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31 July 2018
Georgia Man Sentenced on Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Anthony Desean Lee, 28, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced on July 26, 2018, to 120 months’ imprisonment for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Court documents show that federal law enforcement officers were conducting an investigation into the whereabouts of Lee and another subject, both wanted on fugitive warrants from the state of Georgia. The officers traveled to a residence in Citronelle, where they arrested Lee in the yard. The officers received consent to search the residence, where Lee admitted he was staying, and they found a .9mm pistol and an AK47 rifle, along with numerous rounds of ammunition for both weapons. In addition to the outstanding arrest warrant, the investigation showed that Lee had prior convictions for Robbery and Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Crime, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, and a prior charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Lee was indicted on the federal gun charge in Mobile in October of 2017, and he pled guilty in March of 2018.
United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade sentenced Lee to 120 months’ imprisonment, which is the maximum sentence permitted by law for the offense. When Lee is released from imprisonment, he will serve three years of supervised release, during which he will undergo drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Lee was also ordered to pay $100 in mandatory special assessments, but no fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United Sates Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Fugitive Lawyer Brought to South Florida to Face Federal Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Michael R. Casey, 71, a fugitive for over four years, wanted on federal charges related to an alleged $20 million investment fraud scheme, is scheduled to have his initial appearance today at 1:30 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis in Miami, Florida.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Amos Rojas, Jr., United States Marshal, United States Marshals Service (USMS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
According to allegations contained in the court record, Casey, originally of Fort Lauderdale, and co-defendants Patricia S. Saa, of Tampa, Louis N. Gallo, III, of Parkland, and James C. Howard, III, of Parkland, defrauded individuals who invested in Commodities Online LLC (COL). From approximately January 2010 through April 2011, Casey and his co-conspirators allegedly used material false and fraudulent representations and material omissions to obtain over $20 million from over 700 investors.
Casey and his co-conspirators allegedly used COL to sell COL ownership units, subscriptions to the COL website, and investments in purported transactions to buy and sell commodities. After receiving the funds for the COL ownership units, Howard and Saa diverted a large part of those funds for other purposes. Shortly after that, Casey became President of COL and learned that substantial investor funds had been diverted and did not disclose it to investors. In addition to selling COL ownership units, Casey and his co-conspirators offered investors the opportunity to fund purported contracts to buy and sell commodities. Casey and his co-conspirators offered a pre-determined percentage return on investment. Casey and his co-conspirators represented to investors that COL had a track record of profits on these purported contracts. However, COL did not have profits.
Casey and his co-conspirators also allegedly made material misrepresentations and omissions about the leaders of COL. After mid-2010, Casey and his co-conspirators represented that Howard was no longer managing COL, when in fact, Howard remained in charge. Also, Casey and his co-conspirators did not disclose to investors that both Howard and co-defendant Gallo had previously been convicted of federal felonies, and that Gallo was still serving a term of supervised release.
On August 30, 2012, Casey was charged by indictment in Case No. 12-20630-Cr-Lenard, along with Howard, Saa, and Gallo, with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and several counts of mail and wire fraud. Howard, Saa, Gallo, and another defendant, Rita Balbirer, were also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and various counts of money laundering.
In April of 2014, Casey failed to appear at a status hearing while pending trial. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest. In August of 2014, Casey was indicted for bond jumping in Case No. 14-20619-Cr-Moreno.
In September 2013, Howard, who was the founder of COL and had a prior criminal history that had not been disclosed to investors, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. In December 2013, Howard was sentenced to 189 months in prison.
In August of 2014, Gallo, who was a leader in the scheme and had a prior criminal history that had not been disclosed to investors, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. In October of 2014, Gallo was sentenced to 168 months in prison.
In July of 2014 Balbirer, an assistant to Gallo, pled guilty to two counts of money laundering. In September of 2015, Balbirer was sentenced to 17 months in prison.
In addition, other co-conspirators in the COL fraud scheme were charged separately with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. In November 2013, three defendants pled guilty for their involvement in the scheme. In February 2015, Timothy Josselson was sentenced to 38 months in prison, in Case No. 13-20730-Cr-Altonaga. In February 2015, Kathryn Josselson was sentenced to 36 months in prison, in Case No. 13-20731-Cr-Moore. In March 2015, Robert Lananna was sentenced to 40 months in prison, in Case No. 13-20732-Cr-Ungaro.
Mr. Greenberg commends the investigative efforts of the FBI and USMS in this matter. Mr. Greenberg thanked the Mexican government for its assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana Maria Martinez and John Gonsoulin.
An indictment 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.
Fugitive Extradited in Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry Murder CaseRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 31, 2018
SAN DIEGO, CA – Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes, who is charged with the first-degree murder of U.nited S.tates Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, was extradited from Mexico to the United States today, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Southern District of California U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman for the Southern District of California. He will be arraigned in U.nited S.tates District Court in, Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday tomorrow afternoon. Osorio-Arellanes has been in custody awaiting extradition since his arrest by Mexican authorities on April 12, 2017.
Agent Terry was fatally shot on Dec.ember 14, 2010, when he and other U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Osorio-Arellanes and four other members of a “rip crew” (a criminal gang that attempts to steal from drug and alien smugglers) operating in a rural area north of Nogales, Arizona. Of the six defendants charged along with Osorio-Arellanes in the case, three have pleaded guilty, two were convicted following a jury trial, and one other defendant – Jesus Rosario Favela Astorga (arrested by Mexican authorities in October, 2017) – has not yet been tried. is pending extradition to the United States.
“The Department of Justice is pleased that the suspected killer of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry has been successfully extradited to the United States and will now face justice for this terrible crime,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We are grateful for the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as our law enforcement partners in Mexico. To anyone who would take the life of an American citizen, in particular an American law enforcement officer, this action sends a clear message: Working closely with our international partners, we will hunt you down, we will find you, and we will bring you to justice.”
“The arrest and extradition of Osorio-Arellanes reflects the steadfast commitment and tireless work of the United States and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, who shared the common goal of seeking justice for the murder of Agent Brian Terry,” said U.nited S.tates Attorney Adam Braverman. “When an agent makes the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country, we must hold all the individuals who played a part in this tragic outcome accountable for their actions. This extradition moves that important goal forward.”
The indictment charges the defendants with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, attempted interference with commerce by robbery, use and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer. In addition to the murder of Agent Terry, the indictment alleges that the defendants assaulted U.S. Border Patrol Agents William Castano, Gabriel Fragoza and Timothy Keller, who were with Agent Terry during the firefight with the “rip crew.”
This case is being prosecuted in federal court in Tucson by attorneys from the Southern District of California, Special Attorneys Todd W. Robinson and David D. Leshner. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is recused. The case is being investigated by the FBI. The Government of Mexico assisted in the apprehension and extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance with the extradition of defendant Osorio-Arellanes.
The public is reminded that an indictment is a formal charging document and defendants are presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
DEFENDANT Case No. 11-CR-00150-TUC-DCB (BPV)
Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
United States Border Patrol
DOJ Office of International Affairs
Fourth Defendant Pleads Guilty in Wide-Ranging Cocaine Conspiracy; Admits Illinois Weapons Cache Was Part of ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 31, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Juan A. Mexicano, aged 33, pleaded guilty today in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruben B. Brooks to an expanding cocaine distribution conspiracy, extending from Mexico to San Diego to the Chicago, Illinois area. Mexicano, who remains in custody, is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in this case. He admitted to maintaining a narcotics stash house in Illinois to further the distribution of cocaine that emanated from a Mexican-based trafficker, identified in court documents as “El 99”, and which entered the United States via the Southern District of California. Mexicano also admitted that a cache of firearms and other weapons, including two live grenades, that law enforcement located in a storage facility rented in Mexicano’s name were possessed in relation to his involvement in the narcotics conspiracy.
Through his plea agreement, Mexicano admitted that the stash house, approximately 10 miles northwest of Chicago, was used for the temporary storage of cocaine before it was further distributed. Mexicano acknowledged that, up to approximately150 kilograms (approximately 330 pounds) of cocaine were stored at that property. In August 2016, shortly before a search warrant was executed at the property, Mexicano admitted that he removed bulk U.S. currency and cocaine from the property. Mexicano also admitted that, to further the conspiracy, he temporarily stored drug proceeds at a stash house before those proceeds were moved south from the Chicago area to Mexico.
The federal charges to which Mexicano has pleaded guilty carry a mandatory minimum ten year sentence and a maximum life sentence. Mexicano is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2018 before U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel in San Diego.
Notwithstanding his guilty plea in San Diego, Mexicano still faces weapons charges in Kane County, Illinois (Case No. 17CF1720) related to the discovery of the weapons cache in Elgin, Illinois. In addition to the live grenades, the weapons seized included fully automatic weapons, a submachine gun and others. A photograph of the weapons, previously released by the Elgin Police Department (see Report #2016-59306), is attached.
In addition to Mexicano, other defendants who have entered guilty pleas in the case are: Walter Rovidio Ipina, aged 40; David Castaneda-Solis, aged 33; and Zachary Vasquez, aged 27.
Through his plea agreement, Ipina admitted that, during 2016, he moved the cocaine provided by El-99 that entered the United States through the Southern District of California by using his family owned trucking business’ tractor-trailer to transport the cocaine from Southern California to the Chicago, Illinois area. In September 2016, he was stopped by law enforcement agents who seized the 32 kilograms (approximately 70 pounds) of cocaine that he was then carrying. Ipina is scheduled for sentencing on August 3, 2018 before Judge Curiel.
Castaneda-Solis pleaded guilty to laundering the narcotics proceeds. On August 12, 2016, Castaneda-Solis was caught by law enforcement while he was unloading $154,000 in narcotics proceeds from a hidden compartment in the dashboard of a Honda Pilot vehicle. The $154,000 was seized by law enforcement. Castaneda-Solis admitted that he placed these proceeds into a black bag to enable their further transport to their ultimate destination in Mexico. Castaneda-Solis is scheduled for sentencing on October 4, 2018.
Vasquez pleaded guilty to the cocaine conspiracy and admitted that he served as a narcotics load coordinator/recruiter. He admitted to coordinating with “El 99” in Mexico. Vasquez also admitted to recruiting and supervising a driver who smuggled cocaine through the San Ysidro Port of Entry on at least four occasions before that driver was arrested and the cocaine the load driver was then transporting was seized. Vasquez admitted that his activity involved more than 125 kilograms, but less than 150 kilograms (between approximately 275 and 330 pounds) of cocaine. Vasquez is scheduled for sentencing on September 13, 2018.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 17-cr-648
Juan A. Mexicano Age: 33 Addison, IL
Walter R. Ipina Age: 40 Victorville, CA
David Castaneda-Solis Age: 34 Mexico
Zachary Vasquez Age: 27 Anaheim, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES TO WHICH GUILTY PLEAS ENTERED
Mexicano, Ipina & Vasquez
Conspiracy to Unlawfully Distribute Cocaine, 21 U.S.C. 846
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, and a mandatory minimum 10 years; $10,000,000 fine; and at least five years’ supervised release up to life.
Castaneda-Solis
Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, 18 U.S.C. 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: 20 years custody; 3 years supervised release; and $500,000 fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives
Ventura County, CA Sheriff’s Office
Police Departments of: Elgin, IL; Addison, IL.; Chicago, IL; Hoffman Estates, IL;
New Lenox, IL; Olympia Fields, IL; Streamwood, IL; and Lombard, IL
Sheriff’s Offices of: Kane County, IL; DuPage County, IL; Will County, IL
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Walter Gross, Jr., 58 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Theresa L. Springmann after pleading guilty to one count of Possession of Material Depicting Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Gross, Jr. was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on April 6, 2017, Gross Jr. was found to be in possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Fort Wayne Police Department, and the Indiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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Former Supreme Court Justice Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W. Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that former West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Justice Menis E. Ketchum II, age 75, was charged by Information with wire fraud. Justice Ketchum served as a Supreme Court Justice from January 1, 2008 through July 27, 2018.
“Corruption by public officials – any public official – is a priority of my office,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “The people of West Virginia have worked too hard and too long to tolerate misconduct that strikes at the heart of the public’s trust by their elected officials. I believe it is a fundamental right of every West Virginian to have honest government with public officials worthy of the greatness of our citizens.”
The Information relates to Justice Ketchum’s repeated personal use of a State of West Virginia vehicle and State fuel credit card over the course of 2011 through 2014 in connection with his travel from his home in Huntington, West Virginia to and from a private golf club in western Virginia. The roundtrip mileage for each of these golf outings was approximately 400 miles and cost the taxpayers of West Virginia approximately $220 per trip.
Stuart praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia Legislative Commission on Special Investigations, and the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division.
“Throughout this investigation and including today’s filing of a federal information against Justice Ketchum, the system worked,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “This is not a sad day for West Virginia but, rather, a day in which our citizens should be comforted. We are now one step closer to ending the crisis of this court.”
"West Virginians deserve public officials they can trust and who will represent them honestly and fairly," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nick Boshears. "The public needs to know they can have the highest confidence those who violate their trust will be held accountable."
The Information carries a penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.
Please note: An Information is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Former Police Officers Sent to PrisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two former San Juan police officers have been ordered to federal prison for lying to federal agents, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Following two jury trials in December 2017 and May 2018, Salvador Hernandez, 30, of Mission, and Richard Leon Castillo, 27, of Pharr, were convicted of making materially false statements to agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who were conducting an investigation into missing bundles of cocaine.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Hernandez to serve 24 months in prison, while Castillo received a 16-month sentence. Both will also serve three years of supervised release following their prison terms. In imposing the sentences, the court noted she had no doubt the defendants knowingly and intentionally lied and tried to mislead DEA agents while they were conducting the criminal investigation. As former officers, Judge Alvarez also stated that Castillo and Hernandez swore an oath to uphold and enforce the law and that their criminal conduct tainted the entire community by eroding the community’s trust in law enforcement. Judge Alvarez upwardly departed from the sentencing guidelines because of the serious nature of their conduct, their positions of trust within the community, the need to promote respect for the law and the need to prevent future criminal conduct.
During both trials, the juries heard that on Aug. 27, 2016, authorities seized a load of cocaine from an abandoned vehicle in a San Juan orchard. The investigation revealed 40 bundles of cocaine were intentionally left in the vehicle. However, officers with the San Juan Police Department logged only 37 bundles into evidence.
During the course of the investigation into the missing cocaine, agents discovered the drugs had been stored in a vehicle belonging to Hernandez at the scene. DEA agents interviewed Hernandez, at which time he claimed he never opened the hatch once the drugs were placed in his unit. He added that while assisting in the search for a suspect, he helped search a shed with fellow officer Castillo and Border Patrol (BP) agents.
Authorities also interviewed Castillo, at which time he claimed never to have seen the narcotics prior to their arrival at the police department and that he did not know who transported the cocaine.
DEA then obtained body camera footage from Castillo that showed both officers had lied to DEA agents. In the video, Hernandez and Castillo finished searching a shed and then Hernandez allowed Castillo to touch the cocaine bundles. The footage also demonstrated the two men were alone when they discussed the fact that the bundles had not yet been counted. In the video, Hernandez told Castillo to pick up a bundle. When Castillo reached for one, Hernandez said, “that one’s mine.”
Further evidence presented to the jury revealed that when agents asked Castillo whether he was involved in stealing three kilograms of cocaine, he looked down and refused to answer the question. At the time of Hernandez’s arrest on drug charges, he questioned being taken into custody, noting there were “bigger fish involved.”
Previously released on bond, both were permitted to remain on bond and surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined at a later date.
The DEA, FBI and Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen Rees and Bobby Lopez prosecuted the case.
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Former Jasper School District Employee Sentenced for $145,000 Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former employee of the Jasper R-5 School District was sentenced in federal court today for embezzling more than $145,000 from the district.
Karla Justice, also known as Karla Jessee, 56, of Columbus, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to two years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Justice to pay $145,726 in restitution.
On Feb. 7, 2018, Justice pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of credit card fraud. Justice admitted that she embezzled a total of $145,726 from the school district over a three-year period from September 2013 to September 2016. Her criminal conduct involved hundreds of individual acts of fraud and embezzlement against the school district.
According to court documents, Justice’s fraudulent scheme not only bled the school district of essential resources, her actions aggravated the financial distress of the district as well. Justice’s fraud and embezzlement had grown to the point that the school district’s reserve account was all but entirely drained, while teaching positions were eliminated, salaries were capped and cut, programs were eliminated or reduced, and children were denied essential educational resources. The school district cut its weekly school calendar to four days, placed all support staff on part-time status, and eliminated their healthcare benefits.
Justice was employed as the head bookkeeper, payroll secretary, superintendent secretary, and board secretary for the Jasper R-5 School District from 2009 until her resignation on Sept. 22, 2016. Justice’s positions with the school district gave her unrestricted access to the account and payroll systems for the school district, as well as the district’s petty cash checkbook and signatory authority for this account. Justice essentially had unlimited access to every aspect of the account and human resources functions for the district.
Justice admitted that she paid herself $80,858 in additional payroll above and beyond the amount allowed under her employment contract. As a result of the fraudulently received payroll, Justice also received an additional $6,731 in employer retirement contributions and $6,530 in Social Security and Medicare contributions that she would not have received otherwise.
The investigation also discovered numerous transactions involving the petty cash account, including checks and E-checks that totaled $13,929 in transactions that were conducted by Justice to pay for personal expenses that were unrelated to the activities of the district, and were not authorized by the district.
Justice also opened and used a Home Depot credit card in the name of the district, without authority or the approval of any district official. Justice used the fraudulently opened Home Depot credit card to conduct several personal purchases between Jan. 6 and Sept. 1, 2016, totaling $2,133.
The investigation revealed numerous checks that had been written on the operating account for the district. Justice did not have authority to write checks to this account but she did have access to the signature stamps for school officials, who did have signatory authority over this account. Several district employees informed investigators that Justice repeatedly asked them to cash checks for her. School officials told investigators that each of the checks discovered during the investigation were fraudulently created and Justice’s request that other employees cash these checks and give her the money was done to bypass safety measures created to prevent employees from directly cashing checks made out to themselves.
According to court documents, school officials began analyzing the district’s budget when the district experienced financial difficulties. During this analysis, officials noted irregularities in payroll payments, unexplained credit card payments, and missing monies from the petty cash account. When asked to reconcile the irregularities, Justice immediately wrote out a letter of resignation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Former FBI Task Force Officer and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Making Materially False Statements in Official FBI ReportsRead the Press Release
West Palm Beach, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Lorenzo Gatti (52, Delray Beach) yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of making materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements in official FBI reports. Gatti faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on July 27, 2013, Gatti, who at the time was a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy, assigned to the FBI as a task force officer, was involved in an automobile accident at an intersection in Boynton Beach, Florida. A few days later, in two separate FBI reports, Gatti stated that he was on official business at the time of the accident. Specifically, he claimed that the accident occurred after he had conducted a 24-mile surveillance on a target of a federal investigation.
At the time Gatti made these statements, he knew that his claims about conducting surveillance were false. In particular, records indicate that the target of the federal investigation did not, on the date of the accident, drive anywhere near the surveillance route that Gatti said he had followed.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice - Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sean P. Shecter and Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
Former Executive Director Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tracy Bronson embezzled $573,159 from the Calhoun Conservation District between 2014 and 2017
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Tracy Lynn Bronson, 57, of Marshall, Michigan, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for stealing from her former employer, the Calhoun Conservation District, a local special unit of government with a mission to maintain and improve land, water, and wildlife. Bronson also was ordered to pay $573,159.20 in restitution. Following release from prison, Bronson will serve three years on supervised release. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney imposed the sentence.
Bronson was indicted by a grand jury in February 2018 and charged with five counts of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. Bronson pled guilty to committing that offense. Between 2014 and 2017, the Calhoun Conservation District ("CCD") received more than $466,000 in federal funds. During that same period, Bronson embezzled $573,159 from the CCD while employed as its Executive Director. She committed the offense by writing more than 400 unauthorized checks to herself and by using CCD credit cards for personal expenses. Bronson attempted to hide her offense by altering CCD’s books and records, and creating fake monthly account statements, which she provided to CCD’s Board of Directors. Bronson admitted that most of the embezzled funds were spent at a local casino. She faced a maximum of 10 years in prison for the offense, but was sentenced within the range recommended by the federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In announcing the sentence today, U.S. Attorney Birge remarked, "Bronson stole not only from her loyal employer, but from the Calhoun County community and taxpayers. As a result of her selfish breach of trust, CCD has struggled to pay its bills and fulfill its important mission for future generations. Combatting financial fraud such as this serious embezzlement—particularly when it involves taxpayer money and vulnerable victims—remains a priority of federal law enforcement."
This case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Inspector General, and the Michigan State Police, with computer forensic examination assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. O’Connor prosecuted the case.
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Former Auburn, Georgia police officer sentenced for extortion and robberyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Charles Hubbard, a former police officer with the Auburn, Georgia Police Department, has been sentenced to federal prison for his role relating to conspiracies to commit extortion, traffic drugs, and commit robbery. Co-defendants, Shane J. Mattadeen, Wilfred Rivera, Michael L. Henley, Jr., Shaeib H. Morgan, Clem C. Williamson, and Martin Rosendary, were also charged in the scheme. “Instead of enforcing the laws he swore to uphold, Hubbard abused his positon as a law enforcement officer by stealing from drug traffickers for his own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We are grateful for our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to bring Hubbard and his co-conspirators to justice.” “The overwhelming majority of police officers perform their duties with honor and professionalism,” said Daniel R. Salter, the Executive Director of the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). “This defendant abused his position of trust by robbing drug dealers and now he must spend well-deserved time in prison for his criminal acts. This case would not have been possible without the dedicated cooperation between HIDTA, DEA, its law enforcement partners and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” “The public places trust in law enforcement officials and expects for officers to protect and serve them,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “When an officer violates his oath, this trust is eroded. The defendant in this case unfortunately does not fairly reflect the honest and hardworking men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line daily to protect its citizens. This case is a reminder that no officer is above the law. It is also a great example of what can be achieved when DEA works hand-in-hand with its law enforcement counterparts and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” According to U. S. Attorney Pak, the indictment, and other information presented in court: From 2009 until 2016, Hubbard partnered with at least six other people to identify, extort and rob drug dealers. After a several months’ long investigation, the planning for their latest exploit started on March 30, 2016, when a confidential source approached co-defendant Morgan with a plan to steal money from purported drug dealers who were going to give the confidential source $60,000 for a kilogram of heroin. The confidential source proposed that Morgan elicit Hubbard’s help, a sworn police officer with the Auburn, Georgia, Police Department, to conduct a fake traffic stop of the source and seize the money for the participants to split. That same day, Morgan presented the plan to Rosendary who, in turn, presented it to Hubbard. Hubbard agreed to participate in the robbery and extortion plan. On April 4, 2016, DEA agents gave the confidential source $40,000. The source drove to an apartment complex where Hubbard, wearing a tactical police vest and police badge, approached the source and took the money. Hubbard, Rosendary, and Morgan met briefly, divided the money, and departed. DEA agents then arrested all three, but not before Rosendary led the agents on a high-speed chase which ended after Rosendary lost control of his vehicle. Morgan, who was the passenger in the vehicle, fled on foot and was tracked down by a canine. When the dog found him, Morgan had $10,000 in his pants and another $10,000 nearby. Hubbard was found with $20,000 in his vehicle. Charles Hubbard, 54, of Loganville, Georgia was sentenced to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on July 30, 2018. Hubbard pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain property by extortion under color of official right and conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute on August 17, 2017. The other defendants pleaded guilty as follows: ●Martin Rosendary, 47, of Atlanta, Georgia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain property by extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute, and conspiracy to commit robbery by force on September 2, 2016. Rosendary is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2018. ●Shane J. Mattadeen, 41, of Lilburn, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain property by extortion under color of official right and conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute on July 10, 2018. Mattadeen was sentenced to eight years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on February 12, 2018. ●Wilfred Rivera, 38, of Sugar Hill, Georgia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain property by extortion under color of official right and conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute on March 5, 2018. Rivera was sentenced to seven years, eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 4, 2018. ●Michael L. Henley, Jr., 32, of Alpharetta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery by force on February 26, 2018. Henley was sentenced to six years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 7, 2018. ●Shaeib H. Morgan, 42, of Stone Mountain, Georgia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain property by extortion under color of official right and distribution of heroin on August 18, 2016. Morgan was sentenced to three years, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on May 28, 2018. ●Clem C. Williamson, 43, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain property by extortion under color of official right and conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute on August 29, 2017. Williamson was sentenced to one year, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on April 24, 2018. This case was investigated by the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Hathaway, Chief of the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler A. Mann prosecuted the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.Foley Man Sentenced on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Daren Lewis Doffee, 36, of Foley, Alabama, was sentenced on July 27, 2018, to 70 months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and using, carrying or possessing a firearm in furtherance of or in relation to a drug trafficking felony. Court documents show that Doffee was the driver of a vehicle stopped by Foley police for a traffic violation on County Road 12. Doffee told the officer that he had a gun in the vehicle, and the officer found a loaded .9mm pistol with two extra magazines in the center console. In the investigation that followed, the officers found methamphetamine, a scale, notes which appeared to represent records of prior drugs sales, and $1,810 in cash. Doffee was indicted on the federal charges in November of 2017, and he pled guilty in March of 2018.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose sentenced Doffee to 70 months’ imprisonment, consisting of 60 months on the gun charge, with an additional 10 months on the drug charge, to run consecutively. When Doffee is released from imprisonment, he will serve six years of supervised release, during which he will undergo drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Doffee was also ordered to pay $200 in mandatory special assessments, but no fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the Foley Police Department, the Daphne Police Department, and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United Sates Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Five Sentenced in Federal Court for Role in Payment-Processing SchemeRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Five individuals, who conspired to operate a payment-processing scheme for proceeds received by telemarketing call centers and other activities associated with fraudulent telemarketing programs, have been sentenced.
The merchant processing fraud supported telemarketing call centers throughout the country, including a large operation in Phoenix, Arizona. Several fraudulent products were sold through the call centers, including information guaranteeing government grants, business opportunities, and “Amazon rooms and accompanying advertising.”
Chad Gettel, age 43, of Salt Lake City, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for the scheme. The sentence will run concurrent to a sentence he received in the CC Brown case. According to federal prosecutors, the payment-processing scheme started while Gettel was on release in the CC Brown case. Gettel has been ordered to pay $558,837.00 in restitution.
Jamie White, age 41, of St. George, and Peter Ian Seldin, age 51, of Miami, Florida, will each serve 36 months in federal prison for their role in the fraud scheme. William B. Rogers, age 39, of Salt Lake City, will serve 12 months in prison. White, Seldin, and Rogers were ordered to pay $32,500 in restitution. Parker Crow, age 26, of St. George, was sentenced to five years of probation and will pay $15,000 in restitution.
To set up the merchant processing accounts, the co-conspirators contacted individuals and convincing them to open Limited Liability Companies (“LLCs”) and bank accounts in those company names in order to obtain the merchant accounts that were used to process the funds from the telemarketing rooms. These individuals are known as nominees because they mask the true nature of the operation that Gettel, White, Seldin and the others conducted on behalf of the partner fraudulent telemarketing operations.
The nominees were told that their business provided merchant processing services to smaller businesses who could not obtain their own merchant accounts. They were never informed that telemarketing was involved nor were they aware that the telemarketing sales were fraudulent.
In furtherance of the scheme, Gettel, Seldin, White and others created the LLCs and fraudulently set up merchant bank accounts through which the telemarketing fraud victims’ payments were processed. In executing the scheme to defraud, and in order to apply for and obtain merchant accounts the defendants created fraudulent documents they called “Creatives.” These documents included fabricated bank statements, profit and loss statements and fabricated and altered invoices. These nominees were unaware of the true purpose, use, and risk of the merchant banking accounts.
The merchant accounts enabled the telemarketers to capture, authorize, and process credit card account transactions; settle credit card transactions pursuant to merchant account agreements; and ultimately receive deposits from settled credit card transactions.
As part of the scheme, Gettel, White, Seldin, Rogers and Crow, along with others, contested charge-backs to these merchant accounts initiated by credit card customers of the telemarketing rooms. Ultimately, banks would freeze merchant accounts and discontinue allowing those accounts to accept credit card payments due to suspicious activity and the large numbers of charge back requests.
The loss to the telemarketing room victims and associated banks exceeded $9 million.
Special agents of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Federal Inmate Receives 7 Year Sentence for Assaulting a Correctional OfficerRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama. – On Thursday, July 26, 2018, Elvis Mark Hartrick, 42, of Panama City, Florida, received a sentence of 84 months for assaulting a correctional officer with a deadly weapon, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Hartrick pled guilty to the charge in April.
The assault took place in September 2017 while Hartrick was an inmate at Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Montgomery, located on Maxwell Air Force Base. FPC Montgomery staff received information about the location of contraband near a secluded fence line. Upon inspection of the area, staff discovered three packages and they waited to observe the individuals who would retrieve them. Hartrick and another inmate, Marvin Nathaniel Mobley, Jr., 29, of Jacksonville, Florida, arrived at the scene in a work truck. After retrieving the packages and placing them on the back of the truck, Hartick and Mobley got back into the vehicle. The correctional officer, who was unarmed, ordered Hartrick and Mobley to stop. Hartrick, who was driving the vehicle, ignored the command and accelerated the truck directly at the officer who was standing in the middle of the narrow roadway. Realizing that Hartick was not stopping, the officer jumped quickly out of the truck’s path to avoid being struck by the vehicle. The truck was later stopped by additional correctional staff.
The packages contained various items including cell phones, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and alcohol. Inmate Mobley received a two month sentence for possession of contraband.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Howard prosecuted the case.
Federal Grand Jury Indictment Charging Six Individuals Is UnsealedRead the Press Release
ALBANY: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that on July 11, 2018, a Federal Grand Jury sitting in Macon, Georgia returned a sealed indictment. That indictment has now been unsealed, revealing charges against six individuals. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
“I want to thank our federal and local law enforcement partners for their hard work bringing this case before the federal grand jury,” said United States Attorney Peeler.
The individuals charged were:
OCTAVIOUS STITT, age 24, of Cairo, Georgia, is charged Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Alpha-PVP and N-Ethylpentylone (Count 1), Possession with Intent to Distribute Alpha-PVP (Count 2), and Possession with Intent to Distribute N-Ethylpentylone (Count 3). If convicted, Mr. Stitt faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both, on each count.
PAUL MCGRIFF, age 50, of Cairo, Georgia, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Alpha-PVP and N-Ethylpentylone (Count 1) and Attempt to Possess with Intent to Distribute Alpha-PVP (Count 4). If convicted, Mr. McGriff faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both, on each count.
REGINALD LADERRICK WILLIAMS, age 43, of Cairo, Georgia, is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Alpha-PVP and N-Ethylpentylone (Count 1), and Attempt to Possess with Intent to Distribute Alpha-PVP (Count 4). If convicted, Mr. Williams faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both, on each count.
SHAKIRA WILLIAMS, age 39, of Cairo, Georgia, is charged with one (1) count of money laundering. If convicted, Ms. Williams faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a $500,000 fine, or both.
ALIZE MCGEE, age 22, of Cairo, Georgia, is charged with one (1) count of money laundering. If convicted, Ms. McGee faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a $500,000 fine, or both.
DOMINIQUE COOPER, age 31, of Cairo, Georgia, is charged with one (1) count of money laundering. If convicted, Mr. Cooper faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, a $500,000 fine, or both.
The case was investigated by the Cairo Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah E. McEwen.
Questions concerning this release should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Federal Court Awards Nearly $3 Million in Damages and Penalties for Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced today that a federal court awarded a nearly $3 million judgment against Compassionate Home Care Services, Inc., Carol Anders, and Ryan Santiago for their participation in a fraud on the North Carolina Medicaid program in violation of the federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts.
The evidence at trial showed that between 2008 and 2013, Compassionate Home Care Services, Inc. billed the North Carolina Medicaid program $585,082.73 in fraudulent claims, including not only claims for services provided in violation of Medicaid policies, but also claims for services that were never provided at all. Anders ran the company and was responsible for the false billings. Worse, when the government began investigating, Anders and her son, Santiago, falsified hundreds of documents in an effort to conceal the fraud.
The federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts mandate that the government recover three times the damages caused by the fraud, plus civil penalties for every false or fraudulent claim. Applying those provisions and other applicable law, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III awarded the government a judgment of $2,921,248.19.
Before the trial, Chief Judge Dever found that the defendants were liable for their participation in the scheme, concluding that the defendants “knowingly billed for services not rendered, knowingly billed for certain services provided to patients by unlicensed, non-certified aides, and knowingly billed for services provided to patients by close family members.” Chief Judge Dever also found that the defendants “falsified documents to conceal their obligation to repay the government and used false documents to support false claims previously submitted.”
“These defendants,” U.S. Attorney Higdon stated, “defrauded taxpayers of this State and this Country out of more than $500,000. They bilked a Medicaid program that is designed to protect children, the elderly, and the poor.” Mr. Higdon warned that “we will not tolerate providers who seek to fill their coffers with funds allotted to help people in need. We will not allow providers to undermine the solvency of our government programs to satiate their greed. We will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to aggressively pursue health care fraud, and to recover the taxpayer dollars lost to it.”
“When North Carolina’s taxpayers pay into the Medicaid program, they expect that money to be used correctly for people’s health care,” said North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. “Instead, these defendants defrauded taxpayers by charging for services that were not provided. My office takes Medicaid fraud seriously, and we will continue to fight against misuse and waste.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by Financial Investigators and sworn agents of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assigned to the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance in the investigation. The investigation and prosecution of this matter was handled in a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Special Deputy Attorney General Stacy Race and Assistant Attorney General Lareena Phillips, both of whom also serve as Special Assistant United States Attorneys, and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Anderson, represented the United States of America and the State of North Carolina in this case.
Elkins man sentenced for manufacturing and using counterfeit moneyRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony Francis Silvester, III, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 30 months incarceration for making and possessing counterfeit money, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Silvester pled guilty to one count of “Uttering Counterfeit Obligations and Securities” in May 2017. He admitted to passing a counterfeit bill in August 2016 at a business in Elkins, West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah M. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police, and the Elkins Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Detroit-Area Restaurant Owner Indicted for Employment Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of Michigan returned an indictment today charging a Walled Lake, Michigan restaurant owner with 24 counts of failing to account for and pay over employment taxes and one count of willful failure to file an income tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, Johni Semma owned Bayside Sports Bar & Grill (“Bayside”), a restaurant, and The Coliseum, an adult entertainment business. As the owner of Bayside, Semma was allegedly responsible for collecting and paying over Bayside’s employment taxes. The indictment charges that during 2008 to 2015, Bayside accrued employment tax liabilities of more than $1 million and that Semma withheld those taxes from the pay of the restaurant’s employees. Semma then allegedly failed to fully pay over the amounts he withheld to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The indictment further alleges that in 2012, Semma sold The Coliseum for more than $6 million with approximately $3.5 million of the purchase price paid during 2012. Despite receiving considerable income from the sale of The Coliseum and other sources, Semma allegedly did not file a 2012 income tax return.
If convicted, Semma faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison for each count of failure to pay over the employment taxes. He faces a statutory maximum of one year in prison for the one count of willful failure to file his income tax return. In addition, he faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Kenneth Vert and Brittney Campbell, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Departments of Justice and Labor Formalize New Partnership to Protect U.S. Workers from Discrimination and Combat Visa AbuseRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Labor (DOL) expanded their collaboration to better protect U.S. workers from discrimination by employers that prefer to hire temporary visa workers over qualified U.S. workers. This new partnership, memorialized in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishes protocols for the agencies to share information, refer matters between them, and train each other’s employees, with the goal of better protecting U.S. workers. This partnership will enhance the Civil Rights Division’s efforts to stop companies from discriminating against U.S. workers and assist the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration in identifying noncompliance with its foreign labor certification process.
In 2017, the Civil Rights Division launched the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, which is aimed at targeting, investigating, and taking enforcement measures against companies that discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of foreign visa workers. Under this Initiative, the Civil Rights Division has opened dozens of investigations; filed one lawsuit; and reached settlement agreements with three employers. Since the Initiative’s inception, employers have agreed to pay or distributed over $285,000 in back pay to affected U.S. workers. The Employment and Training Administration has assisted the Division’s efforts under this Initiative and today’s partnership expands and formalizes that relationship.
The Civil Rights Division has also increased its collaboration with other federal agencies, including the Departments of State and Homeland Security, to combat discrimination and abuse by employers improperly using temporary visa workers. Today’s MOU expands on the Division’s existing partnership with DOL. In 2017, the Division entered into a similar ongoing partnership with DOL’s Wage and Hour Division to combat discrimination and violations of other federal worker protection laws by facilitating the agencies’ information sharing.
“Employers should hire workers based on their skills, experience, and authorization to work; not based on discriminatory preferences that violate the law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Our partnership with DOL, formalized today, significantly enhances the Civil Rights Division’s ability to identify employers that favor temporary visa holders over U.S. workers who can do the job.”
“Streamlining the process for information sharing between the Department of Labor and the Department of Justice will help protect U.S. workers from unlawful discrimination,” said Rosemary Lahasky, Deputy Assistant Secretary for DOL’s Employment and Training Administration. “This partnership will help ensure U.S. workers are prioritized to fill jobs.”
The Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has statutory and regulatory authority to certify employers seeking certain employment-based visas, including H-2A and H-2B visas. These visa programs require employers to first seek and hire available U.S. workers before hiring visa workers.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation. An employer that prefers to hire temporary visa workers over available, qualified U.S. workers may be discriminating in violation of this law.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to retaliation; different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, can file a charge or contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
For more information on OFLC and its activities, please visit https://www.foreignlaborcert.doleta.gov
Columbia Man Pleads to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Rondell Lakevis Waiters, age 35, of Columbia, plead guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose a sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the United States Probation Office.
Evidence presented in court established that on April 11, 2018, deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department executed a lawful search warrant on a hotel room in Columbia after making an undercover buy of narcotics from that location. During execution of the search warrant, deputies encountered Waiters and recovered two firearms inside the hotel room. After advise of rights, Waiters admitted possession of one of the firearms. Waiters is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior state drug convictions.
Waiters faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the firearm charge. However, if he is deemed an armed career criminal based upon his extensive prior record, he faces a statutory mandatory minimum 15 years imprisonment with a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, and 5 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and reinstituted PSN nationwide. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Columbia Man Pleads to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Rondell Lakevis Waiters, age 35, of Columbia, plead guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose a sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the United States Probation Office.
Evidence presented in court established that on April 11, 2018, deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department executed a lawful search warrant on a hotel room in Columbia after making an undercover buy of narcotics from that location. During execution of the search warrant, deputies encountered Waiters and recovered two firearms inside the hotel room. After advise of rights, Waiters admitted possession of one of the firearms. Waiters is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior state drug convictions.
Waiters faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the firearm charge. However, if he is deemed an armed career criminal based upon his extensive prior record, he faces a statutory mandatory minimum 15 years imprisonment with a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, and 5 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and reinstituted PSN nationwide. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Columbia Man Pleads to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Rondell Lakevis Waiters, age 35, of Columbia, plead guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose a sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the United States Probation Office.
Evidence presented in court established that on April 11, 2018, deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department executed a lawful search warrant on a hotel room in Columbia after making an undercover buy of narcotics from that location. During execution of the search warrant, deputies encountered Waiters and recovered two firearms inside the hotel room. After advise of rights, Waiters admitted possession of one of the firearms. Waiters is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior state drug convictions.
Waiters faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the firearm charge. However, if he is deemed an armed career criminal based upon his extensive prior record, he faces a statutory mandatory minimum 15 years imprisonment with a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, and 5 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and reinstituted PSN nationwide. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.VA. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Labaron Bulley, 32, of Charleston, pled guilty today before United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Stuart credited the collaborative investigative efforts of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) with the successful prosecution of Bulley.
“We are working closely with the Charleston Police Department to reduce violent crime, particularly on the City’s west side,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Prosecuting prohibited persons like Bulley that continue to possess guns is critical to our efforts.”
Bulley admitted to possessing a firearm on March 15 of this year at his girlfriend’s west side residence. At the time he possessed the firearm, Bulley admitted that he had been convicted in 2014 in West Virginia of the felony offense of attempting to commit a felony. Bulley faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine when he is sentenced on October 30, 2018.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Cardiologist Gets 20 Months in Prison for Billing Veterans Affairs for Hundreds of Bogus Medical ProceduresRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for defrauding the Veterans Affairs program by billing for services he never performed, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Apostolos Voudouris, 44, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court to an information charging him with health care fraud. Voudouris also entered into a civil settlement agreement with the government, under which he will pay $476,460 to resolve the government’s claims under the False Claims Act.
According to the documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Voudouris is a physician specializing in cardiology and electrophysiology. Beginning in 2006, Voudouris provided services to eligible veterans at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in East Orange, New Jersey, pursuant to his contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Voudouris admitted that on more than 350 occasions between 2011 and 2015, he submitted documentation to the VA claiming to have performed procedures he never performed. As a result, Voudouris fraudulently received $238,230 from the VA.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Walls sentenced Voudouris to two years of supervised release and fined him $7,500. As part of his plea agreement, Voudouris must pay restitution of $238,230 to the VA in addition to the $476,460 civil settlement, for a total of $714,690.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sean Smith; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, and the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob T. Elberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Kristen Santillo Esq., Newark
Camden Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man was sentenced today to 80 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Anthony Thomas, 27, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Thomas, a previously convicted felon, was arrested Aug. 13, 2017, by the Camden County Police Department after officers observed him displaying a handgun to a second man. Shortly before, Thomas had retrieved the handgun from underneath the front passenger seat of a vehicle that two young children had been entering and exiting as they played nearby. After displaying the handgun to the second man, Thomas, the second man and both children entered the vehicle. Police approached and directed Thomas and others to exit the vehicle. Thomas fled on foot and was apprehended a short time later. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded, Glock Model 17, 9mm handgun beneath the seat where Thomas had been sitting.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Thomas to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the ATF Camden Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John Devito, and the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief J. Scott Thomson, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Thomas J. Young Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden
Breathitt County Ambulance Company, Its Owner and Managers Plead Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Hershel Jay (“Jay”) Arrowood, Lesa Arrowood, Terry Herald, and Arrow-Med Ambulance, Inc. (“Arrow-Med”) have each pled guilty to health care fraud, in connection with fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary ambulance transports.
Jay Arrowood has owned and operated Arrow-Med in Breathitt County, Ky. since September 2012. Arrow-Med provided certain patients with non-emergency ambulance transports, particularly to and from a dialysis clinic in Jackson, Ky. Jay Arrowood, Lesa Arrowood, Terry Herald, and Arrow-Med all admitted that they knew that Medicare would only pay for these non-emergency transports if other forms of transportation would endanger the patient’s health. Similarly, the defendants knew that Medicaid would only pay for non-emergency transports if the patient’s condition required a transport by stretcher.
Jay Arrowood, Terry Herald, and Arrow-Med all admitted that between September 2012 and August 2015, they worked together to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid seeking payment for non-emergency ambulance transports provided to certain patients. Lesa Arrowood, Jay Arrowood’s wife, admitted that she knowingly joined this scheme in December 2013. The defendants further admitted that they knew these patients did not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid coverage for the ambulance services, and Arrow-Med’s run sheets – medical records that documented the transports – were falsified to misrepresent the patients’ true medical condition. As a result of the defendants’ conduct, Medicare and Medicaid were defrauded of $249,539.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General-Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse jointly announced the guilty pleas.
The investigation was conducted by HHS-OIG; the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General-Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse and the United States Attorney’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate K. Smith and Paul C. McCaffrey.
The defendants are currently scheduled to appear for sentencing before Judge Joseph M. Hood on October 29, 2018. Their sentences will be imposed by the Court, after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes governing the imposition of sentences.
Breaking Media Advisory -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart to Hold Press Conference -- July 31, 2018 @ approximately 10:00amRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart will hold a press conference at approximately 10:00am on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, to discuss the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
WHO: Mike Stuart
United States Attorney
Southern District of West Virginia
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 @ approximately 10:00am*
WHERE: United States Attorney’s Office
Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse
300 Virginia Street
4th Floor, Room 4000
Charleston, WV 25301
*All media must present government-issued photo identification (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials. Media representatives should be through security and in the U.S. Attorney’s Office no later than 9:40 a.m. with cameras/media devices set up by 9:50 a.m. Media will be permitted to access the facility beginning at 9 a.m..
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Boston Gang Member Sentenced for Distributing Drugs in and Around Public Housing DevelopmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston gang member was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for distributing crack cocaine in a Jamaica Plain housing development.
Jarrod Simmons, a/k/a “Rizz,” 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to one year and one day in prison and six years of supervised release. In April 2018, Simmons pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a public housing facility.
Following a two-year investigation, Simmons and eight co-defendants were charged in January 2018 in connection with illegal drug distribution and firearm possession within and near the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development. Simmons, who was identified as a member of the Heath Street Gang during the investigation, sold cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, to a cooperating witness inside the development on Sept. 18, 2016. According to court documents, Simmons was on pretrial release for state drug and firearm offenses when he conducted the drug sale.
The investigation and arrests sought to reduce violence and improve the quality of life in and around the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments for residents by removing individuals who trafficked drugs and who were involved in gang activity in and around the development.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Boston Housing Authority’s Department of Police and Public Safety.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Barbour County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jerry Lee Beohm, Jr., of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced to 64 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Beohm, age 43, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in April 2018. Beohm, who was previously convicted of two felonies in Barbour County Circuit Court, admitted to having a .40 caliber pistol, a .380 caliber pistol, a .410 caliber derringer, and a 12-gauge shotgun. The crime occurred in August 2015 in Barbour County.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Barbour County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Gregory Smith, of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 37 months incarceration for possessing a stolen firearm, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Smith, age 54, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of a Stolen Firearm” in June 2018. Smith admitted to having a stolen .22-caliber derringer in January 2018 in Barbour County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Anchorage Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of GunRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Tony Lavea Tueipi, 42, resident of Anchorage, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to 21 months in prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for illegally possessing a gun with an obliterated serial number. As a result of his conviction, Tueipi, who is a native of Western Samoa, will be subject to deportation.
According to the plea agreement filed in this case, on Nov. 10, 2016, Anchorage Police Department (APD) received a call that gunshots had been fired in a trailer park on Chugach Way. One of the shots went through the wall of a neighboring trailer. When APD arrived at the scene, they found the Tueipi outside of his trailer. On the ground near the Tueipi were six spent shell casings. Anchorage Police approached Tueipi and noticed the butt end of a handgun in his front jacket pocket. Inside the gun was a fully loaded magazine.
This was not the first time Tueipi had illegally possessed a gun. Prior to Nov.10, 2016, Tueipi knowingly possessed a gun with an obliterated serial number. Possession of a gun with a serial number that has been removed, obliterated, or altered is illegal under federal law.
At sentencing, Judge Gleason noted that the sentence was based on numerous factors, including the threat posed by the defendant’s conduct, and the deterrent value of a 21-month sentence. Judge Gleason stated that the defendant used his gun in a “manner that presented an extreme risk…to the person that resided in the neighboring home.” According to Judge Gleason, the 21-month sentence would allow the defendant to “convey to others [he might be in jail with]” the serious penalties associated with the illegal possession of firearms, and the extreme danger that can result from the reckless use of such firearms.
The case was the product of an investigation by the Anchorage Police Department (APD), working together with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.
30 July 2018
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Law Enforcement Partners to Hold Town Hall Meetings in Jackson to Discuss and Solicit Feedback on Project EJECTRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – The United States Attorney’s Office, along with its law enforcement partners, will hold several town hall meetings throughout the City of Jackson over the next several weeks to discuss Project EJECT and solicit input from the community, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. Project EJECT is an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together."
As part of the awareness component under Project EJECT, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to engaging with the communities of Jackson and not only explaining the good work that law enforcement is doing to combat crime but also soliciting input, suggestions and feedback from citizens directly in order to ensure the work of Project EJECT is positive and has a long-lasting impact.
"In order to effectively combat crime in Jackson, we must raise awareness in our communities to the work we are doing under Project EJECT and solicit input and feedback about our work from our fellow citizens. Law-abiding people of the metro area vastly outnumber the criminals, and by working and partnering together, we can do so much more to clean up our Capitol City for all Mississippians and future generations," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
Town hall meetings will be held on the following dates, from 6-7 p.m.:
August 6 – Sykes Park Gymnasium - 520 Sykes Road, Jackson
August 9 – Greater Bethlehem Temple - 1505 Robinson Street, Jackson
August 16 – First Baptist Church Jackson - 431 N. State Street, Jackson
August 20 – Broadmeadow United Methodist Church - 4419 Broadmeadow St, Jackson
August 27 – New Horizon Church - 1770 Ellis Avenue
August 28 – Medgar Evers Library - 4215 Medgar Evers Boulevard
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently working on scheduling dates for additional locations in other areas of Jackson in the very near future.
Project EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. PSN is 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.
Since announcing Project EJECT in December 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Jackson Police Department, and agents and task force officers from various federal and state law enforcement agencies, have indicted over 70 individuals for federal crimes ranging from carjacking to illegally possessing firearms to business robberies to drugs. Of those individuals whom have been arrested and are being prosecuted, approximately 97% have been detained while awaiting trial. For those whom have been convicted and sentenced, the average sentence thus far for crimes prosecuted under Project EJECT is over 6 years in federal prison.
Tyler County residents admit to drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Shawn Hartline and Rachel A. Cook, both of Sistersville, West Virginia, have admitted to a drug distribution charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hartline, age 34, and Cook, age 28, each pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Hartline and Cook admitted to distributing crystal methamphetamine in Tyler County in November 2017.
Hartline and Cook 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 cases 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 over the Hartline hearing.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided over the Cook hearing.
Two people guilty of distributing Tramadol pillsRead the Press Release
Two people pleaded guilty to distributing Tramadol pills.
Randall S. Borntrager, 48, of Canton, and Renee Bischoff, 50, of Bakersfield, California, are scheduled to be sentenced later this year after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a Schedule IV controlled substance and conspiracy to ship misbranded drugs in interstate commerce.
Bischoff was a pharmacy technician who, from at least 2013 to 2017, shipped pills of Tramadol from California to Borntrager in Ohio, who sold the drugs, according to court documents.
Bortrager distributed approximately 100 Tramadol pills on July 1, 2017, according to court documents.
“The illegal diversion of prescription painkillers is one of the causes of the opioid epidemic that has caused so much pain and suffering here in Ohio,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “This pair will be held accountable for their actions.”
“Pharmacy technicians, like other health care professionals, are trusted by U.S. consumers to fill their prescriptions with drugs from the legitimate prescription drug supply chain. When that trust is betrayed, the consequences can be serious for patients,” said Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who abandon their professional principles in exchange for profit.”
The investigation preceding the information was conducted by the Food & Drug Administration -- Office of Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Henry F. DeBaggis.
Two Mineral County men sentenced for drug distribution chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Jordan Foster, of Piedmont, West Virginia, and Brandon Suter, of Keyser, West Virginia, have were sentenced today for drug distribution charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Foster, age 22, was sentenced to eight months incarceration. Foster pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride” in March 2018. Foster admitted to distributing cocaine hydrochloride in August 2017 in Mineral County.
Suter, age 26, was sentenced today to three years probation. Suter pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Hydrochloride” in March 2018. Suter admitted to assisting Foster in possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride in August 2017 in Mineral County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.Two Members of Drug Trafficking Ring Plead GuiltyRead 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 Leitscha Poncedeleon, 28, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine. In addition, co-defendant Orlando Yelder, 36, also of Rochester, pleaded guilty possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Those charges carry a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that between April 2017 and January 29, 2018, the defendants conspired with Carlos Javier Figueroa, Roberto Figueroa, Felix Figueroa, Obed Torres, Jonathan Cruz Carmona, Freddie Silva, and others, to distribute cocaine.
In furtherance of the conspiracy, on numerous occasions Poncedeleon communicated via telephone with Freddie Silva and other individuals in Puerto Rico to coordinate the shipment of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Rochester, via the United States Postal Service. Between September 9, 2017, and January 29, 2018, Poncedeleon and other conspirators coordinated at least 25 shipments of cocaine, each containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine. Poncedeleon and others sent money via the United States Postal Service and wire transfers from Rochester to Puerto Rico as payment for the cocaine. Poncedeleon also arranged for individuals in the Rochester area to receive the packages of cocaine. Once the packages arrived in Rochester, the individuals would contact Poncedeleon who would then notify co-conspirator Carlos Javier Figueroa.
Poncedeleon, Carlos Javier Figueroa, Roberto Figueroa, and others, maintained a residence located at 292 Barrington Street in Rochester for the purposes of storing, manufacturing, processing, and distributing cocaine. At that location, Poncedeleon, Carlos Javier Figueroa, Roberto Figueroa, and others regularly prepared and packaged cocaine for distribution. On January 29, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered approximately three kilograms of cocaine, $230,060 in cash, eight firearms, and numerous rounds of ammunition.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Violent Crime Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division; the Rochester Police Department, Special Investigations, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney Sandra Doorley; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick Phelan; the Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Henderson; and U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Gregory Johnson.
Sentencing for Poncedeleon is scheduled for November 8, 2018, at 3:30 p.m. before Judge Geraci. Sentencing for Yelder is scheduled for October 19, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., also before Judge Geraci.
Three Sentenced for Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Three citizens of Mexico were sentenced on Monday for immigration offenses related to their prior deportations, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
U.S. v. Julio Cesar Delgadillo (1:18-cr-050) Delgadillo, 47, Mexican national residing in Visalia, was sentenced Monday to five years and three months in prison for being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on March 8, 2018, and pleaded guilty on June 18, 2018. According to court records, Delgadillo was deported on December 1, 2016, following a prior conviction and sentence for being a deported alien found in the Unites States. According to the 2012 indictment, Delgadillo was convicted in Tulare County in 2003 of assault with a firearm and sentenced to three years in prison.
U.S. v. Ramon Quintero (1:18-cr-127) Quintero, 48, Mexican national residing in Kern County, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on June 14, 2018. According to the indictment, Quintero was previously deported on November 14, 2008, after being convicted of second degree robbery in 1999 and serving a six-year sentence.
U.S. v. Bernardo Guzman-Cruz (1:18-cr-128) Guzman-Cruz, 45, Mexican national residing in Kings County, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a deported alien found in the United States. He was indicted on June 14, 2018. According to the indictment, Guzman-Cruz was previously deported on July 14, 2012, after being convicted of a domestic violence offense in 2003 and sentenced to two years in prison.
These cases were the product of investigations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Three Men Sentenced for Trafficking Kilogram Quantities of FentanylRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Three men have been sentenced, in the United States District Court in Lexington, for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, an extremely powerful, Schedule II controlled substance. The total amount of fentanyl seized during the investigation was in excess of three kilograms. On Friday, United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves sentenced Miguel Esparza, 30, of Lexington, to 157 months in prison. Judge Reeves previously sentenced co-Defendant Gadiel Ortiz-Flores, 39, of Lawrenceburg, to 136 months in prison and co-Defendant Brian Walker Hensley, 38, also of Lawrenceburg, was previously sentenced to 78 months in prison.
The joint investigation, by federal and state law enforcement, into the drug trafficking activities of the defendants culminated with the execution of search warrants on their residences and their arrests, on December 5, 2017. During the early stages of the investigation, agents purchased more than 300 grams of fentanyl from the defendants. During their arrests, Ortiz-Flores and Hensley were found in possession of one kilogram of fentanyl that was intended for distribution. At Esparza’s residence, in Fayette County, law enforcement officers seized nearly two kilograms of fentanyl that was intended for distribution. Fentanyl is extremely potent and can be lethal in the two-milligram range. Additional evidence found at the Esparza residence indicated that Esparza processed the drug in his residence, including dozens of latex gloves, masks, an air filtration system, and nearly one kilogram of non-controlled substances used to dilute the potent fentanyl.
“The defendants in this case were dealing in massive quantities of dangerous drugs,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The number of overdose deaths in our community continues to rise, and the quantities of illegal drugs involved in this criminal conspiracy were placing many lives in danger. Without the outstanding work of our law enforcements partners, this prosecution would not have been possible. Their efforts removed these drugs from our streets, made our community safer, and saved lives. Prosecuting those who deal in this scourge to our community will continue to be a core priority of our Office.”
United States Attorney Duncan; Darrell Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; Stuart Lowrey, Special Agent in Charge ATF Louisville; Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington-Fayette County Division of Police; and Joe Milam, Sheriff, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was a cooperative effort led by investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Kentucky State Police; the Lexington Police Department and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.
Statement by Manhattan U.S. Attorney on Conviction of Gang Member for His Role in the Murder of Jessica WhiteRead the Press Release
On June 11, 2016, Jessica White did what so many parents love to do – she took her children to the playground. There, she was killed before her children’s eyes, the victim of a stray bullet in a gang shooting. Today, a jury in the Southern District of New York unanimously found that Stiven Siri-Reynoso gave the order for that shooting. We recognize that this verdict cannot fill the gaping hole that Jessica’s death left in so many hearts. But in the face of such tragedy, we, along with our law enforcement partners, maintain our commitment to ridding our neighborhoods and playgrounds of senseless gang violence. That is what we accomplished today, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the FBI and NYPD.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Michael Mason, 28 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Michael Mason was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in September 2017, Mason possessed a firearm while he was in his car in South Bend. This vehicle was involved in a high speed chase following shots fired at a home from the car. The firearm was thrown from the vehicle and subsequently recovered along with a quantity of marijuana. Prior to September 24, 2017, Mason had been convicted of reckless homicide and intimidation, both crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, making them felony offenses.
This case was investigated by ATF, Mishawaka Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Schaffer.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Antonio Smith, 30 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
According to documents in the case, Smith bought a 9 millimeter firearm while he was on parole for battery resulting in serious bodily injury. In March of 2018, he grabbed and pushed his girlfriend, who reported the incident to police. Smith was later located by police in possession of the loaded 9 millimeter firearm. Smith has a history of violence towards women and of violating probation and protective orders.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the South Bend Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.
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Sister of PA Cyber Charter School Founder Sentenced for Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months of probation, ordered to perform 75 hours of community service and ordered to pay $30,223 in restitution on her conviction of filing a false tax return, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Elaine Trombetta Neill.
According to information presented to the court, Elaine Trombetta Neill is the sister of Nicholas Trombetta, the former founder and head of PA Cyber, an on-line cyber charter school. Elaine Trombetta Neill filed false personal tax returns which reported a large portion of the income of her brother on her personal return, thereby concealing it. The returns are also false in that they inflated the business deductions of Neill and a sham business called One2One.
Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Wilson, Stephen R. Kaufman, and Robert S. Cessar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and Department of Education/Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Trombetta Neill.
Shelton Attorney Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PETER G. KRUZYNSKI, 51, of Shelton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, KRUZYNSKI used his mobile phone and text messaging to entice a male victim, who was under the age of 16, to engage in sexual activity. Specifically, KRUZYNSKI sent text messages to the victim asking him to come to KRUZYNSKI’s home, where KRUZYNSKI then engaged in sexual activity with the victim. In addition, on one occasion in December 2014, when the victim was 17 years old, KRUZYNSKI used his phone to take photographs of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. KRUZYNSKI then threatened to send the photographs to others if the victim did not continue to engage in sexual activity with KRUZYNSKI or spend time with KRUZYNSKI. KRUZYNSKI, who was a lawyer, also threatened to use his status to jeopardize the victim’s future career hopes if the victim told others about the abuse.
KRUZYNSKI was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on September 16, 2016. He has been in custody since October 24, 2016, when his bond was revoked for failing to comply with his release conditions. On January 3, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
As part of a civil settlement, KRUZYNSKI has agreed to pay the victim $215,000, and Judge Meyer today ordered KRUZYNKI to pay restitution in that amount.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Shelton Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Reno Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Creating over 8,000 Fraudulent Online Accounts with Stolen Identities to Commit $3.5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A Reno man who admitted to using stolen identities to create more than 8,000 fraudulent online accounts to commit a $3.5 million fraud scheme was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison, three years supervised release, and 100 hours of community service, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada.
Kenneth Gilbert Gibson, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Miranda Du. He previously pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud, mail fraud, filing a false tax return, and aggravated identity theft. In addition to the prison term, he agreed to pay approximately $1 million in restitution and a $3.5 million forfeiture judgment.
Between 2012 and 2017, Gibson created a sophisticated scheme to steal the identities of multiple victims from a database in Reno. He used the stolen identities to create approximately 8,000 unauthorized and fraudulent online accounts, credit accounts, bank accounts, and prepaid cards. He would use those fraudulent accounts to transfer, deposit, and send approximately $3.5 million to himself via hard copy checks and through electronic transactions to approximately 500 bank accounts and pre-paid debit cards owned and under his control.
In addition, he admitted to filing a false federal income tax return for the 2013 tax year. He did not include approximately $1,049,070 of taxable income he received from the fraud scheme.
The case was a joint investigation by a Task Force with members from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, IRS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Reno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Baldwin Carry prosecuted the case.
If your personal information is stolen, make a report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.identitytheft.gov or by phone at 1-877-438-4338. For identity theft prevention tips and free resources visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
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Raytown Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Robbery with a Plastic GunRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for robbing a credit union with a plastic gun.
Stephen McCrary, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 14, 2018, McCrary pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. McCrary admitted that he stole $3,815 from the Community America Credit Union located in the Research Medical Center, 2316 E. Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.
Surveillance footage showed McCrary approach the teller at about 3 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2016. According to court documents, McCrary approached the teller counter, put a plastic bag on the counter, pulled out what appeared to be a firearm, pointed it at the teller, and demanded “all of the money in the drawer.” The victim teller initially froze out of fear and then complied with his demands and turned over $3,815. After taking the money, McCrary fled.
A hospital security officer saw McCrary leave the hospital property and proceed towards a nearby street. Officers eventually stopped and arrested him in the neighborhood adjacent to the hospital. At the time of his arrest, he was carrying two plastic bags that contained the clothing he wore during the robbery, a black plastic replica firearm and the stolen money.
McCrary has 13 prior felony convictions in state court, four of which are convictions for first-degree robberies. All of the robberies were of businesses while McCrary was armed with a firearm, or what appeared to be an operable firearm. He has been incarcerated, on parole, or on probation for 34 of the past 39 years (since his first robbery in 1977). He was on parole for first-degree robbery when he committed the credit union robbery, having been released from state prison three months earlier.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Moeder. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Portland Man Given Prison, Probation for Video Voyeurism at Local Daycare FacilityRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Jay Walter Jaacks, 50, of Portland, was sentenced today to 34 days in federal prison and five years of probation for placing a concealed video camera in the adult restroom of the Joyful Noise Child Development Center on Southwest First Avenue in Portland.
Jaacks was also ordered to complete 240 hours of community service and is permanently prohibited from entering the daycare facility or having contact with any of its employees.
On or about July 29, 2016, Jaacks concealed a video camera in a small cosmetics bag and placed it in the adult restroom of a daycare facility in Portland. The video camera captured 17 adults, both daycare employees and other parents, in various stages of undress. A daycare employee found the camera and immediately notified law enforcement. Law enforcement officials seized the camera before Jaacks could retrieve it.
All employees and families affiliated with the daycare facility have been notified of Jaacks’ crimes.
Jaacks previously pleaded guilty to 17 misdemeanor counts of video voyeurism on April 23, 2018.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Service (FPS) investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Scott Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Pittsford Psychiatrist Charged with Health Care FraudRead 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 Dr. Muhammad A. Cheema, 45, of Pittsford, NY, was charged by criminal complaint with health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that Dr. Cheema is a licensed physician who provides psychiatric services at his private practice, Upstate Psychiatry in Pittsford, NY, as well as at Rochester Regional Health, and various nursing homes. In addition to his private practice, Dr. Cheema was paid over $855,000 by multiple pharmaceutical companies for 341 promotional speaking engagements and 62 consulting opportunities between August 2013 and December 2016.
According to the complaint, the FBI began an investigation after learning from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield that the defendant routinely and systematically changed office visit billing codes, billed insurance companies for telephone appointments as office visits, and regularly had 30 or more patients on his daily schedule despite the fact that his daily private practice office hours were 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A 2015 audit conducted by Excellus on eight patients during a six month time period revealed an overpayment of 54% to the defendant for services not rendered and upcoding of office visits. Dr. Cheema routinely billed the highest leve1 of evaluation and management services for new patient visits, and his medical notes were missing the documentation to support the level of evaluation and management services for his established patients.
Subsequent investigation by the FBI revealed that the defendant routinely upcoded office visits of patients, improperly billed health care benefit programs for services that he did not provided, and, on more than one occasion, prescribed drugs to an undercover patient without performing an physical exam or psychotherapy.
In addition, he defendant submitted a fraudulent certificate which purported to show him to be board certified in Psychiatry. In fact, the defendant was not board certified in Psychiatry, has never passed the ABPN certifying examination in Psychiatry or Neurology. The FBI investigation determined that the document submitted by the defendant was fraudulent, and was generated on his desktop computer using a valid Certificate belonging a psychiatrist in Arizona.
The defendant made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was released on conditions. Dr. Cheema is due back in court on September 25, 2018, at 9:30 a.m.
“These charges highlight our continued commitment to ensuring that those who seek unjustly to enrich themselves by perpetrating frauds against the health care system are brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Kennedy.
“Investigations like the Cheema case highlight this crime problem,” said Gary Loeffert, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Buffalo Office. “We are committed to rooting out fraud in health care to protect patients, their insurance companies, and the economy overall.”
New York State Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo said, “As regulator of New York’s insurance industry, DFS commends the Office of the U.S. Attorney for aggressively pursuing those who unlawfully enrich themselves at the expense of hard-working taxpayers, and looks forward to continuing our partnership to stamp out this kind of criminal activity.”
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert, and the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Superintendent Maria T. Vullo.
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.Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 13 Months in Prison for Trafficking Heroin and Fentanyl DerivativeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. – Shawn Atkins was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for heroin and para-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl trafficking while on federal supervised release for a prior heroin trafficking conviction, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Atkins, 24, of Pittsburgh, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. Judge Conti also ordered Atkins to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The Court was informed that Atkins possessed with intent to distribute over six bricks of heroin and para-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl on June 9, 2017. On that date, Mr. Atkins was on federal supervised release following an 18-month prison sentence for a prior heroin trafficking conviction in 2016.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Munhall Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case.
Philadelphia man and Wheeling man admit to drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – James R. Stewart, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Deion J. Jones, of Wheeling, West Virginia, have admitted to a drug distribution charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Stewart, also known as James R. Steward, Jr., age 32, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine.” Stewart admitted to selling cocaine in Ohio County in November 2017.
Jones, age 27, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Oxycodone.” Jones admitted to selling oxycodone in Ohio County in June 2015.
Stewart and Jones 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. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp., Jr. presided.
Norwich Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NEHAMIAH CARROLL, 27, of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 28 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation that began after several heroin overdoses in southeastern Connecticut, including two overdose deaths involving a heroin and fentanyl mix that occurred in January 2016. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Michael Luciano operated a drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin to numerous street-level dealers, including CARROLL, in southeastern Connecticut.
In October and November 2017, investigators surveilled CARROLL as he purchased distribution quantities of heroin from the Luciano organization. At the time, CARROLL was on state parole for a prior drug offense. On November 16, 2017, CARROLL was arrested on state charges after investigators observed him making several hand-to-hand drug transactions from a vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately five grams of heroin and more than eight grams of crack cocaine. CARROLL has been detained since his arrest.
On December 12, 2017, a grand jury in Hartford returned a 25-count superseding indictment charging CARROLL, Luciano and 19 other individuals with various heroin trafficking offenses. On May 1, 2018, CARROLL pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, heroin.
Luciano, of New London, has been detained since his arrest on November 14, 2017. On June 27, 2018, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, one kilogram or more of heroin.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force East and the New London, Norwich, Waterford, Attleboro (Mass.) and Freetown (Mass.) Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Dave Vatti and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.