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3 August 2018
Former Presidio County Commissioner Enters Guilty to Federal Bribery Related ChargeRead the Press Release
In Midland today, former Presidio County Precinct 3 Commissioner Lorenzo Padilla Hernandez admitted to defrauding the citizens of Presidio County by taking bribes while in office in return for his support and vote on a County contract, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., El Paso Division.
Appearing before United States District Judge David Counts, Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and deprivation of honest services. By pleading guilty, Hernandez admitted that from August 2015 to June 2017, he conspired to collect approximately $19,800 in bribes from a federal agent acting in an undercover capacity. In exchange for the money, Hernandez agreed to support and vote on May, 9, 2017, for a Presidio County document management services contract to be awarded to a specific company.
Hernandez faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He remains on bond pending sentencing scheduled for November 19, 2018, in Pecos, TX.
Hernandez’s co-defendant, 66-year-old Carlos Eduardo Nieto, former Special Projects Coordinator for the City of Presidio and former Presidio Independent School District trustee, is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of mail fraud and the deprivation of honest services. Jury selection and trial is scheduled for October 16, 2018, in Pecos before Judge Counts.
The indictment in this case alleges that Nieto also solicited and received $8,300 in bribes for using his position and influence to secure that same contract for that specific company.
Upon conviction, Nieto faces up to 20 years in federal prison. An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. Nieto is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The FBI, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, investigated this case. Individuals who have first-hand information about corruption, fraud, or bribery related to Presidio County are urged to contact the FBI at (915) 835-5000.
Assistant United States Attorneys William F. Lewis and Monty Kimball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
Former NYPD Detective Pleads Guilty to Committing Perjury in a Federal ProsecutionRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Michael Foder, a former detective employed by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) at the time of the charged conduct, pleaded guilty to one count of perjury in connection with false statements he made under oath during a criminal proceeding. The guilty plea was entered before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen. When sentenced, Foder faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Foder was arrested in February 2018 and resigned from the NYPD in August 2018.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, NYPD, announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant admitted that he falsely testified at a pre-trial proceeding in federal court, a gross violation of the oath he took as a sworn witness and as a law enforcement officer who must be held to the highest standard of integrity,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “As demonstrated by Foder’s prosecution, this Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable those who fail to respect the bedrock principle of truthful testimony upon which our justice system must depend.”
“As a former sworn NYPD detective, Michael Foder understood the solemnity of taking an oath,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Whether vowing to protect his community or vowing to tell the whole truth, both oaths held mutual significance. Yet, Foder blatantly disregarded this by committing perjury during a criminal proceeding. Upholding the rule of law, the FBI will equally investigate those who break federal laws, irrespective of their profession.”
“It is imperative that New Yorkers are able to trust their police to tell the truth,” stated NYPD Commissioner O’Neill. “Police officers swear an oath to hold themselves accountable to the highest standards of ethics and integrity. And when they intentionally violate that promise, they tarnish the reputation of all good cops, make their jobs much more difficult, and erode the trust we have worked so hard to earn in all of our communities.”
According to court filings and facts presented during the guilty plea proceeding, Foder, then assigned to the 70th Precinct in Brooklyn, falsely testified under oath at a December 29, 2016 hearing in connection with a federal prosecution about when and how he showed photographs of two robbery suspects to a victim of a carjacking. Following the hearing, the government identified discrepancies in the photo array identifications, including when the identifications had occurred. Handwritten notations indicated that the photo arrays had been completed on November 27, 2015 and February 14, 2016, as Foder had testified. However, the photographs of fillers depicted in the photo arrays had been taken on dates subsequent to the dates Foder claimed he had shown them to the victim witness. Foder acknowledged during his plea allocution that his testimony about when he had administered the photo arrays was false.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Reilly is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MICHAEL FODER
Age: 42
Staten Island, NYE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-97 (PKC)
Former CEO and Chief Loan Officer of Failed Sonoma Valley Bank, and Borrower’s California Attorney, Sentenced to Multi-Year Prison Terms for Bank Fraud and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - Sean Clark Cutting and Brian Scott Melland, respectively the former chief executive officer and former chief loan officer of Sonoma Valley Bank which failed on August 20, 2010, were sentenced today for their December, 2017 convictions for conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, falsifying bank records, lying to bank regulators and other crimes, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse; Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) Christy Goldsmith Romero; Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Office of Inspector General Laura Wertheimer; and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Inspector General Jay N. Lerner. Also sentenced today was co-defendant David John Lonich for his December 2017 convictions for conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, attempted obstruction of justice, and other offenses. Lonich was an attorney for Bijan Madjlessi, the Marin and Sonoma County real estate developer who, before his death on May 16, 2014, had been indicted on charges of bank fraud, wire fraud, attempted obstruction of justice, and other offenses. The convictions and sentences followed an eight-week trial before the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge that concluded in December 2017.
The court sentenced Cutting, 44, of Sonoma, Calif., to 100 months in prison; Melland, 45, of Santa Rosa, Calif., to 100 months in prison, and Lonich, 59, of Santa Rosa, Calif., to 80 months in prison.
“The defendants’ crimes directly caused the failure of a once-beloved community bank resulting in at least $47 million in losses and other staggering consequences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse. “Senior bank executives and the corrupt attorneys who help them must always be held accountable for threatening the safety and soundness of federally insured banks, as today’s significant sentences reaffirm.”
“TARP is not a cookie jar, but that’s what Sonoma Valley Bank CEO Sean Cutting called it as he applied for $8 million in TARP dollars all while knowing he was committing a massive fraud that caused holes in the bank’s books,” said SIGTARP Special Inspector General Christy Romero. “TARP was intended for healthy banks, not to fill holes in fraud-riddled bank books. Former bank CEO Cutting and chief loan officer Brian Melland will now spend years in prison after causing the bank to collapse under the weight of their fraud, leaving taxpayers who funded TARP at a loss of $8.6 million. I commend Acting U.S. Attorney Alex Tse, prosecutors Adam Reeves and Rob Rees, and our other law enforcement partners, for bringing accountability and justice.”
“Today’s sentencing holds senior bank executives and an attorney accountable for their years of deception to orchestrate multi-million-dollar fraud and for their abuse of positions of trust,” said FDIC Inspector General Lerner. “We remain vigilant to investigate such fraud schemes that undermine the integrity of financial institutions, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who commit such offenses and breach their duties.”
The evidence at trial demonstrated that Cutting, Melland, and Lonich were involved in multiple schemes to defraud numerous financial institutions including Sonoma Valley Bank, its regulators at the FDIC, and what was then called the California Department of Financial Institutions (DFI). The schemes to defraud involved years of excessive and illegal lending, often using “straw” or nominee borrowers, to Madjlessi for real estate projects in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, Calif.
The defendants’ fraud and other crimes caused the failure of Sonoma Valley Bank. Their crimes caused losses to taxpayers of over $47 million, as well as to the FDIC (approximately $39.18 million) and to the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) (approximately $8.65 million) of the United States Treasury. Other victims included the shareholders of Sonoma Valley Bank who suffered losses when the value of their securities collapsed.
In addition to the sentences listed above, Judge Illston ordered the forfeiture to the United States of Lonich’s interest in the Park Lane Villas East, an apartment complex located in Santa Rosa worth approximately $20.8 million. Judge Illston found that the Park Lane Villas East complex constituted the proceeds of Lonich’s offenses. Judge Illston also scheduled a hearing on September 18, 2018, to decide the amount of restitution the defendants owe.
Much of the evidence at trial related to Madjlessi’s real estate projects at the Park Lane Villas in Santa Rosa and Petaluma Greenbriar Apartments in Petaluma. According to the evidence admitted at trial, Sonoma Valley Bank, between 2004 and 2010, loaned Madjlessi and the persons and entities he controlled in excess of $35 million, approximately $24.7 million more than the legal lending limit set by the bank’s regulators. To conceal this high concentration of lending, Cutting and Melland, the loan officer who worked most closely with Madjlessi, recommended multi-million dollar loans to nominee or “straw” borrowers, knowing that millions in proceeds from loans to other borrowers would go to Madjlessi and the companies he controlled. At trial, the evidence proved that Cutting and Melland schemed to give Madjlessi and his companies in excess of $8.6 million in proceeds from loans nominally made in the name of other borrowers.
Melland also was convicted of receiving a bribe in the amount of approximately $50,000 from Madjlessi. In April 2008, Melland and Cutting recommended a set of loans for approximately $3.65 million to a nominee or “straw” borrower controlled by Madjlessi. According to the trial evidence, Melland received the bribe the very next day.
Cutting and Melland were convicted of making false statements to Sonoma Valley Bank’s regulators, the FDIC and DFI, during joint examinations in May 2008, and again in December 2009, about the true nature and extent of the bank’s lending to Madjlessi and the persons and entities he controlled.
Judge Illston also sentenced Lonich, Madjlessi’s lawyer. In early 2009, Lonich conspired with Cutting and Melland to mislead Sonoma Valley Bank into lending millions more to Madjlessi, again in the name of a nominee or “straw” borrower. The conspiracy allowed Madjlessi to illegally buy-back for approximately $4 million an approximately $27 million debt he owed to IndyMac Bank. At the time, IndyMac Bank had failed and been taken over by FDIC and FDIC rules specifically prohibited delinquent borrowers, like Madjlessi, from purchasing their own notes at auction. Nonetheless, the defendants were all convicted of an elaborate bank and wire fraud scheme to obtain the defaulted note by misleading Sonoma Valley Bank, the FDIC, and eventually other financial institutions, about Madjlessi’s true role in the scheme.
In addition, in late 2009 and early 2010, Cutting helped Lonich gain control of additional units at the Park Lane Villas by issuing letters on Sonoma Valley Bank letterhead falsely stating that potential nominee buyers had sufficient funds at Sonoma Valley Bank for purchase. The evidence at trial also demonstrated Lonich instructed one nominee to make false claims to federal agents and to a federal grand jury investigating the transactions.
In sum, the defendants were convicted of the following specific crimes:
DEFENDANT
CHARGES
Cutting, Melland, and Lonich
Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371
Cutting, Melland, and Lonich
Bank Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344
Cutting (six counts), Melland (eight counts), and Lonich (five counts)
False Bank Entries and Reports, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1005
Cutting and Melland
Conspiracy to Make False Statements to the FDIC, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371
Cutting and Melland
Misapplication of Bank Funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 656
Cutting and Melland
False Statements to the FDIC, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1007
Melland
Receipt of Gifts for Procuring Loans, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 215
Cutting, Melland, and Lonich
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349
Cutting, Melland, and Lonich
Five counts of Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343
Cutting, Melland, and Lonich
Twelve counts of money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957
Lonich
One count of attempted obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)
Judge Illston ordered the defendants to surrender to begin serving their prison sentences by October 1, 2018.
On May 6, 2014, approximately two months after he was indicted in this case, Madjlessi was found dead after the single-person car accident in a steep ravine in the Marin Highlands off Highway 1 in Marin County.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert David Rees and Adam A. Reeves prosecuted the case with the assistance of Philip Villanueva, Maryam Beros, Patricia Mahoney, and Bridget Kilkenny. The prosecution is the result of a multi-year investigation by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, and the Santa Rosa Police Department.
Final Defendant in Large-Scale Heroin Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Duquesne, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton imposed the sentence on Lance Yarbough, 33.
According to information presented to the court, Yarbough participated in a large-scale heroin distribution operation centered in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. Yarbough’s sentencing is the culmination of an investigation that began in 2010 and resulted in the convictions of 19 individuals for heroin distribution and firearms charges, most of whom are from Duquesne. The core of the group called themselves Hardcore Entertainment, and some of the members of the conspiracy recorded music and video under that name, as well. Some videos, which they posted on YouTube, included members of the conspiracy bragging about their drug dealing activities.
Members of Hardcore Entertainment typically pooled their resources and obtained large quantities of heroin from New Jersey and New York. They often transported the heroin and money in vehicles with hidden compartments. Once the heroin reached the Pittsburgh area, members of the conspiracy split the heroin and sold it to other distributors in the Pittsburgh area. During portions of the conspiracy, co-conspirators were making weekly trips between New Jersey or New York and the Pittsburgh area transporting hundreds of thousands of dollars and multiple kilograms of heroin per month. The conspiracy lasted from at least 2008 until 2012. The evidence presented at trial included controlled purchases of heroin, evidence seized pursuant to search warrants, communications among the conspirators intercepted pursuant to Court authorization, and the seizure of heroin from the hidden compartment of one of the vehicles used to transports money and heroin between New Jersey and the Pittsburgh area.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force consisting of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, Wilkinsburg Police Department, Allegheny County Police Dept., Oakdale Police Dept, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Duquesne Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Yarbough.
Felon Convicted of Unlawful Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Following a three-day jury trial, a Las Vegas felon was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm that was discovered during a traffic stop, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Jill A. Snyder for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Omar Qazi, 30, was convicted of one count of felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon presided over the jury trial and scheduled sentencing for November 15, 2018. Qazi faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to court documents, Qazi was stopped by a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer for a traffic violation near East Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane. During the search of his vehicle, the officer found a loaded Smith & Wesson .22 caliber revolver in the front center console. Methamphetamine and marijuana were also recovered inside the vehicle. Evidence introduced at trial also included an audio recorded interview of Qazi where he admitted the firearm was his; and also two jail calls where he admitted to two different individuals that he knew he was a felon and should not have been driving around with a gun. Qazi’s DNA was also recovered from the firearm. Qazi has a prior felony conviction in Nevada for battery with substantial bodily harm and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Michael and Patrick Burns prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv
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Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing Pistol and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Allegheny County has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating firearm laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on August 1, named Paul Anthony Parrish, aka Paul Anthony Carmona, aka Paul Carmona Parrish, aka "Pills", age 41, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, in late 2016 to March 12, 2017, Parrish possessed a 9 mm caliber semi-automatic Ruger pistol and 9 mm ammunition. Parrish has previously been convicted of a felony and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt of the Major Crimes and Violent Crimes sections is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case, with valuable assistance from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department and the United States Marshals Service and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
El Paso Drug Trafficking Brothers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
In El Paso, a federal judge sentenced two brothers to decades in federal prison for their roles in an El Paso-based drug trafficking organization announced United States Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., El Paso Division; and, Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), El Paso Division.
During a hearing held yesterday, United States District Judge David C. Guaderrama sentenced 39–year-old Oscar Fierro-Sanchez and 38–year-old Ricardo Fierro-Sanchez to 40 years and 20 years, respectively, in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release. Judge Guaderrama also ordered that the defendants forfeit to the Government approximately $7,000 in U.S. Currency, a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and their El Paso residences (combined value is approximately $500,000). Judge Guaderrama also ordered that Oscar Fierro-Sanchez pay a monetary judgment in the amount of $205,000.
In April 2018, the brothers entered guilty pleas. Oscar Fierro-Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Ricardo Fierro-Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of maintaining drug involved premises.
By pleading guilty, the brothers admitted that from January 2015 to April 2017, they ran a large-scale drug distribution operation out of their residences that involved hundreds of kilograms of heroin, cocaine and marijuana.
“Combating transnational drug trafficking organizations is one of the top criminal priorities of the El Paso FBI. This investigation is an outstanding example of joint cooperation between the FBI and the DEA working together to have a positive impact on keeping our communities safer,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Buie.
“The sentencing of Oscar and Ricardo Fierro-Sanchez sends a message to all who engage in the distribution of illegal drugs. This case highlights the impact that multiple agencies can have when they join forces to combat this illicit trade by holding those responsible accountable to the community,” said DEA El Paso Division Special Agent in Charge Williamson.
These sentences resulted from an investigation by the FBI/DEA Strike Force. The Strike Force is a multi-agency task force established to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. The El Paso Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office assisted with this investigation.
El Paso Drug Stash House Operator Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
In El Paso yesterday, United States District Judge David C. Guaderrama sentenced 33–year-old Javier Chanet Navarro to ten years in federal prison on drug trafficking and firearms charges announced United States Attorney John F. Bash; FBI Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., El Paso Division; and, Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), El Paso Division.
On March 6, 2018, Navarro pleaded guilty to a four-count Information charging him with two counts of conspiracy to distribute and controlled substance, one count of use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, from June 2015 to September 2017, Navarro and others conspired to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. They also conspired in September 2017 to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. Authorities arrested Navarro on September 22, 2017. Subsequently, authorities discovered a .45 caliber pistol and 26 kilograms of cocaine on Navarro’s property. Navarro’s criminal history includes a 2006 felony conviction in El Paso County for possession of marijuana.
“Crime doesn't stop at international borders, as such, the FBI works closely with our law enforcement partners to have a positive impact at our local level. This sends a strong and unified message that drug trafficking, at all levels, will not be tolerated,” stated FBI El Paso Division Special Agent in Charge Buie.
“The sentencing of Chanet Navarro exemplifies the commitment of law enforcement's battle against drug trafficking organizations throughout the world,” said DEA El Paso Division Special Agent in Charge Williamson.
This sentence is the result of an investigation by the FBI/DEA Strike Force. The Strike Force is a multi-agency task force established to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the El Paso Police Department assisted with this investigation.
Chinese Nationals Convicted in Maritime Drug Smuggling CaseRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A jury has found two Chinese nationals guilty of maritime drug smuggling, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
FeiShang Liang, 52, and KanHua Wu, 51, both of the People’s Republic of China, were found guilty by a jury of maritime drug smuggling violations following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on Aug. 2, 2018.
According to information presented in court, on Nov. 24, 2016, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a United States Coast Guard Cutter detected a 120 foot long fishing vessel approximately 1,025 nautical miles west of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The Coast Guard launched its small boat to approach the fishing vessel, at which time the crew aboard the fishing vessel began throwing packages overboard. Afterwards, law enforcement officers recovered 42 packages containing 983 kilograms of cocaine and the seven crew members aboard the fishing vessel were arrested and charged with maritime drug smuggling violations. Testimony at trial revealed that Liang was the ship’s captain and Wu was the engineer. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter monitoring the vessel caught both Liang and Wu on videotape as they threw over one ton of cocaine outfitted with GPS trackers into the ocean as they were being pursued by the Coast Guard.
“To really have an effect on the drug supply in this country, we have to be willing to go after every person involved in the chain of distribution,” said Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown. “Whether it’s the street dealer, or the person on the boat transporting, or the leader of the cartel, we will charge them and convict them.”
Under federal statutes, the defendants each face a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison on each count of conviction at the time of sentencing. The sentencing range prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay R. Combs and Christopher Eason.
Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy to Steal Rice TechnologyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Two rice researchers from China have been charged in a conspiracy to steal rice production technology in an alleged attempt to bring this proprietary science back to China.
Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Little Rock Field Office, announced the indictment of Liu Xuejun, 49, and Sun Yue, 36, both of China, for conspiracy to steal trade secrets and conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Liu and Sun on Friday for their involvement in the theft of rice seeds designed for use in the medical field. The rice seeds were developed by a company called Ventria Bioscience, which used technology to create rice seeds that contained certain proteins. These proteins could then be removed from the rice and used in medicines and pharmaceutical products. Ventria, which is headquartered in Colorado and has a rice production facility in Kansas, has invested approximately $75 million in developing the intellectual property behind these rice seeds.
"These rice seeds may be small, but the research and investment that went into the science that made them possible is of great value," Hiland said. "We remain vigilant in our efforts at protecting both intellectual and real property from theft by other nations, and it is our intention to present our case to an Arkansas jury based on the crimes alleged in the indictment."
Liu and Sun visited the United States in 2013. At that time, they both worked at the Crops Research Institute in Tianjin, China. Liu was a professor, and Sun was a research associate. They came to the United States to visit several rice research and production facilities, and their visit included a stop at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart.
Their trip was organized by Weiqiang Zhang, who was a rice breeder at Ventria in Kansas, and Wengui Yan, who worked at the Dale Bumpers Rice Research Center in Stuttgart. When Liu and Sun ended their trip, they flew to Honolulu, Hawaii, on their way back to China. At the Honolulu airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection found stolen rice seeds in Liu and Sun’s luggage, including seeds from the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center as well as seeds from the Ventria rice production facility in Kansas.
"Today’s indictment of Liu and Sun should not go unnoticed by those who seek to steal our trade secrets and technology," FBI SAC Upchurch said. "This type of crime is consistent with China’s social and economic five-year plan to modernize their seed industry. We appreciate the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office and together we will remain steadfast in protecting the United States’ intellectual property."
The two rice researchers who helped organize Liu and Sun’s trip to the United States were convicted of their involvement in the scheme in a connected case in the District of Kansas (see link to press release below). Zhang, 47, was convicted at trial and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. Yan, 63, who worked in Stuttgart, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in prison.
A violation of conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1832, carries a maximum penalty of not more than 10 years’ imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release. A violation of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, carries a maximum penalty of not more than five years’ imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allison W. Bragg. An indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Link to related Kansas case:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/two-agricultural-scientists-chinacharged-stealing-trade-secrets
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter: @EDARNEWS
Child Pornographer Sentenced to 97 Months IncarcerationRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant JOSEPH B. PANGELINAN JR. was sentenced by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, District Court of Guam, for the crime of Receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2) and (b)(1). Pangelinan previously pled guilty to the charge and admitted to utilizing a peer- to-peer (P2P) network to receive approximately 2,280 images and 17 movies that depicted the sexual abuse of young children. The Court ordered 97 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, $17,000 in restitution for the child victims, and forfeiture of a computer. Pangelinan was also ordered to register with the Sex Offender Registry in any jurisdiction in which he lives, works or attends school. Under federal law, his period of registration will extend for 25 years.
U.S. Attorney Anderson states, “Our office will continue to aggressively pursue child predators under the Project Safe Childhood initiative. Unfortunately, victims of child pornography suffer for many years from the trauma of abuse and the repeated distribution of depictions of the crime. I applaud the hard work of our federal law enforcement partners at Homeland Security Investigations in bringing this defendant to justice.”
Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) John Duenas said, “Today’s prison sentence is fitting for someone who robs children of their innocence and continues to sexually exploit them by producing and trading the illegal images with predators around the world. Investigating this type of criminal activity is a priority for HSI and we will continue to dedicate our resources to identify and bring to justice other child predators who victimize children in this same manner.”
The U.S. Attorney additionally reminds defendants who have committed sexual abuse of children that, under federal and local law, all sex offenders have a duty to register and keep their registration current with the Sex Offender Registry in their jurisdiction. Sex offenders who travel to Guam and who reside on Guam must inform the Guam Sex Offender Registry where they reside, work, or attend school. They must also periodically update their registration information. The U.S. Attorney notes that the Sex Offender Registry was created in order to protect the public by protecting victims, preventing further victimization and informing the public of the whereabouts of sex offenders. Guam’s Sex Offender Registry can be found online at www.guamcourts.org (link is external).
U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood (PSC) Initiative is a nationwide commitment to aggressively prosecute defendants who engage in the sexual victimization of children and adults, possess or receive child pornography, and sex offenders who fail to register with the jurisdiction’s Sex Offender Registry. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Rosetta San Nicolas, an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Guam.
Charter Owner Arrested and Charged Federally with Misconduct or Neglect that Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
Laurent Marc-Antoine Jean Maubert-Cayla was arrested pursuant to criminal complaint charging him with misconduct or neglect of a ship officer that resulted in the death of an individual, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1115.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney of the Southern District of Florida, Zinnia P. James, Acting Special Agent in Charge, and Major Alfredo Escanio, Regional Commander, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, South B Region, made the announcement.
According to allegations contained in the court record, Maubert-Cayla, originally of France, was a part owner of the MIAMI VICE, a 91-foot performance yacht. Maubert-Cayla offered the yacht for charters on a website, and employed Captain Mauricio Alvarez to drive the yacht during charters from approximately November of 2017 until April of 2018. The MIAMI VICE charter operation was illegal because, among other reasons, Alvarez did not have a valid United States Coast Guard license. In fact, Alvarez received a ticket from the United States Coast Guard in March of 2018 for operating a charter on board the MIAMI VICE without an appropriate Coast Guard license. In addition, according to allegations in the complaint, Maubert-Cayla knew that Alvarez was heavily using cocaine and alcohol during the period he served as captain on board the MIAMI VICE, and had filmed Alvarez using cocaine as recently as March 29, 2018.
On April 1, 2018, Maubert-Cayla chartered the MIAMI VICE to a group of individuals, who met and paid Maubert-Cayla at the Sea Isle Marina. The MIAMI VICE then left the Sea Isle Marina with Alvarez acting as captain. Alvarez drove the yacht at a high rate of speed and beached it on Monument Island, where the charter patrons, including victim R.M.P., began to swim. Alvarez then decided to leave the Island, but did not ensure that everybody was on board the yacht before doing so. Alvarez started the yacht’s 4500 horsepower engines and accelerated them in reverse, directly to where victim R.M.P. was swimming. R.M.P. was caught in the MIAMI VICE’s propellers and killed.
Maubert-Cayla is currently being detained pending a bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.
Mauricio Alvarez is currently charged with misconduct or neglect of ship owner that resulted in the death of an individual in Southern District of Florida case number 18-20314-CR-ALTONAGA. Alvarez’s jury trial is scheduled for September 4, 2018.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of CGIS and FWC in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet and Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Jones.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man caught selling methamphetamine in July and September 2017 pled guilty yesterday to a federal drug conspiracy charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Michael Ginther, 35, entered his guilty plea to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. Stuart lauded the joint investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department STOP Team.
“An unbelievable amount of meth is being trafficked in Kanawha County and surrounding areas,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “My office and my law enforcement partners are working together like never before to disrupt and dismantle meth distribution networks operating throughout southern West Virginia.”
Ginther admitted that from at least June 2017 to September 2017, he allowed his residence to be used by Melody Legg to distribute methamphetamine in Kanawha County. As part of the plea agreement, Ginther admitted to distributing approximately 9 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in July 2017.
Ginther faces at least 5 years but not more than 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 3, 2018.
The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution.
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Brother and Sister Posing as Couple Sentenced in Robbery of Mobile Area WalmartRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that United States District Court Chief Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced John Spinner and Valeria Brown on August 3, 2018 to a term of 10 years in federal prison each for armed robbery. Both Brown and Spinner entered a plea of guilty on April 24, 2018.
On October 10, 2016, four individuals, armed with handguns, robbed the Walmart at 2500 Dawes Road in Mobile, Alabama. Two suspects held victims at gunpoint at the self-checkout register while they stole the day’s deposit bags.
John Spinner and his sister, Valeria Brown, posed as a couple with Brown’s infant child, and served as lookouts for the other two robbers. Brown and Spinner communicated with their accomplices via cell phone, informing them when it was clear for them to enter the Walmart and commence with the robbery.
Brown and Spinner waited outside for the others, and all four fled the scene after the robbery. Brown and Spinner followed their accomplices in another vehicle and Spinner shot at citizens in order to assist their conspirators’ escape.
Both Brown and Spinner were ordered to pay $13,154.00 in restitution and will have to serve 3 years supervised release upon their release from prison.
Lawrence Battiste, Chief of Police of the Mobile Police Department commented on matter, saying, “The City of Mobile and the Mobile Police Department are thankful for the partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We are grateful for their assistance in (the) prosecution of these offenders. We look forward to an ongoing effort to remove those offenders in our community that seek to commit crimes that diminish the quality of life in Mobile.”
The Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mobile Field office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baugh prosecuted the case for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Bail Bondsman that Assisted Former Baltimore Police Department Sergeant to Sell Drugs and Rob Citizens Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Donald Stepp, age 51, of Middle River, Maryland, today to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and other controlled dangerous substances. Stepp obtained the drugs from former Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, and from robberies in which he participated with Jenkins and other BPD officers.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Stepp operated Double D Bail Bonds and was an associate of former BPD Sergeant Wayne Jenkins. From 2015-2017, Stepp obtained significant quantities of narcotics from Jenkins and robbed citizens of their property, including drugs, cash, and watches.
To facilitate the robberies and drug trafficking, Jenkins brought Stepp to search locations in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, and falsely represented to other law enforcement agencies that Stepp was an officer with BPD. Jenkins would travel to Stepp’s residence after he had robbed citizens and Stepp would store the stolen drugs in his tool shed. Stepp then sold the stolen drugs and returned hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash proceeds to BPD officers. Jenkins took a portion of the proceeds from the drug sales and paid other officers in the BPD who participated in the robberies with Jenkins and Stepp.
On December 14, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stepp’s residence and recovered approximately 423 grams of crack cocaine, 262 grams of cocaine, 14 grams of heroin, 28 grams of MDMA, digital scales, packaging material, a large sum of cash, and several high-value watches.
On June 7, 2018, Wayne Jenkins was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy; racketeering; robbery; destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation; and deprivation of rights under color of law.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Leo J. Wise, who prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Anchor Glass Container Corporation to Cut Harmful Air Pollution, Improve Compliance at Container Glass Manufacturing Plants in Six StatesRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement agreement with Anchor Glass Container Corporation today that will resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations at all six of Anchor’s container glass manufacturing facilities located in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, New York and Oklahoma and improve the company’s compliance with federal [and state] clean air laws. Under the proposed settlement, Anchor will install pollution controls to cut emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM) at its container glass manufacturing facilities. The states of Indiana and Oklahoma participated in the settlement.
“In this settlement, Anchor Glass Container Corporation has agreed to bring all of its manufacturing facilities into compliance with Clean Air Act requirements, which will help reduce harmful air pollutants to ensure the health and safety of communities in six states,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department will continue to work closely with the EPA and to partner with states to ensure compliance with federal clean air laws nationwide.”
“Under the terms of today’s settlement, Anchor Glass Container Corporation will take steps to reduce harmful air emissions from its facilities,” said Susan Bodine, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The resulting pollution reductions will mean cleaner and clearer air for communities in six states.”
“Protecting the health and safety of Indiana residents is one of my office’s top priorities,” said Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill. “Settlements such as this one help ensure that future generations will breathe cleaner air, and I’m grateful for the collaboration of our federal and state partners in bringing about this positive result.”
“I am pleased with the results of the settlement and hopeful this will help protect Oklahoma’s future,” said Executive Director Scott Thompson for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
Today’s settlement resolves allegations that Anchor violated the Clean Air Act when it failed to seek permits for New Source Review major modifications at its container glass facilities. Anchor’s facilities manufacture beer bottles, liquor bottles, other beverage bottles, jars, and other glass containers.
Under this settlement, Anchor will implement pollution controls to reduce its NOx emissions at nine of its eleven furnaces (two furnaces already have pollution controls installed), and the company will meet more stringent NOx emissions limits at all of its furnaces. Anchor will also implement pollution controls and take other actions to reduce SO2 and PM emissions. The settlement also requires Anchor to install and operate continuous emissions monitors for NOx and SO2 at all eleven of its glass furnaces and to install continuous opacity monitors required by the Clean Air Act. The company will spend approximately $40 million in implementing these pollution reduction changes to its facilities.
This settlement will result in substantial reductions of NOx, SO2 and PM emissions at Anchor’s plants. NOx emissions will be reduced by over 2,000 tons per year, SO2 emissions will be reduced by over 700 tons per year and PM emissions will be reduced by over 100 tons per year. Additionally, Anchor will complete two mitigation projects, a woodburning appliance change-out project and a project to repower, retrofit, or replace vehicle diesel engines, further reducing NOx, SO2, and PM emissions.
As part of this settlement, Anchor will also pay a $1.1 million civil penalty.
NOx, SO2 and PM, three key pollutants emitted from glass manufacturing plants, have numerous adverse effects on human health and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog, and haze. The pollutants are converted in the air into fine particles of particulate matter that can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular impacts and premature death. Reducing these harmful air pollutants will benefit the communities located near the Anchor plants, particularly communities disproportionately impacted by environmental risks and vulnerable populations, including children.
The proposed consent decree was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. Information about submitting a public comment is available at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decree/us-et-al-v-anchor-glass-container-corporation
For more information about the settlement: www.epa.gov/enforcement/anchor-glass-container-corporation-clean-air-act-settlement
Albuquerque Woman Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Charmaine Peralta, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 30 months in prison for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. Peralta will be on supervised release for three years after she completes her prison sentence.
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) charged Peralta in Jan. 2017, with assaulting a federal officer in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, Peralta assaulted a Probation Officer of the New Mexico Corrections Department who was deputized as a special federal officer and was serving as a Task Force Officer of the USMS’s South West Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT) on Jan. 19, 2017, when the SWIFT Team was executing a warrant for Peralta’s arrest. Peralta assaulted the Task Force Officer by biting her on the arm, resulting in bleeding and bruising, and by kicking the Officer repeatedly in the chest.
Peralta was indicted on March 14, 2017, and was charged with assaulting a federal officer. On Jan. 19, 2018, Peralta pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the USMS’s SWIFT Team with assistance from the New Mexico Corrections Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh.
Additional Charge Filed Against Grand Island Man Arrested for Leaving Threatening Voicemails for Two U.S. CongressmenRead 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 Carlos Bayon, 63, of Grand Island, NY, who was previously charged by criminal complaint with interstate communication of a threat, is facing an additional charge of threatening two federal officials, after an amended complaint was filed today. The new charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who is handling the case, the amended criminal complaint states that following the defendant’s arrest on August 1, 2018, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Bayon’s Grand Island residence. Officers recovered approximately 150 rounds of 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition, 50 rounds of shotgun ammunition, and receipts for the purchase of an SKS rifle, which is a high-powered assault rifle, and a .38 caliber revolver.
In addition, officers recovered a number of books concerning the use of firearms and explosives, including:
• How to create foolproof new identity; • Ragnar’s homemade detonators; • Homemade C-4; • New & Improved C-4; • Middle Eastern Terrorist Bomb Designs; • Poor man’s TNT; • CIA field manual for explosives prep; • Disguise techniques; • How to circumvent security alarms; • Silent But Deadly: homemade silencers; • Hit Man: technical manual; • Expedient B&E: circumventing alarms; • Improvised radio detonation techniques; • Homemade Semtex; • Secrets of a Super Hacker; • How to make disposable silencers; and
• How to build practical firearm suppressors.On June 30, 2018, two members of Congress, one from Louisiana and one from the State of Washington, received threatening voicemails which stated:
“Hey listen, this message is for you and the people that sent you there. You are taking ours, we are taking yours. Anytime, anywhere. We know where they are. We are not going to feed them sandwiches, we are going to feed them lead. Make no mistake you will pay. Ojo por ojo, diente por diente (This is Spanish for “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”). That is our law and we are the majority. Have a good day.”
U.S. Capitol Police were contacted and traced the calls to the defendant Carlos Bayon.
Bayon is being held pending a detention hearing.
The amended complaint is the result of an investigation by the United States Capitol Police, under the direction of Chief Matthew R. Verderosa, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
16th Person Pleads Guilty in "Operation Panamera" InvestigationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A West Warwick man today became the 16th person who participated in a multi-state fentanyl and cocaine distribution conspiracy with ties to the Dominican Republic, dubbed “Operation Panamera,” to plead guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
Appearing today before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr., Jamaal M. Dublin, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division Brian D. Boyle, and Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Ann C. Assumpico.
Dublin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2018.
To date, 16 of 23 individuals arrested and charged in the fall of 2017 with participating in the drug trafficking conspiracy have pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
During the course of the investigation, which began in early 2017, more than 23 kilograms of fentanyl, 18 kilograms of cocaine, 11 kilograms of marijuana and two kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms were seized. The seizures were made as the drugs moved through the U.S. Postal Service, during traffic stops, and during the execution of court-authorized searches of residences, storage units and vehicles.
Dublin admitted to the Court that he coordinated with the ring-leader of the conspiracy, Ramon Delossantos, 25, of Cumberland, Rhode Island, to distribute and collect payment for significant quantities of cocaine.
According to court records, Delossantos, a Dominican national who maintained strong ties to the Dominican Republic, was responsible for distributing at least 50 kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine in New England with the use of “runners.” Delossantos’ mode of transportation during the drug trafficking operation was a 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo. Delossantos was arrested on October 2, 2017, and his Porsche Panamera was seized by law enforcement.
Delossantos pleaded guilty on June 14, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2018.
An immigration detainer has been lodged against Delossantos by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Milind M. Shah.
The investigation, “Operation Panamera,” was led by agents from by the Drug Enforcement Administration and members of the Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
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2 August 2018
Yuba City Man Indicted for Fentanyl, Heroin, and Methamphetamine CrimesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Elmer Daniel Iglesias Lucatero, 23, of Yuba City, charging him with distribution of methamphetamine and heroin, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on February 12, 2018, Lucatero sold an undercover source about 430 grams of pure methamphetamine. Later, on February 26, 2018, Lucatero sold this source about 500 pills advertised as oxycodone. Laboratory analysis later showed that heroin was their active ingredient and, thus, that the pills were counterfeit. Finally, on April 5, 2018, agents executed a search warrant on Lucatero’s Yuba City apartment. There, they found about 13,000 more pills pressed to look like legitimate oxycodone. In reality, the pills contained fentanyl, a powerful and potentially lethal opioid pain reliever. The agents also found about 3,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills in a car that Lucatero had been driving. Laboratory analysis showed that these pills contained heroin.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Lucatero faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $26 million fine. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Wilson Man Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison Following High Speed Chase Resulting in Discovery of Drugs and FirearmRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that yesterday in federal court Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced KEEDRON JAMELL KEARNEY, 20, of Wilson, NC to serve 45 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release upon conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Crack Cocaine and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. KEARNEY previously pleaded guilty to the charges on April 19, 2018.
According to the Indictment and arguments at sentencing, on July 27, 2017 in Wilson, officers with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office learned that KEARNEY was distributing cocaine base (crack). A confidential informant purchased a quantity of crack from Kearney at a motel parking lot in Wilson. After the purchase, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on KEARNEY’S vehicle. When officers activated blue lights and sirens, however, KEARNEY led officers on a dangerous car chase with speeds exceeding 100 miles an hour on the streets of Wilson. Once apprehended, officers found additional drugs, scales, and a loaded firearm in the vehicle.
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.
In support of PSN, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore represented the government in this case.
Wetzel County residents admit to connection to a drug distribution operation in Wetzel and Tyler CountiesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Susan Kotson and Randy Peffer, both of New Martinsville, West Virginia, have admitted to their involvement in methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin distribution that spanned multiple states, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Kotson, age 53, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Maintaining of a Drug-Involved Premises.” Kotson admitted to maintaining a house on Ohio Street in New Martinsville for the purpose of distributing and using drugs.
Peffer, age 25, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Peffer admitted to selling methamphetamine in September 2017 in Wetzel County.
Kotson and Peffer each face up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., and Shawn M. Adkins are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol; Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office; the Sistersville Police Department; the Paden City Police Department; and the New Martinsville Police Department investigated. The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department Gang Crimes Unit assisted in the case.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.
Westbrook Man Pleads Guilty to Interfering and Attempting to Interfere with Commerce by RobberyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Travis Jonathon Card, 38, of Westbrook, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to interfering and attempting to interfere with commerce by robbery. The charges arose from an investigation into eleven armed and attempted armed robberies in the greater Portland area in March and April, 2018.
According to court records, the defendant, brandishing what appeared to be a firearm, robbed the Riverton Gas Station, in Portland, on March 20; robbed the Lil’ Mart Gas Station, in Falmouth, on March 21; robbed Good Things Variety, in Westbrook, on March 22; robbed Express Mart, in Cumberland, on March 22; robbed the Daily Grind, in Westbrook, on March 24; attempted to rob China Taste, in Portland, on March 25; robbed Subway, in Westbrook, on March 26; attempted to rob Aroma Joe’s, in South Portland, on March 27; robbed China Eatery, in Old Orchard Beach, on March 29; robbed Gulf Mart, in Westbrook, on April 6; and attempted to rob Moby Dick Variety, in Old Orchard Beach, on April 11.
If convicted, Card faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each robbery or attempt. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston Police Departments; in conjunction with the Westbrook, Falmouth, Cumberland, and Old Orchard Beach Police Departments.
Webster Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Webster man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to possession of child pornography.
William Shenette, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Nov. 1, 2018.
On Dec. 1, 2017, federal and state law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Shenette's residence in Webster. Shennette admitted that he had received two videos of “kiddy porn” the previous evening. During their search, Shenette’s tablet was seized and an on-scene forensic exam was conducted, which revealed two videos, one of a prepubescent girl being anally penetrated by an adult male and another of a female child being orally penetrated by an adult male.
In addition, Kik Messenger chats between Shenette and another person regarding the videos were found. During those chats, Shenette stated that he “wants to (expletive) a little girl” aged “6 to 12.” In response, the third party sent the aforementioned videos.
The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and Chief Timothy Bent, Webster Police Department, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Dineen Jerrett of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office 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 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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.
Weare Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Dustin Moss, 31, formerly of Weare, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April of 2017, Moss purchased a large package of methamphetamine from a drug supplier in Las Vegas, Nevada. Moss also arranged, through his sister, Sabrina Moss, to have another individual, Brian O’Rourke, pick up the package. On April 19, 2017, federal agents intercepted the package. After obtaining a search warrant, they discovered 12 pounds of 92-percent pure “ice” methamphetamine inside the package.
Later that day, agents delivered the package, now containing “dummy” drugs, to O’Rourke. Agents then followed O’Rourke to a location in Manchester where Moss was waiting. Once O’Rourke transferred the package to Moss, agents arrested both men. Inside Moss’ car, agents found, among other things, a loaded Smith & Wesson firearm, throwing knives, and two black ski masks, as well as $10,590 in cash, a digital scale, and drug packaging and distribution paraphernalia. The $10,590 was forfeited to the United States in an administrative forfeiture proceeding and the firearm will be forfeited pursuant to a civil forfeiture proceeding.
Moss previously pleaded guilty on April 25, 2018, to one count of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The drug count carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and the firearm charge carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years.
On June 28, 2018, Moss’s sister, Sabrina Moss, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. O’Rourke pleaded guilty on December 22, 2017, and is awaiting sentencing.
“This lengthy prison sentence serves notice that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is fully committed to aggressively prosecuting drug traffickers, particularly those who use firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Methamphetamine is a rising threat to public health and safety and dealers should expect serious penalties after conviction. I commend the law enforcement agents whose efforts ended this defendant’s drug trafficking business. We will continue to identify, arrest and prosecute those who choose to distribute this dangerous drug.”
“The sentence imposed today on Dustin Moss demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners in law enforcement, and at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to the prosecution of mailers and recipients of illegal drugs to the fullest extent of the law,” said Delany De Leon-Colon, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S Postal Inspection Service “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to keeping methamphetamine and other highly addictive drugs, from destroying lives."
“DEA is committed to bring to justice those that distribute methamphetamine,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s substantial sentence not only holds Mr. Moss accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning that DEA and its local, state and federal law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to keep this highly addictive drug off the streets of New Hampshire.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the DEA. It was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney William Morse and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John S. Davis and Shane B. Kelbley. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rabuck is handling the asset forfeiture matter.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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Vallejo Man Sentenced to Two Years and Nine Months in Prison for Passing Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — John Lamont Winn, 53, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two years and nine months in prison for passing counterfeit $100 bills, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Winn was convicted by a jury on May 3, 2018 after a four-day trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on June 13, 2017, Winn and two associates passed approximately $6,600 over six transactions in less than one hour at a casino in Lincoln. Those bills were detected as counterfeit by the casino’s bank. On June 16, 2017, Winn and another associate passed approximately $29,200 in counterfeit currency at two banks in Vallejo. The bills were held aside by the bank on the basis of their appearance, and they were later determined by the Secret Service to be counterfeit. Winn was also ordered to pay a total of $16,600 in restitution to the casino and bank.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew G. Morris and Quinn Hochhalter prosecuted the case.
Umatilla Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with MinorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Thomas James Adams, 23, of La Grande, Oregon, was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for sexually abusing a minor victim on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
According to court documents, in September 2015, Adams, then 20 years old, visited the 9-year-old minor victim at his family’s home during the Pendleton Round-Up, a local rodeo event. When others in the house were asleep, Adams convinced the minor victim to participate in a series of “dares” or “challenges” that escalated from running around the house naked and peeing outside in the dark to looking at adult pornographic photos on Adam’s cellphone, mutual masturbation and touching each other’s genitals. The young victim reported the sexual contact to his parents, who contacted tribal law enforcement authorities.
The court also ordered Adams to have no contact with the victim or his immediate family, and ordered that he not enter or visit the Umatilla Indian Reservation without approval in advance from his probation officer.
Adams pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2244(a)(5) and 1152 on January 31, 2018.
The case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Umatilla Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Jennifer Martin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
U.S. Attorney Statement on Release of 2018 HIDTA Marijuana Insight ReportRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon provided the below statement on the release of the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) 2018 Marijuana Insight Report.
“The recent HIDTA Insight Report on marijuana production, distribution, and consumption in Oregon confirms what we already know—it is out of control. The industry’s considerable and negative impacts on land use, water, and underage consumption must be addressed immediately. State officials should respond quickly and in a comprehensive manner to address the many concerns raised by this assessment. To date, we’ve seen insufficient progress from our state officials. We are alarmed by revelations from industry representatives, landowners, and law enforcement partners describing the insufficient and underfunded regulatory and enforcement structure governing both recreational and medical use. A weakly-regulated industry will continue to detract from the livability and health of communities throughout the state.”
“What is often lost in this discussion is the link between marijuana and serious, interstate criminal activity. Overproduction is rampant and the illegal transport of product out of state—a violation of both state and federal law—continues unchecked. My ask continues to be for transparency, responsible regulation, adequate funding, and a willingness to work together. It’s time for the state to wake up, slow down, and address these issues in a responsible and thoughtful manner.”
The Oregon HIDTA program was established by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in June of 1999. In 2015 the program expanded into Idaho and was renamed the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA consists of 14 counties and the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Counties in the HIDTA include Oregon’s Clackamas, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Multnomah, Umatilla and Washington counties, and Idaho’s Ada, Bannock and Canyon counties.
Two St. Thomas Men Sentenced in Cocaine Conspiracy Responsible for Drug Smuggling through the Cyril E. King AirportRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Craig Richardson, 43, and Germaine Hall, 41, were sentenced today to 168 months and 160 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen Shappert announced. District Judge Curtis V. Gomez also sentenced both Richardson and Hall to five years of supervised release, 350 hours of community service, and a $100 special assessment.
On March 29, 2018, Richardson pleaded guilty, and on April 4, 2018, Hall was convicted by a jury. According to the testimony at Hall’s trial, between 2014 and 2016, both Richardson and Hall were members of a large-scale cocaine smuggling organization that operated out of the Cyril E. King Airport. The organization smuggled cocaine by utilizing a former security officer at the Office of the Governor who used his law enforcement credentials to bypass security screening at Cyril E. King Airport to smuggling large kilogram quantities of cocaine from St. Thomas to Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Once in Florida, the officer delivered the cocaine to another member of the conspiracy for distribution in the continental United States. The trial testimony revealed that Richardson, the leader of the organization, would arrange for the shipments of cocaine and later direct Hall and other members of the conspiracy to collect, and subsequently sell the cocaine at $34,000 per kilogram. Trial testimony also revealed that, during the course of the conspiracy, Hall collected multiple kilograms of cocaine, as directed by Richardson. The smuggling operation was dismantled on September 3, 2016, after a co-conspirator contacted a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent and reported that the officer was traveling on that day with cocaine and had to be stopped. Within one hour of receiving the tip, CBP agents seized 22 kilograms of cocaine from the officer’s carryon suitcase.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia Smith.
Two Randolph County Men Indicted for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
On July 18, 2018, two Randolph County residents were indicted for a methamphetamine offense, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. Lewis D. Higgins, 54, and David Bereitschaft, 39, both of Tilden, were charged in a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offense occurred between 2016 and June 2018, in Perry and Randolph Counties. Higgins and Bereitschaft made their initial appearances in federal court on August 2, 2018. They were ordered held without bond pending an October 1, 2018, jury trial.
The conspiracy offense carries a maximum penalty of 5-40 years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Sparta Police Department, Tilden Police Department, Marissa Police Department, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office Drug Tactical Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Randolph County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Two Pensacola Brothers Each Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Large Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Aaron M. Booker, 27, Joseph F. Booker Jr., 29, and Kaishawndra Lyons, 25, all of Pensacola, and Uy Nguyen, 35, of Vallejo, California, have been sentenced for charges arising from a multi-state drug and money laundering conspiracy. Joseph Booker was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on July 31, and Aaron Booker was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today. Nguyen was sentenced to 84 months in prison on July 2. Lyons was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison on July 31. The sentences were announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Nguyen and the Booker brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. All four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to the money laundering conspiracy, Lyons also pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal agents.
Since 2015, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have been investigating a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in Pensacola, Northern California, and elsewhere. The investigation disclosed that between February 2015, and December 2017, Nguyen shipped packages of cocaine and marijuana from California to the Booker brothers in Pensacola. Nguyen sent his co-conspirators photographs of drug invoices and pictures of packages of cocaine and marijuana that he was shipping from California to Pensacola. Postal records show that the Booker brothers and Lyons mailed more than two dozen currency-filled packages to Nguyen as payment for the drugs. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers intercepted multiple packages of drugs that Nguyen shipped to his co-conspirators. Bank records revealed that the Booker brothers and Lyons laundered drug money by depositing proceeds from the sale of the marijuana and cocaine into bank accounts Nguyen opened in California.
In December 2017, law enforcement officers searched Nguyen’s residence and vehicle in northern California and located multiple kilograms of marijuana and a receipt for a newly mailed parcel heading to Pensacola. This parcel was intercepted by law enforcement officers and contained multiple pounds of marijuana. The search of the Lyons/Booker residence in Pensacola revealed over $300,000 in United States currency as well as over $300,000 in jewelry and high-end clothing.
Based upon the drug invoices, law enforcement officers determined this conspiracy involved 250 kilograms of marijuana and more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. The conspirators laundered over $250,000 through bank accounts and jewelry stores between Pensacola, Northern California, and other locations in the United States.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pensacola Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office – First Judicial Circuit, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Tukwila Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Production of Images of Child RapeRead the Press Release
A 40-yearold Tukwila, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison and 25 years of supervised release for production and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. JESSE LEE ALLEN, was arrested in November 2016, after a witness reported that she had seen videos of the molestation of a young child on ALLEN’s cell phone. The witness made a report to Tukwila Police in October 2016 and ALLEN was located and arrested a few weeks later. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly called child pornography a “plague on our community,” saying,” this was an incredibly terrible crime that was committed against a little girl.”
According to records filed in the case, the witness was involved in a romantic relationship with ALLEN and at one point checked his phone to see if there were images of other women ALLEN might be dating. The witness instead discovered three videos that showed the sexual molestation of a 6-year-old child. The witness immediately went to police.
ALLEN pleaded guilty to the charges March 8, 2018.
The case was investigated by the Tukwila Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson. Ms. Gregson is a Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute child exploitation cases in federal court.
Towing Titan Gasper Fiore Sentenced to Prison for BriberyRead the Press Release
The owner of multiple towing companies in southeast Michigan, Gasper Fiore, 57, of Grosse Pointe Shores, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine today based on his conviction for conspiracy to commit bribery, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent In Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Manny Muriel, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service.
Fiore was convicted of conspiring to pay bribes to Clinton Township Trustee Dean Reynolds in order to obtain a municipal towing contract with the township. Clinton Township is the sixth largest municipality in the state. Fiore gave Reynolds cash bribes of $4,000 and $3,000 in March and May of 2016 in order to buy Reynolds’ vote to select Fiore’s company to receive the Clinton Township towing contract. Fiore paid the bribes to Reynolds through Charles B. Rizzo, who was cooperating with federal law enforcement at the time of the bribe payments.
Fiore is one of twenty defendants charged in the government’s wide-ranging corruption investigation centered in Macomb County, Michigan. United States District Judge Robert H. Cleland remanded Fiore into custody following the sentencing.
Information at the sentencing hearing revealed that besides his conviction for paying bribes to Reynolds, Fiore has also paid bribes to former Detroit Deputy Chief of Police Celia Washington, other law enforcement officers, former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers.
“Big-time contractors like Fiore who pay bribes and corrupt communities in order to maximize their wealth face significant punishment,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. “The court’s sentence demonstrates that pay-to-play contracting will not be tolerated and will be punished.”
"Public corruption is one of the FBI's top criminal priority," said FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater. "Corruption of local, state, and federally elected, appointed, or contracted officials - strikes at the heart of government and erodes public confidence."
This case is part of the government’s wide-ranging corruption investigation centered in Macomb County, Michigan. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Gardey, R. Michael Bullotta, and Adriana Dydell.
Three Sacramento Airport Workers Indicted for Mail Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment today against Domingo Ene, 27, of Roseville; Joshua Hopoi, 22, of Sacramento; and Raymond Su, 29, of Sacramento, charging them with a conspiracy to steal U.S. mail and possession of stolen U.S. mail, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from April 2018 to July 2018, the three men conspired to steal mail that was passing through Sacramento International Airport. All three defendants worked at Sacramento International Airport as employees of a company that provided ground services. They were responsible for loading U.S. mail from the Sacramento area onto departing flights, as well as unloading incoming mail from arriving flights. The indictment alleges that they opened containers of mail and stole items, especially greeting cards. The defendants removed cash and gift cards from the stolen mail items, and they used the gift cards to make purchases.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Narcotics and Economic Crime Investigations Task Force, Roseville Police Department, Citrus Heights Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, and Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam R. Hinman is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Texas Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Making Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Shea Ryan Estes, 41, previously of McKinney, Texas, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock Jr. to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release, including up to three months of community confinement, for transmitting threats in interstate commerce. Estes pleaded guilty on April 5, 2018.
According to court records, in the summer of 2017, the defendant, while living in Texas, made two threatening telephone calls to his ex-girlfriend, who was then in Maine. The calls were recorded on her answering machine. In the calls, the defendant threatened that he would “hunt” her down, that she was “next,” that she would “suffer, and that if he ever got back to Maine he would kill her current boyfriend, various members of her family, and “anyone that gets in my [expletive] way.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
Tampa Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Jamaar Danglo Hayes (34, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm. Hayes pleaded guilty on April 25, 2018.
According to court documents, in October 2017, Hayes drove to an apartment complex located on Sligh Avenue in Tampa while in possession of a .38 caliber revolver. Multiple individuals at the apartment complex saw Hayes with the firearm and called 911. The responding officers located Hayes and the revolver. Hayes, a previously convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Have Sex with A MinorRead 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 Charlie P. Conant, 27, of Syracuse, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to attempted online enticement of a minor. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that on February 27, 2018, an undercover New York State Police Investigator (UC) discovered a personal ad on a Syracuse, NY, website that appeared to be targeting minors for sex which was traced to the defendant. Posing as a 12-year-old female, the UC began communicating with Conant who asked for pictures. Communication between the UC and Conant continued via text message, as the defendant also asked for more pictures including naked photos.
On May 15, 2018, the defendant sent text messages to the UC indicating that he wanted to meet with the child in Seneca Falls, NY, for the purpose of having sex. On June 14, 2018, the defendant traveled to Seneca Falls to meet the UC while “the minor’s” grandmother was supposedly at work. After Conant arrived, he was arrested.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eric Laughton, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 5, 2018, before Judge Siragusa.
Stockton Man Indicted on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ruben Valdez, 26, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and illegal possession of a machine gun, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on November 13, 2017, Valdez was found in possession of a stolen Glock, Model 20 handgun, with a selector switch designed to convert a semi‑automatic firearm to a fully automatic machine gun. Valdez is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based on prior felony convictions.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Stockton Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea J. Kenny and Cameron L. Desmond are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
St. Louis Man Indicted for Killing Laclede Cab DriverRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – James Flannel, 37, of St. Louis, MO, was indicted for the carjacking and killing of Boris Iouioukine, a Laclede Cab Company driver killed on June 25, 2018. Specifically, the three-count indictment returned this morning charges Flannel with one count of carjacking, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in the death of Mr. Iouioukine, and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition during the same general time period.
Flannel was originally charged by way of federal complaint for his illegal possession of ammunition on June 27, 2018, two days after the murder. He was ultimately located by law enforcement and taken into federal custody on July 14, 2018. Flannel has been detained ever since. Today’s superseding indictment adds charges related to Flannel’s carjacking and killing of Mr. Iouioukine.
If convicted, the felon in possession of ammunition charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years. The carjacking charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years. Flannel’s possession of a firearm resulting in Mr. Iouioukine’s death carries an additional consecutive mandatory minimum penalty ranging from 10 years to life or the imposition of the death penalty. In determining actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines which provide recommended sentencing ranges.
Following the return of today’s indictment, U. S. Attorney Jeff Jensen commended the swift action of and coordination between the Saint Louis Metropolitan and Saint Louis County Police Departments; the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; his office; and the Saint Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, “This case is a good example of the cooperative, ‘all hands on deck’ philosophy our state, local and federal partners have embraced in response to the persistent gun violence in the St. Louis area.”
As is always the case, charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Seven defendants face federal drug chargesRead the Press Release
All alleged to have brought large quantities of narcotics into the Evansville area.
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis-United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today that seven defendants face federal drug charges for their role in bringing large quantities of illegal drugs into the Evansville area.
“Maintaining the safety of our neighborhoods remains a top priority of my office,” said Minkler. “The violence that often comes with drug dealing is disruptive to the well-being of the citizens of Evansville.”
On July 10, 2018, Seroy Mobley 34, Evansville, Seneca Binder, 37, Evansville, Eric Wilkerson, 37, Whitestown, Kentucky, and Carl Kirkland, 53, Antioch, California, were indicted for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mobley is alleged to be the main distributor who received his supply of methamphetamine from Kirkland who lived in California. Binder and Wilkerson received their methamphetamine from Mobley and would redistribute the drug in and around the Evansville area. Law enforcement executed warrants at Mobley’s residence where they found 350 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm in the bedroom of Mobley’s infant child. All remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
On July 11, 2018, Justin Helsley, 27, Evansville, and Nicholas Grayson, 27, Evansville, were charged with conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone. It is alleged that Helsley received his supply of drugs from a dealer in Los Angeles, California, and Grayson helped him distribute the narcotics locally. Federal authorities traveled to California and worked closely with law enforcement there and arrested Helsley and Grayson. DEA agents, Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force Officers and deputies from the Warrick County Sheriff’s Department executed federal and state search warrants in connection with this investigation and seized eight firearms, several pounds of marijuana, nearly five pounds of heroin, several hundred Oxycodone pills and over $1 million in cash.
On July 25, 2018, Demarco Davis, 37, Evansville, was charged by a criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute in excess of 500 grams of methamphetamine. DEA and Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force received information that Demarco Davis was alleged to be a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker in the Evansville area. Demarco met with his source of supply in an Evansville hotel and exchanged bags believed to be filled with cash and methamphetamine. As Davis left the hotel, he was arrested and found to be in possession of a large quantity of methamphetamine to which he had just paid $64,000 in United States currency. Davis remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
These cases are being investigated by the DEA, the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and the Warrick County Sheriff’s Department.
“Those who deal drugs in this community bring a great deal of violence and prey on the vulnerabilities of those with substance abuse problems,” said Doug Freyberger, Resident Agent in Charge of the DEA in Evansville. “We will continue to work with our local partners to make this community a safer place to live, work and raise a family.”
“These arrests highlight the strong working relationship between the Evansville Police Department and our partners at the Drug Enforcement Agency,” said Sergeant Jason Cullom. “We appreciate the work being done by the DEA and our Task Force Officers as we continue to address the issues of drug abuse and addiction.”
“We are working fiercely to remove drugs and drug dealers from our streets,” said Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding. “We hope that the dealers are punished severely and that the addicts are offered treatment; enforcement and education/treatment may slow the distribution and usage in our community.”
Indictments and criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to prosecuting those who traffic in large quantities of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 3.3
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Sentencings for July 30 - August 2, 2018Read the Press Release
DANNY LAURENCE RUST, 34, of Mills, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on July 30, 2018 for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Rust was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received one hundred fifty six months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1000.00 fine. The Mills Police Department, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case.
LOURDES LETISIA GANDARILLA-DUARTE, 33, of Durango, Mexico was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on July 31, 2018 for fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. Gandarilla-Duarte was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received eighteen months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case.
MANUEL HARO-ROCHA, 33, of Guasabe, Mexico was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on August 1, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Haro-Rocha was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment at the time of deportation. The Department of Homeland Security investigated this case.
TIMOTHY WILLIAM DAVIS, 55, of Big Piney, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on August 2, 2018 for felon in possession of a firearm. Davis was arrested in Sublette County, Wyoming. He received one hundred months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $500.00 fine, and a $100.00 special assessment. The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case.
DAVID WAYNE HARDY, 60, of Rawlins, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on August 1, 2018 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Hardy was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received eighty-seven months of imprisonment, to be followed by forty-eight months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $900.00. The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
Scranton Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Efuel Gas StationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Amod Phillips, age 28, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 31, 2018, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to serve seven years’ imprisonment for the armed robbery of the EFuel gas station located on Pittston Avenue in Scranton.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Phillips previously pleaded guilty to the charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Phillips and another individual, Durrell Davenport, age 28, also of Scranton, were indicted by a grand jury in November 2017 for the armed robbery of the EFuel gas station on June 8, 2017. Approximately $266 and several packs of cigarettes were taken in the robbery. Davenport is currently awaiting sentencing.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Mannion ordered that Phillips be supervised by a probation officer for three years upon release from prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Scranton Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Rochester Truck Driver and Photographer Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PorngraphyRead 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 Richard Wolfe, 60, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that in March 2016, a Canadian law enforcement agency executed a search warrant involving a mobile chatting application. Between April 2, 2016, and April 7, 2016, a user with the account name “rickyraz15” used the application to share 331 images of child pornography. The account was traced to the defendant in Rochester.
On October 31, 2017, HSI Buffalo executed a search warrant at Wolfe’s residence on Legran Road in Rochester. Special Agents seized a laptop, two digital cameras, a camcorder, a thumb drive, two SD cards, a cell phone, multiple CD’s, an external hard drive, and miscellaneous documents. During a search of the garage, agents discovered a desktop computer that appeared to have been destroyed by a sledge hammer.
A lockbox was discovered in the closet of an upstairs bedroom. HSI gained entry to the lockbox and found approximately 80 CD’S and an external hard drive. A forensic preview of the external hard drive found several images and videos of child pornography. Some of the images depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexual situations.
On October 31, 2017, HSI Buffalo executed a second federal search warrant for the defendant’s cell phone, which revealed that the phone had been reset to factory settings.
A forensic examination of the items seized from the defendant is currently pending, but to date, over 2030 images and videos containing child pornography have been recovered.
Wolfe, a full-time truck driver, also works as a part-time professional photographer who has taken pictures of minors.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 14, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
Riverdale Man Indicted on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Rodger Riquez Rodriguez, 33, of Riverdale, charging him with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on May 22, 2018, Rodriguez was found in possession of a silver Kel-Tec P-3AT handgun. On July 24, 2018, he was found in possession of a weapon made from a rifle, Izhmash, Model SVD. Rodriguez was prohibited from possessing firearms based on a prior felony conviction and prior misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clovis Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Postal Employee Charged with Taking $100 from Greeting CardsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - An Allegheny County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal law pertaining to government employees, United States Attorney Scott w. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment named Jasson E. Hart, Sr., age 35, of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on or about June 29, 2015, Hart, while working as a U.S. Postal Service employee, removed $100 from greeting cards, which were addressed and intended for delivery by the U.S. Postal Service.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Bond of $5,000 unsecured has been requested.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Postal Employee Charged with Mail TheftRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Kinsman, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of theft of mail by a postal employee, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment named Nicole Wade, 43, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Nicole Wade was an employee of the United States Postal Service at the time she stole two greeting cards and removed two $20 US Notes and four gift cards contained therein that were to be conveyed by mail.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hull is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Man Gets More than Four Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography Photos and VideosRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 52 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of possession of material depicting the exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Abhijeet Das, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Das unlawfully possessed computer graphic files containing approximately 1,000 photographs and 380 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct..
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Western Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Das.
Perry County Husband and Wife Sentenced to Combined 47 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Betty Jo Eckenberger, age 32, and James David Eckenberger, age 43, of Perry County were sentenced on August 1, 2018, by United States District Court Judge Yvette Kane for child exploitation crimes. Betty Jo Eckenberger was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release. James Eckenberger was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment followed by 15 years of supervised release.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the Eckenbergers sexually assaulted minors between 2008 and 2011, and took photographs of those assaults. Both defendants were ordered to forfeit all electronic equipment used to take the images.
This case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.
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."
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Parker Man Sentenced to Prison for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – On Aug. 1, 2018, Jason Allen Martinez, 37, of Parker, Ariz., and a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to 77 months in prison, followed by a term of three years of supervised release. Martinez had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Martinez was also sentenced to four months’ imprisonment in a 2010 supervised release matter, to run consecutive to the sentence imposed in the 2017 case. Martinez had previously admitted to violating his supervised release.
On Aug. 21, 2017, Martinez assaulted the victim, a former partner of his, by chasing her down in the vehicle he was driving and crashing into the rear end of the victim’s vehicle. Martinez continued to chase the victim after crashing into her vehicle and tried to force her off the road several times. The victim is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes and the assault occurred on the Colorado River Indian Tribes Indian Reservation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-2017-01509-PHX-DGC and CR-2010-00131-PHX-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-098_Martinez
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Project Dakota Flyer Sentences AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that 19 defendants from Project Dakota Flyer – one of the largest wildlife trafficking investigations in the Midwest in recent history – have been sentenced.
Nine men from South Dakota, five women from South Dakota, one man from North Dakota, one man from Iowa, one man from Idaho, and two pawn shops in South Dakota, convicted of various Lacey Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act violations, have been sentenced in United States District Court by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno, U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollmann.
U.S. Attorney Parsons praised the sentences: “This investigation has demonstrated the breadth of the illegal black market for eagle and other migratory bird parts. It is our goal to completely eliminate the unauthorized killing and selling of bald eagles, golden eagles, and other protected species. Importantly, nothing in this investigation was done to infringe upon traditional Native American use of eagle parts for cultural or spiritual purposes. We are very sensitive to the Native American culture and religious practices that use and honor the eagle, and we want them to be able to continue to do that in a lawful and culturally appropriate manner.”
These convictions stem from incidents beginning in 2014, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated an undercover operation, Project Dakota Flyer, focusing on the unlawful trafficking of protected migratory birds, primarily bald and golden eagles. The operation utilized undercover techniques to purchase eagle and other protected bird parts from 51 suspects over a 19-month period. The purchases occurred in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, and in some cases over the internet.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protects our nation’s wildlife here and abroad,” said Edward Grace, Acting Assistant Director of the Office of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We initiated Operation Project Dakota Flyer to stop the unlawful trafficking in protected migratory birds with a particular emphasis in bald and golden eagles. The work of our special agents and forensic scientists revealed over 35 species of birds, from every continent except Antarctica, were trafficked. This operation, which began in America’s heartland, illustrates how wildlife trafficking is a global crisis."
Sheldon Tree Top, age 44, of Mandan, ND, was sentenced on April 4, 2018, by Judge Lange to six months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $5,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $125. Tree Top was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2017, and pled guilty on December 29, 2017, to two violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Jorge Pena, age 45, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced on July 16, 2018, by Chief Judge Viken to five months of federal prison on each count, to run concurrently, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $20,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $125. Pena was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2017, and pled guilty on March 23, 2018, to violations of the Lacey Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Aaron David West, Jr., age 34, of Eagle Butte, SD, was sentenced on June 11, 2018, by Judge Lange to two months in federal prison, six months of home confinement, one year of supervised release, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $31,750 jointly with co-defendant Aaron David West, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $125. West was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2017, and pled guilty on March 21, 2018, to violations of the Bald and Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Aiding and Abetting.
Aaron David West, age 63, of Eagle Butte, SD, was sentenced on June 11, 2018, by Judge Lange to one year of probation, which includes six months of home confinement, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $31,750 jointly with co-defendant Aaron David West, Jr., and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25. West was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2017, and pled guilty on March 21, 2018, to a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and Aiding and Abetting.
Benjamin Iron Hawk, age 45, of Mission, SD, was sentenced on June 11, 2018, by Judge Lange to two months in federal prison, six months of home confinement, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $28,750 joint and several with co-defendant Valencia Neck, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Iron Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2017, and pled guilty on March 21, 2018, to a violation of the Lacey Act.
Valencia Neck, age 39, of Mission, SD, was sentenced on June 11, 2018, by Judge Lange to one year or probation, which includes six months of home confinement, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $28,750 joint and several with co-defendant Benjamin Iron Hawk, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25. Neck was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2017, and pled guilty on March 21, 2018, to a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Christopher Pomani, age 38, of Chamberlain, SD, was sentenced on April 5, 2018, by Judge Moreno to two years of probation, a fine in the amount of $500, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25. Pomani was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2017 and pled guilty on December 5, 2017, to a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Aiding and Abetting.
Arvella Pomani, age 36, of Box Elder, SD, was sentenced on July 17, 2018, by Judge Moreno to one year of probation, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $16,800, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25. Pomani was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2017, and pled guilty on July 17, 2018, to a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Aiding and Abetting.
Chet Christensen, d/b/a Chet’s Place, age 67, of Tuthill, SD, was sentenced on March 28, 2018, by Judge Moreno to one day of probation, a fine in the amount of $3,000, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $3,500, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25. Christensen was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2017, and pled guilty on March 28, 2018, to a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Elray Rosaaen, d/b/a Buffalo Gap Trading Post, age 72, of Buffalo Gap, SD, was sentenced on March 23, 2018, by Judge Wollmann to a fine in the amount of $3,000 and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Rosaeen was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2017, to a one count Indictment of Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Manuel Lieras, age 67, of Pocatello, Idaho, was sentenced on March 28, 2018, by Judge Gerdes to a fine in the amount of $5,000, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $900, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Lieras was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2017, and pled guilty on March 28, 2018, to a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Steven Marin, d/b/a Mobridge Pawn, age 47, of Selby, SD, was sentenced on March 28, 2018, by Judge Moreno to a fine in the amount of $3,000 and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Marin was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2017, and pled guilty on March 28, 2018, to a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Jeffrey Jensen, d/b/a Jerry’s Pawn Shop, age 53, of Mobridge, SD, was sentenced on April 11, 2018, by Judge Moreno to a fine in the amount of $3,000, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $1,750, joint and several with co-defendant Amanda Silbernagel, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Jensen was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2017, and pled guilty on April 11, 2018, to a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Amanda Silbernagel, d/b/a Jerry’s Pawn Shop, age 30, of Mobridge, SD, was sentenced on April 11, 2018, by Judge Moreno to a fine in the amount of $1,000, restitution to the National Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $1,750, joint and several with co-defendant Jeffrey Jensen, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Silbernagel was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2017, and pled guilty on April 11, 2018, to a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Wanda Dupris, age 45, of Eagle Butte, SD, was sentenced on April 24, 2018, by Judge Moreno to a fine in the amount of $1,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25. Dupris was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 22, 2017, and pled guilty on April 24, 2018, to a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Fair Deal Pawn, a business in Box Elder, SD, was sentenced on May 29, 2018, by Judge Wollmann, to a fine in the amount of $3,000 and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Fair Deal Pawn was indicted by a federal grand Jury on September 12, 2017, and pled guilty on May 29, 2018, to a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Kenneth Foster, d/b/a Rapid Pawn, of Box Elder, SD, was sentenced on July 13, 2018, by Judge Wollmann, to a fine in the amount of $3,000 and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Foster was indicted by a federal grand Jury on September 12, 2017, and pled guilty on July 13, 2018, to a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Pawn With Us, a business in Rapid City, SD, was sentenced on June 1, 2018, by Judge Wollmann, to a fine in the amount of $3,000 and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Pawn With Us was indicted by a federal grand Jury on September 12, 2017, and pled guilty on June 1, 2018, to a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Melinda Sue Relf, a/k/a Melinda Sue Red Feather, age 37, of Rapid City, SD, was sentenced on July 27, 2018, by Judge Wollmann, to a fine in the amount of $1,000 and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10. Relf was indicted by a federal grand Jury on September 12, 2017, and pled guilty on July 27, 2018, to a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Restitution for the loss of the eagles and other migratory birds was sought by the United States in these cases where it could be proved that a deceased bird was trafficked as part of the illegal activity. Following extensive expert testimony, the Courts adopted a restitution value for immature eagles at $5,000 and adult eagles at $10,000.
These cases were investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Kelderman and Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the cases.