesting approximately $146,280.46, which Fannie Mae paid to HCRE.Dustin also created inflated ProPreserve invoices for work already performed by other vendors, then submitted those false invoices to Fannie Mae for payment. Dustin used interstate wires to submit the fraudulent invoices to Fannie Mae.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.
Providence Man Detained for Allegedly Trafficking Cocaine Shipped from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man under investigation for more than a year for allegedly trafficking cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico has been ordered detained in federal custody after he allegedly accepted a package shipped from Puerto Rico containing approximately a kilogram of cocaine.
According to court documents, for more than a year, the United States Postal Inspection Service has been conducting an investigation of Eliot Figueroa-Rosario, 44, and his involvement in a series of packages shipped to and from Puerto Rico.
In May 2017 and May 2018, Figueroa-Rosario is allegedly captured on video surveillance shipping parcels to Puerto Rico from the U.S. Postal Service Providence Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC). A court-authorized search of the packages found them to contain $16,000 and $26,000 respectively. The cash was seized by law enforcement.
On June 15, 2018, a Priority Mail package mailed three days earlier from Puerto Rico and addressed to Figueroa-Rosario’s residence was observed in the mail stream at the P&DC. An examination of the package by a Rhode Island State Police K-9 trained to detect narcotics reacted in a positive manner, indicating the presence of a narcotic odor. A federal search warrant was obtained, and an inspection of the contents of the package by a U.S. Postal Inspection Service agent allegedly revealed 1160 grams of cocaine.
On June 18, 2018, an undercover Postal Inspection agent attempted to deliver the package. However, no one was home at Figueroa-Rosario’s residence. A redelivery request slip was left at the address. Later in the day, and again the next day, Figueroa-Rosario allegedly responded to the post office to collect the package. On Tuesday afternoon, a Postal Service Inspection undercover agent returned to Figueroa-Rosario’s residence to deliver the package. Figueroa-Rosario was arrested after allegedly accepting the package.
A short time after the package was delivered, U.S. Postal Inspectors and members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force executed a court-authorized search of the residence. Law enforcement allegedly seized, among other items, evidence of packages shipped from Puerto Rico to Figueroa-Rosario’s residence and $6,500 in cash hidden in a floor vent.
Figueroa-Rosario was charged and ordered detained in federal custody on a federal criminal complaint charging him with attempted possession with attempt to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Delaney Deleon-Colon, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.
###
Previously Convicted Sex Offender from Albuquerque Facing New Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Russell Young, 39, of Albuquerque, N.M., a prior sex offender who is serving a term of supervised release from a prior child pornography conviction, is facing new child pornography charges in a criminal complaint filed by the FBI in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M. Young made his initial appearance in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., on June 18, 2018, and this morning, a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Las Cruces found probable cause to support the charges in the criminal complaint. The Magistrate Judge also ordered Young detained pending trial based on findings that he poses a danger to the community.
The FBI arrested Young on June 15, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with distribution and possession of child pornography in Dona Ana County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 13, 2011, Young was convicted of receiving child pornography, and was sentenced to 77 months of imprisonment followed by ten years of supervised release. The complaint alleges that Young violated the terms of his supervised release in March 2017, Oct. 2017, and Nov. 2017, by unlawfully possessing cellular smartphones with internet access. The cellular smartphone seized from Young in Nov. 2017, allegedly contained multiple images of child pornography.
If convicted on the distribution charge, Young faces an enhanced penalty of a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years instead of the otherwise applicable five to 20 years because of his prior child pornography conviction. If convicted on the possession charge, Young faces an enhanced penalty of a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years and a maximum of 20 years instead of the otherwise applicable ten year maximum penalty because of his prior child pornography conviction. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander B. Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also is being prosecuted the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 10 1/2 years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm, and using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in relation to and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, approximately one month after receiving a federal probation sentence for conspiring to straw-purchase firearms, Andre Peoples, 22, and his wife, co-defendant Tashayla Cameron, who was also a convicted felon, began dealing crack cocaine from their home. Peoples conducted the transactions while armed and wearing his ankle monitor.
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, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and Andrew C. Bosse 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. 2:18-cr-8.
Previously Convicted Black Hat Search Engine Optimizer Sentenced for Retaliating Against His Former VictimRead the Press Release
DALLAS — William Laurence Stanley, 54, of Dallas, Texas, a self-proclaimed black hat search engine optimizer and reputation manager was sentenced June 12, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater to serve 97 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $5,605,226 in restitution, following a five-day trial in April 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Stanley was previously sentenced in January 2016 to 37 months in federal prison for extorting money from a Dallas-based business (victim company) and ordered to pay $174,888 in restitution to the numerous victims of his extortive conduct in U.S. v. William Laurence Stanley, 3:14-CR-113-N.
According to evidence presented in the April 2017 trial, Stanley began planning his retaliation while serving his prison sentence on the extortion conviction. From September through sometime in October 2016, Stanley, knowingly and with the intent to retaliate against a person for providing law enforcement information about the commission of a federal offense, posted false or derogatory comments or reviews online about the victim company.
Between September 8, 2016 and October 10, 2016, Stanley posted derogatory online articles/blogs/complaints intended to portray the victim company in a negative light. Stanley posted the retaliatory data on Facebook.com, Glassdoor.com, ShaggyTexas.com, 800notes.com, callsreceived.com, Yelp.com, Blogspot.com, and Wordpress.com. Several of the articles/blogs/complaints had titles and photographs added to place the victim company in a negative light. Stanley also encouraged others to duplicate the negative content in as many places as possible.
Evidence during the trial established that a company’s reputation is based on the hard work, integrity, and dedication of more than hundreds of associates nationwide. The victim company repeatedly earned and received top honors and awards in its industry. Stanley’s retaliatory conduct caused extensive harm to its reputation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney C.S. Heath prosecuted.
# # #
President and Vice President of South Florida Construction Company Charged with Defrauding Low-Income Housing Development ProgramRead the Press Release
President and vice president of South Florida construction company charged with defrauding low-income housing development program.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Nadine Gurley, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), Juan J. Perez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), and Mary T. Cagle, Inspector General, Miami Dade County Office of the Inspector General, made the announcement.
Javier Estepa, 47, of Davie, Florida and Diego Alejandro Estepa Vazquez, 36, of Boca Raton, Florida, were charged in a four-count indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. The defendants are scheduled to have their initial appearance on June 25, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Patrick A. White. If convicted, the defendants face up to twenty years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution, as to each charged count.
According to the indictment, between June 2014 and December 2016, Estepa and Estepa Vazquez engaged in a scheme to unlawfully enrich themselves by securing Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development (PHCD) bid awards and causing payments on those contracts by making materially false and fraudulent representations and by concealing material facts.
President Estepa and Vice President Estepa Vazquez of Aaron Construction Group submitted bids to PHCD for specific renovation and repair of low-income housing in various locations throughout Miami-Dade County. It is alleged that, in their bids, Estepa and Estepa Vazquez falsely and fraudulently represented the number of workers to be employed on the projects, claimed subcontractors would not be utilized in connection with the contract, and asserted that Aaron Construction would obtain workers compensation insurance, in accordance with state laws. By falsely and fraudulently under reporting the number of workers on the projects, Aaron Construction was able to submit lower bids for the PHCD repair work. In order to obtain payment from PHCD, Estepa and Diego Estepa Vazquez submitted Periodic or Final Estimates for Payment and supporting documents that allegedly contained false and fraudulent payroll records, falsely characterized subcontractors and subcontractor employees as employees of Aaron Construction, and included sworn statements of compliance that falsely and fraudulently certified that the information submitted was true and correct. As a result of these false and fraudulent submissions, PHCD transferred funds to bank accounts controlled by Estepa and Estepa Vazquez.
An indictment is a charging instrument containing accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the DOL-OIG, HUD-OIG, MDPD’s Public Corruption Unit and the Miami Dade County Office of the Inspector General in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Philadelphia Man Indicted on Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Salim Davis, 33, of Philadelphia, was charged today by indictment with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the indictment, on December 29, 2017, Davis was in possession of a Smith & Wesson, Model SD40VE, .40 caliber pistol, loaded with 10 live rounds of ammunition, as well as Alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance. The indictment alleges that the defendant possessed the Alprazolam, also known as Xanax, with the intent to distribute it, and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime.
If convicted, Davis faces a maximum term of life imprisonment in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment, up to five years of supervised release, a $750,000 fine, forfeiture, and a $300 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine E. Driscoll.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pennsylvania Man Charged with Defrauding Lending Company of More Than $400,000Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The president of a staffing company was arrested this morning for allegedly used phony invoices and time cards to defraud a commercial finance lending company of $400,000, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jeremy Hare, 47, of Philadelphia, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.
According to the complaint:
Hare was the president and managing member of Apollo Search Partners LLC, a staffing agency with an office in New Jersey. The victim company was a commercial finance lender that offers funding to companies in order to meet payroll and other obligations.
On June 16, 2017, Hare had Apollo enter into a financing agreement with the victim company. In order to get funding, Apollo would provide the Victim Company invoices and supporting time cards for each person Apollo staffed with a client. Approved clients were supposed to submit payment to the victim company.
However, between June 20, 2017 and Aug. 15, 2017, Hare submitted more than 15 invoices to the victim company even though Apollo never staffed most of the individuals listed on the invoices and the time sheets submitted with the invoices included hours that were never worked.
In response to the invoices, the victim company provided funding of approximately $400,000 to Apollo between June and August 2017. To date, the victim company has not received reimbursement for the money it funded Apollo in response to the phony invoices.
The wire fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked special agents of the FBI in Philadelphia for their assistance in this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Pasco County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Dog Fighting ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Tyler C. McGovern (32, Pasco County) has pleaded guilty to one felony dogfighting count, in violation of the animal fighting provisions of the federal Animal Welfare Act. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the
plea agreement, McGovern participated with others in a dog fighting conspiracy. In 2015 and 2016, he and his co-conspirators, operating as Triangle Gang, sponsored pit bulls in dog fights in Duval, Sumter, and Marion counties. On March 1, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant in Sumter County at a property belonging to a Triangle Gang member and seized eight pit bulls, along with equipment and supplements used to condition the dogs for fighting.
The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony to knowingly sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver, or receive any animal, including dogs, for purposes of having the animal participate in an animal fighting venture. Under federal law, an animal fighting venture means “any event, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Pakistani Citizen Sentenced for Interstate StalkingRead the Press Release
HELENA – Mohammad Asif Waziri, a 47-year-old Pakistani citizen, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release after pleading guilty to interstate stalking on April 4, 2018. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell handed down the sentence. The defendant was also ordered to pay $900.00 in restitution.
Waziri stalked four victims in Oregon between June and September 2017 by engaging in a pattern harassing phone calls and voicemails, Facebook Messenger messages, and packages. Waziri did this despite being served with a no-contact order and being warned by law enforcement not to continue his harassment of the victims.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bartleson and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oregon State Police.