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Wednesday 13 June 2018
Career Robber Pleads Guilty to Robbery of Ice Cream Store in Central West EndRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Rodney Gardner, 52, St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with interstate commerce by robbing Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. He appeared in federal court this morning before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber.
According to court documents, on March 6, 2018, Gardner entered the Central West End ice cream shop and posed as a customer before he demanded that employees hand over money from the cash register. Gardner punched one employee multiple times in the face, breaking her nose, grabbed the cash register, and ran from the store. Police officers arrested him after a brief foot chase.
Gardner faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges. Gardner has prior convictions for robbery for which he was previously imprisoned in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Sentencing is set for September 11, 2018.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. Roy is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
California Man Charged in White Plains Federal Court with Operating Multimillion-Dollar Mail Fraud Scheme Targeting Small BusinessesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, New York Field Division (“USPIS”), announced today that MARK MUSHKIN was arrested today and charged with mail fraud for operating a multi-year, multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud small businesses. MUSHKIN is expected to be presented this afternoon in the Central District of California.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, the defendant tricked hundreds of small businesses into paying him over $3 million for products that were never ordered or received. Over more than five years, the defendant was unjustly enriched by money sent to him from businesses throughout the country under false pretenses.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina said: “Mr. Mushkin banked on each companies' belief the invoice received was from a legitimate vendor, not an alleged scammer. What he didn't bank on was the resolve of Postal Inspectors and the US Attorney to uncover his greedy scheme and bring him to justice for his crimes against unsuspecting businesses.”
According to the Complaint[1] unsealed today in federal court:
Between about 2011 and 2017, MARK MUSHKIN operated a scheme in which he sent false invoices to small businesses throughout the country, predominately law firms, from a purported company run by MUSHKIN called IT Tech Products. The invoices falsely stated shipment dates for copier toner and demanded payment to IT Tech Products. Over 800 businesses mailed over 1,900 checks to IT Tech Products based on their mistaken belief that the invoices were legitimate. These checks totaled approximately $3.3 million and were deposited into a bank account controlled by MUSHKIN. In the event that a business inquired about the origin of the invoice after payment had been made, MUSHKIN or a representative of IT Tech Products would send a refund, allowing him to continue operating his scheme undetected.
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MARK MUSHKIN, 52, of Laguna Beach, California, is charged with one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum potential penalty in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the work of the Postal Inspection Service for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case. Mr. Berman also thanked the Federal Trade Commission for their assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Allison Nichols and Jamie Bagliebter are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Bridgeville Man Admits Possessing Child Pornography VideosRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
John Edward Desalome, age 30, of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on November 23, 2016, Desalome possessed videos in computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom had not yet attained 12 years of age.
United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer scheduled sentencing for October 23, 2018 at 11 a.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a maximum term of supervised release of life, and a fine of $250,000.00. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Desalome.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Bowdoin Man Sentenced to Two Years for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that David Forrest Noel, 40 of Bowdoin, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to two years in prison and five years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender. Noel pleaded guilty on June 22, 2017.
According to court records, Noel was required by law to register as a sex offender because he was convicted in Massachusetts in 2010 of indecent assault and battery on a child. After that conviction, Noel registered as a sex offender in Massachusetts. He moved to Maine in 2016 and failed to notify appropriate authorities of the move and failed to register as a sex offender in Maine.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bergen County Man Admits Producing Phony Massage Therapy Training Certificates for Prostitution BusinessesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. - A Closter, New Jersey, man today admitted producing and selling fraudulent massage therapy training certificates for use in various New Jersey massage parlors that engaged in prostitution, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Naresh Rane, 64, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson to Count 1 of an indictment charging him with knowingly and intentionally using and causing the use of facilities in interstate commerce to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate the business of prostitution in violation of New Jersey law.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Rane owned and operated Axiom Healthcare Academy, which purported to provide classes in massage therapy training. Rane held himself out as a businessman who, for a fee that ranged from $1,000 to $2,600, could provide massage therapy training certificates to anyone who wished to obtain a massage license without the required training. Rane was also willing to provide phony transcripts listing classes and grades.
Between November 2013 and March 2014, Rane provided 10 fraudulent massage therapy training certificates and transcripts to a former Westwood, New Jersey, councilman who then gave them to prostitutes working in different massage parlors located in Union, Passaic, Hudson and Middlesex Counties. Rane admitted today that he knew the documents he was producing and selling were used to disguise prostitution activities as legitimate massage services.
The charge to which Rane pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Mark J. McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: David A. Schwartz Esq., Eatontown
Benton Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Southern Illinois HealthcareRead the Press Release
On June 13, 2018, Cary E. Mosley, 48, of Benton, Illinois, pled guilty to defrauding his former employer, Southern Illinois Healthcare ("SIH"), announced Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. A federal grand jury had returned an indictment on January 4, 2018, charging Mosley with wire fraud and mail fraud.
From December 1, 2006, through July 13, 2013, Mosley was employed as the manager of SIH’s radiation oncology department. During that same time frame, Mosley held a second job with Q.E.D. Medical Physics, Inc. ("QED"), a contractor based in Lebanon, Tennessee, that provides support services for radiation oncology departments operated by smaller hospitals.
As part of his guilty plea, Mosley admitted that he was paid by QED for work he allegedly performed at SIH, and that he made entries in QED’s electronic timekeeping system which falsely claimed he had performed work at SIH that he had not actually performed. Mosley also admitted to claiming compensation from QED for work he performed as part of his normal employment duties with SIH. Based upon Mosley’s fraudulent timekeeping entries, QED submitted invoices to SIH that were falsely inflated. The indictment alleges that Mosley was paid over $500,000 by QED for work he performed at SIH.
Mosley admitted in his guilty plea that he concealed his fraud scheme by altering the documents that were sent to SIH’s Accounts Payable Department in support of the QED invoices.
Each month, QED sent to SIH an "Hours and Details" sheet, which identified the QED employees who had worked at SIH, the work they had performed, the number of hours they had worked, and the dates they had worked. During the initial portion of his scheme, Mosley altered the "Hours and Details" sheets by removing his name and inserting the names of other QED employees. During the latter portion of his scheme, Mosley simply discarded the "Hours and Details" sheets before the QED invoices were sent to SIH’s Accounts Payable Department.
Mosley pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. Both charges carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $250,000. In addition, Mosley could be ordered to pay full restitution to SIH.
Mosley’s sentencing is currently scheduled for September 25, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., at the United States District Court in Benton, Illinois.
The case was investigated by agents from the Springfield Division, Fairview Heights Resident Agency, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"). Both SIH and QED have cooperated with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.
Beckley Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley convicted felon pled guilty today to federal drug and gun charges, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Anthony Harvey, 42, of Beckley, West Virginia, entered his guilty plea to distributing a quantity of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley Police Department.
“Recidivism is a real problem,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “With two previous felony convictions prohibiting him from possessing guns, Harvey continues to break the law -- by possessing firearms and selling methamphetamine. Now he faces significant time behind bars.”
On June 14, 2016, Harvey sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Beckley Police Department. On August 16, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Harvey’s home. At that time Harvey was a twice convicted felon and was in possession of firearms. Specifically, Harvey possessed a Davis Industries, Model DM-22, .22 caliber pistol and a F.I.E. Model Titan, .25 caliber revolver. Harvey was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of two prior convictions, one for assault with a firearm in California in 1995, and the other was the sale of marijuana in California in 2004.
Harvey faces up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 3, 2018.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the plea hearing.
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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Bank of Oswego Executives Sentenced to Federal Prison After Jury Conviction for FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Today in federal court, Dan Heine and Diana Yates were sentenced to 24 and 18 months in prison, respectively, for bank fraud and falsifying bank entries, reports, and transactions.
A jury convicted Heine and Yates, former executives at the Bank of Oswego in Lake Oswego, Oregon, of one count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and twelve counts each of falsifying bank entries, reports, and transactions in a trial ending in November 2017.
“Dan Heine and Diane Yates orchestrated one of the largest and most complex bank fraud schemes in Oregon’s history. Their selfish acts of greed are deplorable,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “While we urged the court to impose longer sentences, these sentences still serve as a warning to bank executives and others entrusted with fiduciary responsibilities. We will continue to work with federal investigators to protect investors and ensure the trustworthiness of our financial institutions.”
“For centuries, the American banking system has served as the bedrock of the U.S. economy. Honest bankers are critical to our financial system. By addressing lies and conspiracies at the Bank of Oswego, the FBI and Department of Justice have helped re-establish the integrity of the financial system we all rely on,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon.
Dan Heine, a co-founder of the bank, was president, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the board of directors from September 2004 through September 2014. Diana Yates was executive vice president, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and secretary of the board of directors from 2004 through March 2012. During the conspiracy Heine and Yates concealed the true financial condition of the bank to regulators and the board of directors by falsely reporting that the bank had title to a property in a straw buyer transaction, falsely reporting that delinquent loans were paid, and falsely reporting the sale of bank owned property.
A forfeiture and restitution hearing has been scheduled for August 7, 2018. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and prosecuted by Claire Fay, Quinn Harrington, and Michelle Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Aurora Man Who Was Prior Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun TraffickingRead the Press Release
DENVER – George Amaya, age 29, of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced on June 8, 2018, by U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 264 months in federal prison for drug and firearm trafficking, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and ATF Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Debbie Livingston announced. Following his prison sentence, Amaya was ordered to serve 4 years on supervised release. The defendant, who appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, was remanded at its conclusion.
On May 23, 2017, a federal grand jury in Denver returned a superseding indictment against Amaya and three others. Co-defendant Diego Molina-Chavez pled guilty and was previously sentenced to serve 72 months’ imprisonment. Two additional defendants, Juan Amaya, aka “Pee Wee”, and Keith Reed, also pled guilty and will be sentenced on July 13, and August 31, 2018. Juan Amaya is the brother of George Amaya.
According to court documents and facts presented at the sentencing hearing, from October 1, 2016 to May 2, 2017, the defendant was the subject of an on-going, long-term narcotics and firearms trafficking investigation. He began his criminal conduct in this case while he was still in custody of the Bureau of Prisons from previous charges and while in a halfway house. On October 5, 2016, Amaya sold 25 grams of actual methamphetamine to a confidential informant. After that sale, the defendant sold more methamphetamine and firearms to undercover ATF agents. On May 2, 2017, the defendant agreed to sell 8 ounces of methamphetamine and two firearms to an undercover agent. The defendant was intercepted by members of the Aurora SWAT team prior to this deal. In his vehicle, within his reach, were two firearms. When officers went to arrest the defendant, one officer saw the defendant look over his shoulder at the officer and then reach to the center console area of the car, near the stereo, where a firearm was later located. Also, Amaya had 212 grams of actual methamphetamine in his vehicle.
“Amaya’s long absence from our community will tangibly improve our safety,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “He is exactly who we want off our streets.”
“We go after the worst of the worst and Amaya fits in that category,” said Debbie Livingston, ATF Denver Special Agent in Charge. “He is a documented gang member who was selling guns and drugs while on federal parole. It is a good day knowing he has been removed from our streets. I am proud of our work with the DEA, and the Aurora, Denver, and Lakewood Police Departments that made this possible.”
This case was investigated by the ATF, with substantial assistance by the DEA, and the Aurora, Denver, and Lakewood Police Departments. The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Celeste Rangel.
Atlantic County, New Jersey, Man Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged today with receiving and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Carlos Santiago Gomez, 27, of Absecon, New Jersey, turned himself in at the Atlantic City Resident Office of the FBI this morning after returning from a business trip to Texas. He is charged by complaint with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography. Santiago Gomez made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2016 through March 27, 2018, Santiago Gomez allegedly viewed, received and distributed images of child sexual abuse, including images of prepubescent children. Santiago Gomez, who was employed in the IT field, administered a KIK group in which participants traded images and videos of child sexual abuse. (KIK is an instant messaging app). While administering the group, Santiago provided instructions, including:
“New comers, welcome. There are just some rules to keep in mind when posting and maintaining your position. 1. Girls only 2. No Toddler 3. Videos only, no links no pictures. 4. Goes without saying but be active. Thanks and enjoy.”
“Please don’t post adult videos.”
“If you’re using FREENET, you might as well call the cops and turn yourself in. TOR, though not 100% safe by default, is slow but way better than FREENET.”
On March 27, 2018, law enforcement officers searched Santiago Gomez’ residence and seized numerous computers and electronic devices, including Santiago Gomez’ cellular telephone. Although law enforcement officers have not yet fully completed their analysis of Santiago’s electronic devices, agents have uncovered more than 1,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse.
Each count of receiving or distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie; and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner, with the investigation leading to today’s charge and arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Armed Drug Trafficker Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that a federal jury has convicted JOSHUAL HILTON, age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of drug trafficking and firearm violations. Earlier this afternoon, after a two and a half day trial, the jury unanimously returned guilty verdicts on all three counts presented at trial, namely, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, marijuana and promethazine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, HILTON distributed methamphetamine, marijuana and promethazine in a Baton Rouge neighborhood near Sherwood Forest Boulevard. A search warrant executed at his residence on Silverest Drive on September 22, 2016, resulted in the seizure of two kilograms of methamphetamine, over 5 pounds of marijuana, and 20 bottles of promethazine syrup. Law enforcement officers also recovered a stolen loaded Glock .40 semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine and over $36,000 in drug proceeds. HILTON led police on a high-speed chase through neighborhoods near St. Thomas More School, tossing drugs out of the window as he fled, prior to his arrest.
As a result of his convictions and a sentencing enhancement based upon prior drug convictions, HILTON faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “The evidence clearly showed that Mr. Hilton is an unrepentant drug dealer who continued to ply a very dangerous trade in our community. Today reaffirms, yet again, that armed drug traffickers will find no safe quarter in our communities – and certainly not in federal court. I applaud the thoughtful decisions of the unanimous jury, and the excellent work of the prosecutors and the federal and local law enforcement agencies who worked seamlessly together to bring this drug trafficker to justice. Our collective work to make our communities safer must and will continue with vigor.”
ATF New Orleans Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey Powell stated, “With today’s guilty verdict, the armed drug traffickers that prey on our communities should be nervous. ATF, along with our state and local law enforcement partners, will pursue these violent criminals until they are removed from our neighborhoods for good.”
This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. The investigation received valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Criminal Chief Jennifer Kleinpeter and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Rezaei.
Tuesday 12 June 2018
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - June 15, 2018Read the Press Release
One of the most cherished segments of any community is its elders. Our elders are the women and men who have lived through more than many of us can imagine, who shaped the world into its present state and have passed the baton to future generations to continue improving upon the foundation they built, and whose hearts and minds possess invaluable wisdom, experience, and lessons from which we all should take heed. Unfortunately, this most precious portion of our population is also the most susceptible to fraud, neglect, and abuse by those who fail to hold our elders in the revered esteem each of us should.
June 15, 2018 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. This day provides an opportunity for the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia to promote a better understanding of the abuse, fraud, neglect, and schemes perpetrated against older persons by raising awareness of the financial, physical, and economic processes affecting elders. The impact of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation is nothing to take lightly:
- Elder abuse triples the risk of premature death and causes unnecessary illness, injury, and suffering.
- Victims of elder abuse are four times more likely to be admitted to a nursing home and three times more likely to be admitted to a hospital.
- Financial exploitation causes large economic losses for businesses, families, elders, and government programs, and increases reliance on federal and state health care programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
- Older adults with cognitive incapacity suffer significantly greater economic losses than those without such incapacity.
- As a result of providing care for an older adult, some caregivers experience declines in their own physical and mental health which can result in a continued cycle of neglect and abuse.[1]
From family members and caregivers taking advantage of a person who no longer has the physical or mental capacity to fend off a would-be abuser to domestic and international criminals operating online, via phone, and through our postal system to target vulnerable elders and access the money they have earned over a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice, there are many who seek to take advantage of our senior citizens.
Congress, through the enactment of the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, in partnership with our state and local law enforcement, has given us the tools necessary to target, stop, and prevent these bad actors from taking advantage of elders in Middle Georgia. Over the course of the next year, our office will be conducting a series of public forums educating senior community members and concerned citizens about various aspects of elder financial fraud. We are also working with our state and local law enforcement partners who already prosecute and investigate elder fraud cases to conduct enhanced training and seek out opportunities to assist in their work by prosecuting cases in federal court where there is no parole for fraudsters sent to prison. Please be on the lookout for information about these programs and other Elder Justice initiatives in your local area as we would love for you to join us at the community forums.
Protecting elder Americans is the responsibility of every member of the communities throughout Middle Georgia. I encourage you to visit www.elderjustice.gov and learn more about the ways you can assist in our efforts to prevent fraud, neglect, and abuse of elders. Take time to visit an older adult often and talk with them in private. Speak up when you think something seems wrong. To report abuse of seniors or adults with disabilities, please call Adult Protective Services at 1-866-55AGING or you may report anonymously through the web at https://aging.georgia.gov/report-elder-abuse. To report financial exploitation, please go to www.justice.gov/elderjustice/roadmap.
[1] Department of Justice – Elder Justice Initiative (www.elderjustice.gov)
Westmoreland County Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Plum Boro Key Bank in June 2017Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a bank robbery charge, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady.
Michael Moschetti, age 39, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of bank robbery before United States Chief District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on June 19, 2017, at 12:35 p.m., Michael Moschetti entered the Key Bank located at 1801 Route 286, Pittsburgh, PA 15239 wearing a black sweatshirt over a white t-shirt, a black baseball cap, and white shorts. Moschetti waited in line to be called forward by one of the tellers, then approached the open teller station. Moschetti then handed the teller a demand note indicating that if the teller gave him the money from the drawer, nobody would be hurt. Moschetti then urged the teller to move quickly. The teller retrieved $2,235.00 from a nearby drawer. The teller then set the cash on top of Moschetti’s demand note, and Moschetti exited the bank with the money and note.
Moschetti faces a total maximum sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The FBI Pittsburgh’s Violent Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the guilty plea in this case.
Vermont’s Multidisciplinary Human Trafficking Task Force Partnerships FormalizedRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont and the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Vermont are pleased to announce that on June 7, 2018, the Vermont Human Trafficking Task Force (VT HTTF) executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) contractually implementing the state’s multidisciplinary approach to combating human trafficking affecting the State of Vermont and its residents. Vermont recognizes that the act of trafficking another human being is a violation of basic human rights and is determined to bring an end to the exploitation of human beings for labor or commercial sex.
Since 2013, under the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, the HTTF has worked to facilitate a collaborative effort to eliminate and prevent the trafficking of persons within the State of Vermont; to pursue prosecution of perpetrators; and to protect, rehabilitate, and empower survivors of human trafficking through comprehensive social, medical, and legal services. Human trafficking is a crime that causes deep and lasting trauma to even the strongest of its survivors. This formal agreement to work collaboratively across disciplines illustrates Vermont’s commitment to bringing a victim-centered and trauma-informed approach to our work as we fight to end human trafficking. Executing a formal MOU is a significant and crucial step forward to eradicate the modern-day slavery known as human trafficking, a crisis facing the nation and Vermont.
Human trafficking is the act of compelling a person by force, fraud, or coercion to provide labor or a commercial sex act. Coercion may be subtle and insidious, and traffickers often threaten serious physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Human trafficking is a global, national, and local problem, and Vermont is not immune to this crisis. Drug addicts and other vulnerable people such as children, the disabled, and the undocumented are specifically targeted and recruited by traffickers for exploitation. Between 2014 and mid-2017, in the Chittenden County area alone, the HTTF’s data collection efforts estimate that there were over 250 suspected incidents of human trafficking. Due to the inherent challenges of counting those whose activities are deliberately shielded from sight, we believe that the incidence of sex and labor trafficking in Vermont statewide is substantially higher than these numbers suggest.
Vermont’s United States Attorney, Christina E. Nolan, emphasized the link between human trafficking and the opiate crisis in Vermont, stating, “Human trafficking continues to be one of the most dangerous, but least understood, aspects of the opioid trade in Vermont. Drug dealers coerce addicts to perform commercial sex acts for the benefit of the dealers’ illegal organizations, deliberately perpetuating the victims’ addiction in order to exploit them for commercial gain. Trafficking in people compounds the damage that trafficking in opioids has caused our state, and often involves use of brutal violence and abuse against victims. Our response to that epidemic must continue to bring the problem of human trafficking out of the shadows, get trafficking survivors the help and services they need, and prosecute the traffickers who prey on some of our most vulnerable Vermonters by intentionally exacerbating their addictions for financial gain. From an enforcement perspective, those who engage in this horrific crime should be on notice that they will be targets for federal prosecution.”
Vermont’s Attorney General, T.J. Donovan, added, “I'm proud to partner with U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan and her team to combat human trafficking. This is about protecting basic human rights and ensuring that survivors have the help and services they deserve.”
Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, regardless of race, age, gender, nationality, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation. Trafficking victims are often manipulated via false promises concerning relationships, employment, lifestyle, or drug availability, and victims are lured into situations where their will is deliberately broken down, so that they can be controlled by the trafficker. Human trafficking does not necessarily occur behind closed doors. In many cases, the trafficker’s control over the victim is so profound that the trafficker can control the victim even when he or she is out in the community, interacting with people on a daily basis.
MOU signing members include the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Vermont, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, and Give Way to Freedom. Partnering agencies include the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Vermont Department for Children and Families, Burlington Police Department, South Burlington Police Department, Colchester Police Department, Rutland Police Department, Office of the Chittenden County State’s Attorney, United Way, Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Vermont Coalition of Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs, HOPE Works, Spectrum Youth and Family Services, and Disability Rights Vermont.
To make a report to law enforcement, call The Vermont Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-98HUMAN (1-888-984-8626). Information regarding the human trafficking of a youth (under the age of 18) should be reported to the Department for Children and Families by calling Vermont Centralized Intake: 1-800-649-5285.
If you become aware of an instance of human trafficking and would like to speak with a trained specialist who can help assess the situation and provide information and referrals, call: 211. For more information about human trafficking, please visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org or www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
The Vermont Human Trafficking Task Force is led by co-chairs Assistant United States Attorney Abigail Averbach and Assistant Attorney General Cindy Maguire and is comprised of subcommittees dedicated to Law Enforcement, Victim Services, and Training and Outreach. Any professionals or community members interested in a training or awareness event should contact the Vermont U.S. Attorney’s Office at (802) 951-6725.
VA Employee and Former Vendor Charged with Fraud in Alleged Bogus Invoice SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Houston women have been taken into custody on charges they committed fraud against the Veterans Administration (VA) by generating purchase orders for fictitious goods and services, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Authorities arrested Eduora McDaniel aka Eudora McDaniel, 75, today, and she is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson at 1:00 p.m. Co-defendant Angela Hunter aka Angelia Hunter, 53, is expected to appear in federal court Thursday at 2:00 p.m.
The 11-count indictment, returned June 7, 2018, alleges McDaniel was a prosthetics representative at the VA, while Hunter co-owned Divine Iron Works - a company that was an approved VA prosthetics vendor. They allegedly entered into an agreement to split VA payments for goods and services Hunter’s company never provided.
While Divine Iron Works was an approved vendor to provide prosthetic goods and services for the VA, the company was effectively defunct from January 2011 to December 2014 and provided no actual goods or services, according to the charges. The indictment alleges that as a VA prosthetics representative, McDaniel had the authority to obtain prosthetic goods and services if a Veterans Administration physician found it medically necessary, which she was authorized to pay using a government-issued VISA credit card. McDaniel allegedly created bogus purchase orders for Hunter’s company, which Hunter used to obtain payment on McDaniel’s government credit cards. McDaniel and Hunter split the payments according to the charges.
Each is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and face up to five years in prison, upon conviction. McDaniel is also charged with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property. Each count of wire fraud carries a possible sentence of 20 years in prison, while theft of government property could result in a maximum of 10 years imprisonment. All the charges also carry a possible fine of $250,000.
VA - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.U.S. Marshals Service and Law Enforcement Partners Conduct “Operation Triple Beam” in Southern District of MississippiRead the Press Release
First Name
Last Name
Age
Charge
City of Residence
ADAMS
Ashley
28
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Biloxi
Aday-Cazorla
Jorge Carlos
28
Sexual Battery
Fort Myers, FL
Adcock
Kimberly
42
Firearms Violation
Hattiesburg
Agee
Jasmine
28
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
ALBERT
Donte
22
FTA - Drugs
Biloxi
Albritton
Stephen
34
Poss. Of Drug Para
Biloxi
Alexander
Justin
28
Firearms Violation
Biloxi
ALEXANDER
Donte
41
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Gulfport
ALLEN
Randy
29
Escape - Burglary
Forest
ARNOLD
Brian
39
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Pelahatchie
Bailey
Roderick
21
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
Bailus
Jeffery
29
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
BALL
Amos
21
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Gulfport
BARNES
Adrian
19
Firearms
Hattiesburg
BARNES
Dootroe
19
Firearms
Gulfport
BARNES
Byron
33
Drugs
Gulfport
BARNETT
Ashley
31
Child Abuse
Lumberton
BAZOR
Brandy
34
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Gulfport
BEAUCHAINE
Bradley
30
Crimes Against a Person
Biloxi
BEAUCHAINE
Molly Lynn
32
Fraud
Biloxi
BELL
Garyion
18
Drugs
Gulfport
BENOIT, JR.
Derrick
23
Firearms
Gulfport
BETTS
Altorion
27
Aggravated Assault
Hattiesburg
BLACKSTONE
Carl
61
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Hattiesburg
BLANKS
Danielle
32
Homicide
Quitman
BOBBITT
Camron
19
Armed Robbery/Drugs
Brandon
Bogan
Jermel
31
Poss. w/ Intent
Biloxi
Bonin
Paul
55
Probation Violation
Biloxi
BRANDON
Deondra
27
Firearms/Drugs
Gulfport
BROADUX
Willie
66
Failure to Reg as a Sex Offender
Jackson
Brown
Martha
28
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
BROWN
Andra
30
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Meridian
BROWN
Daniel
30
Firearms/Drugs
Gulfport
BROWN
Felix
31
Firearms
Jackson
BROWN
Oselee
40
Probation/Parole - Homicide
Jackson
Brown
Jelani
44
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Meridian
Brown
Jon
46
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
Brown
Lester
48
Probation Violation
Hattiesburg
Brumfield
Michael
29
Poss. w/ Intent
Biloxi
BURNSIDE
Gary
32
Probation/Parole - Firearms
Jackson
Butler
Milton
32
Sale of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
BYNUM
Joshua
39
Aggravated Assault/Armed Robbery
Brandon
Byrd
Javon
23
Firearms
Gulfport
CAMERON
Ashley
37
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Hattiesburg
Carden
Thomas
37
Probation Violation
Gautier
CARTER
Jaquan
21
Firearms
Gulfport
CARTER
Brandon
35
Probation/Parole - Crimes Against a Person
Jackson
CASEY
Christopher
32
Drugs
Gulfport
CHEN
Zong
40
Failure to Reg as a Sex Offender
Pearl
CHRISTIAN
Emanuel
34
Drugs
Brandon
CHRISTOPHER
Adam
24
Drugs
Hattiesburg
CLARK
Darrius
22
Probation/Parole - Burglary
Gulfport
CLARK
Harlee
23
FTA - Drugs
Jackson
CLARK
Ebony
27
Drugs
Gulfport
CLARK
Douglas
41
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Gulfport
CLARK
Stephaney
44
Strong Armed Robbery
Jackson
Clements
Joseph
55
Supervised Release violation
Biloxi
CLEMONS
Eric
36
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Gulfport
COHN
Antonio
35
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Columbia
Coleman
Victor
33
Probation Violation
Laurel
Collier
Ricky
48
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Jackson
Collins
Marquel
28
Aggravated Assault
Ridgeland
Conaway
Jashauen
19
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
Cox
Sabrina
40
Firearms Violation
Jackson
Crelia
Lena
44
Poss. Of Drug Para
Biloxi
Crump
Trent
27
Aggravated Assault
Flowood
CRUMPTON
Chancy
34
Drugs
Gulfport
CULLEN
Chad
39
Child Molestation
Picayune
DEAN
Jamie
34
Drugs
Gulfport
DICKERSON
Jessica
28
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Jackson
Digennaro
John
29
Armed robbery
Clinton
Dixon
Telly
37
Poss. Controlled Substance
Biloxi
DOBSON
Christopher
40
Drugs
Petal
Donelson
Tony
23
Poss of Controlled Substance
Jackson
DONERSON
Dominique
28
Firearms
Jackson
Dortch
Marcus
34
Aggravated Assault
Newark, NJ
DUCKWORTH
Andrew
51
Drugs
Hattiesburg
DUGGER
James
78
Firearms
Moss Point
Duncan
Nikarra
40
Poss. Controlled Substance
Hattiesburg
DUNNING
William
25
Firearms
Pearl
DYSE
April
26
Aggravated Assault/Firearms
Jackson
EDMONDS
Christopher
27
Sexual Assault
Madison
Evans
Sydereck
30
Sale of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
FAIRLEY
Juacoby
25
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
FAIRLEY
Gerald
42
Probation/Parole - Firearms
Hattiesburg
Falcone
Peter
62
FTR-Sex Offender
Gulfport
Farris
Richard
51
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
FIELDS
Darius
28
Drugs
Biloxi
FORD
Derrick
37
Probation/Parole - Burglary
Jackson
FREDERICK, JR.
Broderick
19
Drugs
Gulfport
FREELS
Chad
41
Probation/Parole - Agg Assault
Pearl
GADSON
Billie
54
Drugs
Biloxi
GARDNER
Jameel
22
Drugs
Gulfport
GARNER
Isaac
33
Probation/Parole - Burglary
Jackson
Garraway
Jonah
29
Probation Violation
Hattiesburg
Gibson
Lanieka
21
Arson
Jackson
Glaze
Sara
35
poss of drug para
Pearl
GLENN
Darryl
39
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Hattiesburg
GOLIDAY
Odell
26
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
GREEN
Royce
33
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
HALL
Adam
24
Drugs
Hattiesburg
HALL
Felicia
47
Drugs
Hattiesburg
Hamby
John
51
FTR-Sex Offender
Biloxi
Hannah
Joshua
21
Homicide
Jackson
HARE
Darnell
25
Aggravated Assault/Firearms
Meridian
HARRIEN
Roshunda
30
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
HARRIS
Alicia
20
Aggravated Assault
Canton
Harris
Mackenzie
28
Probation Violation
Hattiesburg
HARRIS
Israel
34
Drugs
Biloxi
HARRIS
Kasson
38
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
Harris
Kasson
38
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
Henton
Jeremy
29
Probation Violation
Jackson
HICKS
Robert
43
Probation/Parole - Burglary
Jackson
HILL
Shareeka
24
Simple Assault
Hattiesburg
HILL, JR.
Harvey
38
Firearms
Jackson
HITT
Clinton
56
Probation/Parole - Burglary
Brandon
HOLMES
Darion
28
Drugs
Biloxi
Hosey
Sidney
28
Homicide
Laurel
Houston
Sandie
27
Poss of Controlled Substance
Diamondhead
JACKSON
Isaiah
26
Assault
Gulfport
Jarnign
John
68
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
JOHNSON
Delace
28
Escape - Burglary
Jackson
Johnson
Justin
35
Poss. Of Controlled Substance/ Fraud
Biloxi
Joiner
Shawn
49
Crimes Against a Person
Biloxi
JONES
Jaquan
18
Drugs
Hattiesburg
Jones
Jonathan
27
Homicide
Quitman
JONES
Antoine
41
Failure to Reg as a Sex Offender
Gulfport
Kendrick
Tommy
28
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
KEYS
Floyd
52
Probation/Parole - Agg Assault
Gulfport
KITTLE
James
37
Failure to Reg as a Sex Offender
Saucier
Knauss
Jason
31
Weapon/Poss of Controlled Substance
Jackson
LADNER
Brandie
35
FTA - Felony Arrest
Bay St. Louis
LADNER
Curvis
37
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Kiln
LAKE
Dashaun
18
Robbery/Drugs
Brandon
Lane
Christian
27
Probation Violation
Pearl
Lebeau
Willie John
48
Probation Violation
Gulfport
LEWIS
Derrius
40
Escape - Drugs
McComb
LEWIS
Howard
62
Firearms
Hattiesburg
LIAS
Adrian
20
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
Little
Jerry
61
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Hattiesburg
Lofton
Kenitra
38
Aggravated Assault
Ridgeland
LOPER
Culuante
32
Drugs
Biloxi
Lowe
Reginald
50
Probation Violation
Gulfport
LOWELL
Dustin
34
Drugs
Gulfport
LOYD
Janet
50
Drugs
Gulfport
Luffman
Jennifer
37
Poss. w/ Intent
Gulfport
Luvene
Lorenza
33
Poss. Of Stolen Property
Hattiesburg
Madewell
Sabrina
28
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Pearl
MALLARD
Jamuric
34
Firearms
Jackson
Mangum
Willie
53
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
MASON
Courtney
26
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Hattiesburg
Mason
Jeremy
29
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
MASSEY
Cornelius
20
Firearms
Jackson
May
Michael
39
Burglary
Biloxi
MCCASKILL
Guy
55
Probation/Parole - Agg Assault
Yazoo City
McClendon
Melvin
56
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Hattiesburg
McElroy
Nolan
59
Parole Violation
Jackson
MILLER
Christian
26
Drugs
Gulfport
Miller
Kenneth
28
FTR-Sex Offender
Gulfport
Moncree
Vontarius
28
poss w/intent
Hattiesburg
Moore
Traunta
24
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
MORGAN
Alicia
35
Drugs
Hattiesburg
Morris
Mindy Jo
34
Poss. Controlled Substance
Biloxi
MUCHA
Gary
37
Drugs
Biloxi
Myer
Kenneth
45
Poss. w/ Intent
Biloxi
Myles
John
43
Probation FTR
Brandon
NEDLEY
Brent
36
Drugs
Gulfport
NELSON, JR.
Freddie
24
Drugs
Hattiesburg
Newell
Malcolm
38
Burglary
Jackson
Nguyen
Michael
38
Sale of Marijuana
Biloxi
Nordain
Jason
35
Parole Violation
Jackson
Norman
Michael
40
poss w/intent
Hattiesburg
Norwood
Tyler
21
Homicide
Brandon
Norwood
LaPatrick
37
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
O'QUINN
Deshay
45
Firearms
Jackson
Palmer
Melissa
44
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Jackson
Pearson
Renaldo
41
FTR-Sex Offender
Biloxi
Perkins
Joshua
30
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
Pickrom
Remi
24
Poss. Controlled Substance
Biloxi
PRESNELL
Grayson
29
Felony Arrest
Biloxi
Radovics
Laszlo
57
FTR-Sex Offender
Houston, TX
REED
Chauncy
26
Homicide
Jackson
Rhone
Jontaidrae
23
Aggravated Assault
Meridian
Richardson
Steffon
37
FTR-Sex Offender
Moss Point
Richardson
Robert Earl
53
Probation Violation
Yazoo City
Richbury
Joshua
19
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
RIGGS
Burgandy
44
Drugs
Gulfport
ROBERTS
Christopher
37
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Hattiesburg
Robinson
Reginald
21
Burglary
Madison
Robinson
Sherry
38
Robbery
Jackson
Rockingham
Kynjarious
21
Armed Robbery/ Auto theft
Jackson
RODGERS
Angela
36
Drugs
Hattiesburg
ROLLINS
Clarence
32
Drugs
Gulfport
Roper
Johnny
29
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
RUSH
Christopher
23
Drugs
Gulfport
RUSHING, JR
Darryl
32
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Clinton
SABA
Candace
35
Drugs
Hattiesburg
Saleem
Karim
34
Probation Violation
Jackson
Sandifer
Vincent
18
poss of stolen weapon
Hattiesburg
Schmidt
Richard
31
FTR-Sex Offender
Picayune
SCHOON
Eric
53
Failure to Reg as a Sex Offender
Pascagoula
Scott
Reginald
48
FTR-Sex Offender
Gulfport
SELLERS
Anthony
31
Drugs
Biloxi
Shabazz
Montarius
18
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
SHOEMAKER
Alexis
23
Drugs
Biloxi
SMITH
Charles
22
Burglary
Hattiesburg
SMITH
Antonio
23
Probation/Parole - Agg Assault
Hattiesburg
SMITH
Durrell
28
Firearms/Drugs
Gulfport
Smith
Terrance
30
Felon in Poss of Firearm
Meridian
SMITH
Cornell
39
Aggravated Assault
Pass Christian
Southern
Quentin
38
Probation Violation
Jackson
Sparkman
Qwenten
28
Sale of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
SPRINKLE
Gracie
29
Drugs
Biloxi
Stevens
Charles
64
Parole Violation
Jackson
STEVENSON
David
30
Probation/Parole - Felony Conviction
Jackson
Sullivan
Sabrina
40
Firearms Violation
Mendenhall
Summers
Michael
36
Firearms Violation
Terry
Swickard
Joel
41
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Jackson
Swilley
Marquell
23
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Hattiesburg
Tabrakus
Mark
18
Poss. Of Stolen Weapon / Poss. w/ intent
Hattiesburg
Taite
Quintin
24
Probation Violation
Ocean Springs
TAYLOR
Dalvin
20
Probation/Parole - Firearms
Hattiesburg
Taylor
Christopher
36
Firearms Violation
Carthage
Taylor
Mario
41
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
Temple
Joshua
25
FTR-Sex Offender
Byram
THOMAS
Daryl
25
Drugs
Jackson
Thomas Jr
Willie
31
Felon in Poss of Firearm
Jackson
THOMPSON
Corey
29
Probation/Parole
Jackson
Thompson
Jarmal
29
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
THOMPSON
Christopher
35
Drugs
Hattiesburg
THOMPSON
Christopher
35
Drugs
Gulfport
Thompson Jr
Walter
28
Aggravated Assault
Jackson
Tillman
Melissa
47
Sale of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
Towner
Jasmine
23
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Gulfport
Trunnell
Jimmy
40
Burglary
Jackson
TURNER
Courtney
36
Drugs
Gulfport
TYLER
Broderick
35
Probation/Parole - Burglary
Gulfport
Waits
Kenny
34
Supervised Release violation
Jackson
WALKER
Brandon
18
Drugs
Biloxi
Walker
Tyland
21
Firearms Violation
Hattiesburg
Walker
Jeremy
32
Federal firearms Violation
Jackson
Walters
Michael
31
Probation Violation
Hattiesburg
WALTON
Henry
64
Failure to Reg as a Sex Offender
New Orleans, LA
Ward
Raphiel
36
Poss. Controlled Substance
Gulfport
Warren
Clinton
44
Probation Violation
Hattiesburg
Wendell
Gattis
20
Homicide
Jackson
Wetzel
Michael
19
poss of drug para
Biloxi
White
Thaddeus
40
FTR-Sex Offender
Gulfport
WILLETT
Evans
23
Drugs
Biloxi
Williams
Rajee
20
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
Williams
Walter
20
Firearms violation/Drugs
Gulfport
Williams
Shane C
25
Felon in Poss of Firearms
Jackson
WILLIS
Brandon
35
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Gulfport
WINTER
Phillip
35
Probation violation
Byram
WINTERS
Amber
23
Firearms
Jackson
WITT
Cheyenna
21
Aggravated Assault
Hattiesburg
Woodard
Starlena
30
Aggravated Assault
Gulfport
WORLDS
Garrid
27
Probation/Parole - Drugs
Gulfport
Yarnall
Jordan
24
Poss. Of Controlled Substance
Biloxi
U.S. Marshals Service and Law Enforcement Partners Conduct “Operation Triple Beam” in Southern District of MississippiRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – The U.S. Marshals Service’s Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, along with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, recently completed a six-week-long violence reduction initiative in the Southern District of Mississippi known as "Operation Triple Beam," resulting in the arrests of 270 individuals for various crimes. While the Marshals Service has conducted these types of initiatives elsewhere around the country, this is the first time Operation Triple Beam has been conducted throughout an entire U.S. Attorney’s district and is believed to be one of the most successful Operation Triple Beams of this scale that the Marshals have ever accomplished since the program began in 2010.
"When law enforcement officers work together, we get results," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "The arrest of more than 270 people – including 90 gang members – throughout the Southern District of Mississippi is the result of collaboration between federal officers and our state and local partners. It’s also an example of how customizing our strategy at the local level through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program helps us use our resources more effectively. I want to thank our Deputy U.S. Marshals and all of the task force members who played a role in these arrests. They exemplify the proven law enforcement methods that we will continue to prioritize going forward."
From April 9, 2018, through May 17, 2018, the Task Force, along with more than 25 other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, worked to target and arrest violent fugitives and criminal offenders who had committed or were committing crimes such as homicide, felony assault and sexual assault, illegal possession of firearms, illegal drug distribution, robbery, failure to register as sex offenders, and arson. Of the 270 individuals arrested, approximately 90 were gang members, representing various affiliations including the Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, Simon City Royals, Latin Kings, and the Aryan Brotherhood.
Operation Triple Beam also resulted in the seizure of 50 firearms, including military style assault rifles, illegal narcotics valued at approximately $7,500, and approximately $26,000 in cash.
In the counties of Simpson, Pearl River, Hancock, and Jefferson Davis, approximately 300 registered sex offenders were individually checked for compliance, resulting in approximately 20 arrests for sex offender registry violations.
The Task Force spent two weeks conducting Operation Triple Beam in the City of Jackson, where it is believed that some of those arrested will be presented to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution under Project EJECT. 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), 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. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together."
Operation Triple Beam brought together numerous agencies to work as a force multiplier to identify violent offenders, target street-level gang activity, and collect criminal intelligence to systematically remove the most violent gang members and criminal offenders from the Southern District of Mississippi. Law enforcement efforts took place primarily in the cities of Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, and Meridian and focused on fugitive apprehension investigations, firearms and narcotics investigations, gang-related intelligence gathering, and proactive sex offender compliance initiatives.
United States Marshal for the Southern District of Mississippi George White praised the collaboration between the many federal and state law enforcement agencies that took part in the operation to make a difference in our communities. "This initiative gives the public a small glimpse of what law enforcement does on a daily basis," White said. "It’s always a good ending when everyone makes it home safe. I couldn’t be more proud of the men and women who worked diligently during this highly effective operation. This all-hands-on-deck approach was pivotal in the success of this operation. Many of these cases will be prosecuted in federal court. Furthermore, many of these investigations will lead to future arrests in the pursuit of dismantling the criminal element in the Southern District of Mississippi."
"I appreciate and commend the U.S. Marshals Service, its Deputy Marshals, Task Force Officers, and its leadership, for implementing Operation Triple Beam throughout the Southern District of Mississippi," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. "By collaborating with and incorporating other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies into this initiative, Operation Triple Beam was able to aggressively and proactively target certain ‘hot spot’ areas in our district. Due to the hard work and collective efforts of these law enforcement officers, Operation Triple Beam has made a huge impact in our district, sending a strong message to the criminal element that there will be consequences for violating the law, while also reassuring our communities and our citizens that their safety and security is our highest priority."
Case Highlights:
On April 10, three gang members in Jackson were arrested. Vice Lord member Jeremy Walker was arrested on state and federal firearm charges. During Walker’s arrest, he was in possession of a substantial amount of marijuana. Gangster Disciple member Royce Green was arrested on charges of armed robbery and aggravated assault. Vice Lord member Tommy Kendrick was arrested on charges from the Jackson Police Department for shooting into an occupied dwelling. During Kendrick’s arrest, he was in possession of a military style assault weapon and in possession of marijuana.
On April 16, Simon City Royal member Richard Lee Schmidt was arrested in Pearl River County. Schmidt was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender.
During the week of April 16, Operation Triple Beam focused its resources in the City of Gulfport, targeting local street gang members. Gangster Disciple member Daniel Brown was arrested for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Deondra Brandon was also arrested during this week for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Both of these individuals were in possession of semi-automatic pistols with extended magazines.
On April 17, Gangster Disciple member Jaquan Cater of Gulfport was arrested and was in possession of a semi-automatic pistol and a military style assault rifle. Reginald Scott, a general with The Bloods street gang, was also arrested for failure to register as a sex offender.
On April 18, three Guap Gang Empire members -- Javon Byrd, Walter Williams, and Christopher Rush -- were arrested in Gulfport for federal firearms violations. These individuals were in possession of illegal weapons and narcotics at the time of their arrests.
On April 19, Marcus Dortch was arrested in Forest. Dortch was wanted out of Newark, New Jersey, on two counts of aggravated assault, robbery and weapon possession charges. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol.
During the week of April 23, three members of the "All Can Get It" (ACG) gang, Rajee Williams, Joshua Richbury, and Montarius Shabazz, were arrested in Biloxi for Possession of Marijuana. A military-style assault rifle was also seized from these individuals at the time of their arrest. Also during this week in Biloxi, Michael Brumfield was arrested for possession of a half-pound of marijuana with intent to distribute.
On April 26, Simon City Royal gang members Justin Johnson, Gary Mucha, and Alexi Shoemaker were arrested for possession of crystal methamphetamine.
On May 2, Vice Lord member Mark Tabrakus was arrested for possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Vice Lord member Marguell Swilley was also arrested for possession of Ecstasy and possession of a semi-automatic pistol.
On May 7, Jackson resident Joshua Hannah was arrested for the stabbing death on April 2 of his girlfriend’s mother, Serenthia Harris, 61.
A complete list of those arrested during Operation Triple Beam and their charges may be obtained from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Operation Triple Beam (OTB) was a joint crime reduction initiative of the following agencies: U.S. Marshals Service
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
Drug Enforcement Agency
Department of Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics
Mississippi Bureau of Investigations
Mississippi Department of Corrections
Jackson Police Department
Madison Police Department
Ridgeland Police Department
Gulfport Police Department
Biloxi Police Department
Hattiesburg Police Department
Pearl Police Department
Meridian Police Department
Hinds County Sheriff’s Office
Rankin County Sheriff’s Office
Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office
Simpson County Sheriff’s Office
Hancock County Sheriff’s Office
Jefferson Davis County Sheriff’s Office
Harrison County Sheriff’s Office
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office
Lamar County Sheriff’s Office
The strategy used in Operation Triple Beam has been applied by the U.S. Marshals Service and its law enforcement partners in 47 other cities across the country since 2010.
The public is reminded that an arrest is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Seized 335 Pounds of Methamphetamine at New Mexico Ports of Entry Last WeekRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 335 pounds of methamphetamine and arrested two Mexican nationals during two border inspections at ports of entry in New Mexico last week announced U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson of New Mexico, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jack P. Staton of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, and Director of Field Operations Hector A. Mancha of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, El Paso Field Office.
CBP officers arrested Conception Rosas-Villafuerte, 30, on June 6, 2018, after seizing approximately 73.16 kilograms (161 pounds) of methamphetamine allegedly concealed in the tires of Rosas-Villafuerte’s vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, the agents allegedly found the methamphetamine during an inspection at the U.S. Port of Entry in Santa Teresa in Dona Ana County, N.M.
CBP officers arrested Jose Alfonso Zuniga-Barraza, 38, on June 8, 2018, after the officers seized approximately 79.4 kilograms (174.5 pounds) of methamphetamine allegedly concealed in Zuniga-Barraza’s vehicle while conducting an inspection at the U.S. Port of Entry in Antelope Wells in Hidalgo County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, the officers allegedly found approximately 150 bundles of methamphetamine concealed throughout Zuniga-Barraza’s vehicle.
Both men made their initial appearances in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M. Rosas-Villafuerte made his initial appearance on June 8, 2018, and Zuniga-Barraza made his initial appearance on June 11, 2018. Both men remain in federal custody pending preliminary hearings and detention hearings, which are scheduled for June 13, 2018 and June 14, 2018, respectively.
If convicted of the charges against them, each man faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The two cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin C. Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Las Cruces Branch Office.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Speaks to Pacific Judicial Council and Elder Justice Community Stakeholders at Elder Abuse WorkshopRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), announced that he and Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Alcantara, Elder Justice Coordinator, were guest speakers at the “2018 Enhancing Judicial Skills in Elder Abuse Cases Workshop,” organized by Guam Supreme Court Justice F. Philip Carbullido, Chairperson of the Pacific Judicial Council Education Committee. U.S. Attorney Anderson and AUSA Alcantara spoke about the DOJ Elder Justice Program, elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, and resources available on the DOJ webpage elderjustice.gov. The workshop, held at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa on June 4-6, 2018, was attended by judges from Guam, our neighboring islands of Saipan, Rota, Tinian, Pohnpei, Chuuk, American Samoa, and Palau, law enforcement and community stakeholders. Presenters at the workshop also included speakers from the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence, which included judges and speakers from North Carolina, Washington, the District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Nevada.
The Elder Justice Program stems from the DOJ Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) to prevent and combat financial fraud and scams that target seniors, elder abuse, and neglect. The mission of the EJI is to strengthen awareness about elder abuse and financial exploitation through education, build law enforcement capacity to respond to elder justice issues, and facilitate prosecution efforts to make our community safer for all.
Some examples of the elder financial exploitation prosecuted by DOJ:
• “Lottery phone scams,” in which callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes be paid before one can receive lottery winnings;
• “IRS imposter schemes,” which defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming those victims owe back taxes;
• “Inheritance or business opportunity scams,” which lure victims to believe that a business opportunity or inheritance awaits them, deceiving them to part with monies or carry an innocuous “gift or package” on an airline which turns out to be contraband;
• “Tech support scams” in which telemarketers convince seniors to give remote access to their personal computers or pay for software not needed;
• “Guardianship schemes,” which siphon seniors’ financial resources into the bank accounts of deceitful relatives or guardians.
Many of these cases illustrate how an elderly American can lose his or her life savings to a relative, guardian, or stranger who gains the victim’s trust. The devastating effects these cases have on victims and their families, both financially and psychologically, make prosecuting elder fraud a key Department of Justice priority.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Guam and the NMI will be conducting outreach to various senior citizens centers in Guam and the NMI. Anyone interested in learning more about the program can log on to https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
USA Shawn N. Anderson at Pacific Judicial Council Workshop
USA Anderson and AUSA Belinda Alcantara sharing on DOJ’s Elder Justice Program Initiative
U-Haul and Employee Charged with Violations of Hazardous Materials Regulations in Fatal ExplosionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – First Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams today announced that U-Haul Company of Pennsylvania and Miguel Rivera, the general manager of U-Haul’s Hunting Park location, were charged today with violating hazardous materials regulations. One of the alleged violations led to two fatalities.
The six-count indictment alleges the defendants violated United States Department of Transportation regulations related to classifying, handling, and packaging hazardous materials. The indictment further alleges that defendants filled two propane cylinders on June 29, 2014, and that one of those cylinders ruptured on July 1, 2014 while attached to a food truck parked on a Philadelphia public street. The indictment alleges the escaping propane ignited and briefly enveloped the food truck in a fireball, leading to the deaths of two people and grave injury to others nearby.
If convicted, U-Haul Company of Pennsylvania faces a maximum possible sentence of 5 years of probation, with a mandatory minimum term of 1 year of probation, a $3,000,000 fine, and a special assessment of $2,400. Miguel Rivera faces 15 years in prison, a 3-year period of supervised release, a $500,000 fine and a $200 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police and the Philadelphia Fire Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Abrams.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two California Men Charged with Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two California men have been charged in federal court after being stopped on Interstate 44 with five kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in their vehicle.
Margarito Morales-Alvarez, 28, of California, and Jorge Armando Camacho-Sanchez, 38, a citizen of Mexico residing in California, were charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., on Monday, June 11, 2018.
The federal criminal complaint charges Morales-Alvarez and Camacho-Sanchez with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Jasper County, Mo., from June 8 to 10, 2018.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper stopped the 2015 Nissan Altima being driven by Morales-Alvarez on Sunday, June 10, 2018, on Interstate 44 in Jasper County. The trooper became suspicious because Morales-Alvarez and Camacho-Sanchez could not identify the specific city of their destination and the vehicle they were driving belonged to a third party, whom they had difficulty identifying.
The trooper deployed his canine, which indicated the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle. The trooper searched the vehicle and found five cellophane-wrapped plastic bags, each containing approximately a kilogram of methamphetamine, in a large speaker box in the trunk of the vehicle. Morales-Alvarez later told investigators that they were en route to Indiana to deliver the vehicle.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jody M. Larison. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Three Osceola Defendants Facing Federal Drug and Firearms Charges in Ongoing InvestigationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office of the FBI, announced today the unsealing of a federal indictment and arrests of three defendants charged with committing federal drug and firearms offenses in Osceola.
James Cordell Scott, 30, and Sedrick Askew, 36, both of Osceola, were arrested Tuesday in their hometown. Marquette Lamar Smith, 38, also of Osceola, was arrested in Fayetteville. Askew and Scott appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe J. Volpe on Tuesday for plea and arraignment. Smith will make an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin L. Wiedemann in the Western District of Arkansas on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., and will then appear before Judge Volpe for plea and arraignment at a later date.
The arrests resulted from the continuation of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, Operation Blynd Justice, worked jointly with the FBI, Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, Blytheville Police Department, Osceola Police Department, and Arkansas Community Correction. During the course of the investigation in 2017, law enforcement utilized a Title III court-authorized wiretap, intercepting hundreds of drug-trafficking calls. Law enforcement agents conducted controlled buys totaling more than 200 grams of crack cocaine, and during search warrants executed in Osceola in August 2017, seized two loaded firearms, and quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and approximately $1,500 in cash.
“If you illegally possess guns and drugs in the Eastern District of Arkansas, we are coming for you,” Hiland said. “The individuals arrested this morning endangered and poisoned the Osceola community, and it is my hope that the law-abiding citizens of that community can rest a little easier tonight. But, to be clear, there is work that remains to be done and we intend to do it.”
Based on the investigation, it is alleged that between January and August 2017, Marquette Lamar Smith, Sedrick Askew, and James Cordell Scott distributed crack cocaine and cocaine in Osceola, including from a highly-trafficked “yellow house” on Second Street in Osceola. The investigation continued after August 2017 and is ongoing, with more arrests expected.
“Today’s arrests play an important role in keeping our communities safe,” FBI SAC Upchurch said. “We will continue to focus on violent offenders who bring illegal drugs and guns into our neighborhoods. We appreciate the efforts of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District, the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, Blytheville Police Department, Osceola Police Department, and Arkansas Community Correction. Together, we are committed to identifying and removing these dangerous criminals from our communities.”
“I am very pleased with the arrests made this morning and I am very appreciative of the hard work that went into this investigation,” Osceola Police Chief Ollie Collins said. “This type of investigation is made possible by the cooperative efforts of our local, state, and federal agencies. The long hours and dedicated investigative work that made this investigation possible is indicative of our commitment to making our streets safer. Drug sales and the associated crime has saturated our communities for far too long. The Osceola Police Department and the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force will continue to cooperate with our federal partners in our efforts to disrupt the supply and sales of controlled substances in our city.”
The charges in today’s unsealed indictment include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine; distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm. The maximum penalty for the drug charges is not less than five years in prison, not more than 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine. Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime has a minimum sentence of five years, and a maximum of life, and the maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm in not more than 10 years’ imprisonment.
The case, docketed as Case No. 4:18CR00325 DPM, is pending before U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall, with a trial scheduled for July 30, 2018.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, Blytheville Police Department, Osceola Police Department, and Arkansas Community Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Peters.
An indictment contains only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line at
http://www.justice.gov/edarTwitter:
@EDARNEWSThe U.S. Attorney’s Office and Project Safe Neighborhoods: Town Hall Meeting: Kirwan Terrace Community June 14th at 6:00 p.m.Read the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI - United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that she and federal law enforcement partners, plus members of the District’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force, will participate in a Town Hall Meeting at the Kirwan Terrace Community on Thursday, June 14th at 6:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to provide community members with an opportunity to share their ideas and concerns about public safety. The United States Attorney will also discuss the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.
According to U.S. Attorney Shappert, "Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of our crime reduction strategy. It is a tested and proven program to invest in our communities and foster vital partnerships. PSN enables the United States Attorney’s Office, together with our law enforcement partners, to target and prioritize criminal prosecutions on the most violent people in the most violent areas. Second, we engage with a wide variety of stakeholders—from federal and local law enforcement, to community groups, educators, faith-based organizations, and victims’ advocates—in order to identify the needs specific to our communities and to develop strategies to reduce crime. The Kirwan Terrace Community Town Hall Meeting is a wonderful opportunity for us to hear what matters most to the citizens who live there." U.S. Attorney Shappert emphasized that the June 14th Town Hall is only one of several PSN outreach activities planned for the next several months.
Additional information about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website, https://www.justice.gov/usao-vi.
Tax Return Preparers Charged with Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that the owners of a Yeadon, PA, tax preparation business were charged today in connection with a scheme to prepare fraudulent tax returns in order to generate unwarranted refunds.
Deron Joe and Edmund Dassin, the owners of Edron Tax Preparation Services, were charged today by superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return.
According to the superseding indictment, Joe and Dassin prepared certain tax returns for clients for tax years 2008 to 2010 and falsely claimed on these returns that these clients had incurred unreimbursed employee business expenses. The indictment alleges the defendants knew their clients were not entitled to such refunds, as the clients had neither reported these expenses to the defendants nor provided any documentation to support such deductions. One of their clients was an IRS agent acting in an undercover capacity.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum possible sentence of 47 years of imprisonment and a fine of $3.75 million.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Tax Division Attorneys Chris O’Donnell and Kathryn Sparks and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tomika N.S. Patterson.
Tampa Man Sentenced for Threatening to Burn Down a Home Being Purchased by Muslim FamilyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that David H. Howard, 59, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Mary S. Scriven of the Middle District of Florida to serve eight months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and required to pay $30,000 in restitution. Howard pleaded guilty to a felony civil rights violation on Feb. 27, after he intimidated and interfered with a family who sought to purchase a home in the Davis Islands neighborhood of Tampa, Florida, by threatening to burn down the home simply because it was being purchased by a Muslim family.
According to court documents, on Nov. 3, 2016, a Muslim man, identified as K.A., and his wife were conducting the final walk-through of a home they had placed under contract. As K.A. arrived for the final walk-through, the defendant approached K.A. and the seller identified as H.D., and the accompanying realtors, and yelled, “This sale will not take place!” Howard threatened to burn the house down, and told K.A., “You are not welcome here!” K.A. and his wife hurried away from the house and cancelled the closing of the home purchase that was scheduled to take place the next day. In the days that followed, Howard retold his version of the incident to neighbors, making insulting remarks about Muslims.
“This Justice Department will not stand by when individuals use violence and intimidation to deny fair housing rights,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to prosecute crimes like this one that deprive families of a safe place to live.”
“Today’s sentence should send a clear message that we will vigorously uphold our nation’s civil rights laws,” said United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Crimes perpetrated against people because of who they are or what they believe simply cannot be tolerated.”
“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the laws of the United States, and that’s what we did in this case. We will not allow hate motivated crimes to infiltrate our communities and threaten our citizens,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division, Eric W. Sporre.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine W. Thomas of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney William E. Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Tampa Man Sentenced for Threatening to Burn Down A Home Being Purchased by Muslim FamilyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that David H. Howard, 59, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Mary S. Scriven of the Middle District of Florida to serve eight months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and required to pay $30,000 in restitution. Howard pleaded guilty to a felony civil rights violation on Feb. 27, after he intimidated and interfered with a family who sought to purchase a home in the Davis Islands neighborhood of Tampa, Florida, by threatening to burn down the home simply because it was being purchased by a Muslim family.
According to court documents, on Nov. 3, 2016, a Muslim man, identified as K.A., and his wife were conducting the final walk-through of a home they had placed under contract. As K.A. arrived for the final walk-through, the defendant approached K.A. and the seller identified as H.D., and the accompanying realtors, and yelled, “This sale will not take place!” Howard threatened to burn the house down, and told K.A., “You are not welcome here!” K.A. and his wife hurried away from the house and cancelled the closing of the home purchase that was scheduled to take place the next day. In the days that followed, Howard retold his version of the incident to neighbors, making insulting remarks about Muslims.
“This Justice Department will not stand by when individuals use violence and intimidation to deny fair housing rights,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to prosecute crimes like this one that deprive families of a safe place to live.”
“Today’s sentence should send a clear message that we will vigorously uphold our nation’s civil rights laws,” said United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Crimes perpetrated against people because of who they are or what they believe simply cannot be tolerated.”
“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the laws of the United States, and that’s what we did in this case. We will not allow hate motivated crimes to infiltrate our communities and threaten our citizens,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division, Eric W. Sporre.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine W. Thomas of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney William E. Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
South Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Money from a Labor UnionRead the Press Release
She stole over 183,000 dollars between 2010 and 2014 from Charleston Building and Construction Trades Council
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A South Charleston woman pled guilty yesterday to the felony offense of embezzlement and theft of labor union assets, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Joan Matthews, 70, faces up to five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment when she is scheduled to be sentenced on September 11, 2018. She will also owe restitution in an amount up to $183, 667.11. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
“Matthews used her position to steal from her employer for four years,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “My Office takes cases like this very seriously and we will prosecute embezzlers to the fullest extent of the law.”
Matthews admitted that she was employed as a bookkeeper by the Charleston Building and Construction Trades Council (“CBCTC”). Matthews told the Court that she began embezzling CBCTC union monies in 2010. To accomplish the theft, she would prepare and cash unauthorized union checks, use union funds to pay credit card bills, and make personal charges to the CBCTC credit cards. Her embezzlement continued until September 2014 when her crimes were discovered by other union employees. Matthews is no longer employed by the CBCTC. The CBCTC is chartered by the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO and has jurisdiction over local construction unions, and unions in the building and trades industries throughout West Virginia.
Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. conducted the plea hearing.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Sixth Member of Drug Trafficking Organization that Distributed High Grade Marijuana Throughout New Mexico Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Robert D. Moreno, 38, of Ukiah, Calif., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to marijuana trafficking and money laundering charges. Moreno entered the guilty plea under a plea agreement that recommends that he be sentenced to not more than 20 months of imprisonment to be followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the Court.
Moreno is one of ten defendants charged as the result of a two-year investigation by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation into a drug trafficking organization led by Enrique Cavazos, 32, of Tijeras, N.M., that distributed high-grade marijuana throughout New Mexico and across the country. The investigation revealed that the Cavazos drug trafficking organization cultivated and purchased high-grade marijuana in California, distributed the marijuana throughout the country, and laundered its drug proceeds through a number of businesses and bank accounts in New Mexico.
Moreno, Enrique Cavazos, his wife Lindsey Cavazos, 33, his father Felix Cavazos, 59, of Albuquerque, Joaquin Alaniz, 41, and Daniel Nieto, 30, both of Carlsbad, N.M., Eliberto Nava, 36, of Madera, Calif., and Antonio Ruelas, 32, of Rio Rancho, N.M., were charged by indictment in Nov. 2015, with marijuana trafficking and money laundering offenses. The indictment charged the co-conspirators with participating in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy that existed from at least Jan. 2008 through Nov. 2015, and operated in the District of New Mexico and elsewhere.
According to court filings, Enrique Cavazos operated a marijuana trafficking business by directing his co-conspirators to purchase large quantities of marijuana in California and distribute the marijuana in New Mexico and other destinations across the country. Lindsey Cavazos was responsible for keeping the books on businesses she and her husband established with proceeds from their marijuana trafficking activities and for the purpose of laundering their drug proceeds. The couple engaged in a money laundering conspiracy and used bank accounts in the names of several of their businesses, including a restaurant and a car dealership, to launder their drug proceeds.
The indictment was superseded in Aug. 2016, to add money laundering charges against three new defendants: Steven Becerra, 62, the owner of the Becerra Group Tax and Accounting Firm in Albuquerque, who previously was employed by the IRS for 18 years; Deborah Gutierrez, 55, who operated Automated Financial Technologies, which is no longer in business; and Glen F. Lucero, 66, a retired school teacher. The superseding indictment also removed Felix Cavazos, Enrique Cavazos’s father who passed away after the original indictment was filed, from the list of defendants.
During today’s proceedings, Moreno pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In entering the guilty plea, Moreno admitted that from Jan. 2011 through Nov. 2015, he helped purchase a property in California with proceeds derived from the illegal sale of marijuana for the purpose of cultivating marijuana to be distributed in New Mexico and elsewhere. A sentencing hearing for Moreno has yet to be scheduled.
Five of Moreno’s co-defendants have entered guilty pleas, and two have been sentenced. Enrique Cavazos pled guilty on May 24, 2017, and was sentenced on May 9, 2018, to 72 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Ruelas pled guilty on Sept. 8, 2017, and was sentenced on May 2, 2018, to 30 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Lindsey A. Cavazos pled guilty on May 24, 2017, Nieto pled guilty on May 25, 2017, and Navia pled guilty on May 22, 2018. Sentencing hearings for these three defendants have yet to be scheduled.
The remaining four defendants, who have entered not guilty pleas to the superseding indictment, are pending trial, which is currently scheduled for July 2018. Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation of this case was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. It was conducted by the Albuquerque offices of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer M. Rozzoni, Timothy S. Vasquez and Joel R. Meyers are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kotz is handling the forfeiture matters.
Sarasota Woman Convicted of Arson ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa Florida – A federal jury has found Rashica Shaguana Ford (39, Sarasota) guilty of conspiracy to commit arson. She faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Ford was indicted on November 24, 2017, along with two co-conspirators, Jodarin Marquis Whitfield and Herbert Adelphus Pinckney.
According to testimony presented at trial, in the early morning hours of March 11, 2015, Whitfield and Pinckney set fire to an individual’s home by attempting to throw a Molotov cocktail through the victim’s bedroom window. In addition to the owner, two adults and five children were inside the home at the time of the incident. The Molotov cocktail did not break the window and only damaged the exterior of the home. All occupants of the home escaped safely.
The arson was orchestrated by Ford (Whitfield’s girlfriend/Pinckney’s sister) as retaliation stemming from an altercation between Ford and the victim.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the State Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, the Bradenton Police Department, the Bradenton Fire Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Russian and Syrian Nationals Charged with Laundering Millions of U.S. Dollars for Designated Russian Company That Shipped Jet Fuel to Syria in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eight businessmen, including five Russian nationals and three Syrian nationals, were indicted today on federal charges alleging that they conspired to violate U.S. economic sanctions against Syria and Crimea, by sending jet fuel to Syria and making U.S. dollar wires to Syria and to sanctioned entities in Syria without receiving a license from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The indictment was returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and involves transactions conducted by Joint Stock Company Sovfracht (Sovfracht), a Russian shipping company and freight forwarder.
The five Russian nationals – Ivan Okorokov, Ilya Loginov, Karen Stepanyan, Alexey Konkov and Liudmila Shmelkova – are employees of Sovfracht. Yaser Naser is a Syrian national who has worked on behalf of Sovfracht in Syria to coordinate its business there. Farid Bitar and Gabriel Bitar are petroleum inspectors at Port Banias, Syria. All eight individuals were charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. A forfeiture allegation was also included in the indictment.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Dunham of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
“The U.S. sanctions on Syria and Crimea thwart Syria’s support of terrorism and its pursuit and use of weapons of mass destruction, as well as the actions of those who seek to undermine Ukraine’s democratic processes and territorial integrity. The National Security Division will not tolerate any attempts to evade these important foreign policy and national security tools,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “The defendants allegedly conspired to defy our sanctions against Syria and Crimea, endangering both American interests in the region as well as our foreign policy and national security at home. I applaud the investigators who helped bring these alleged violations to light and the violators to justice.”
“The indictment in this case demonstrates that we will vigorously investigate and prosecute violations of U.S. economic sanctions, including the use of our financial system to promote and facilitate the activities of sanctioned entities, such as the delivery of jet fuel to Syria,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The charges also reflect the tireless dedication of the FBI to rooting out this illegal activity.”
“The FBI takes sanctions violations extremely seriously and will not hesitate to use our full investigative resources to stop this type of alleged illegal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Dunham. “This investigation underscores the determination of the special agents and intelligence analysts who pursue those who violate United States laws, no matter where they reside.”
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As noted in the indictment, on May 11, 2004, the President declared a national emergency to deal with the threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States posed by the actions of the Government of Syria. That and subsequent Executive Orders imposed economic sanctions on Syria, which prohibited, among other things, the exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, to Syria of any goods, technology, or services from the United States, which includes the processing of U.S. dollar wires for transactions conducted overseas.
According to the indictment, as early as 2011, banks began rejecting U.S. dollar wires by Sovfracht that were destined for Syria. The alleged conspirators began using front companies and falsifying information in shipping records and the related U.S. dollar wires in order to circumvent the sanctions. In subsequent conversations in 2015, the defendants allegedly sent e-mails warning about the effect of “Western sanctions” and the related prohibition on U.S. dollar transactions.
The indictment alleges that the defendants used vessels owned by Transpetrochart Co. Ltd. (Transpetrochart), a Russian based company that owned the petroleum tankers Mukhalatka and Yaz, to transship jet fuel and other items surreptitiously to Syria.
The indictment also notes that on May 8, 2014, the Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), designated the Banias Refinery Company, a Syrian based petroleum processing company owned by the Syrian regime, for processing petroleum that was imported into the Syrian Port of Banias. According to the indictment, in spite of these sanctions, the defendants engaged in U.S. dollar transactions beginning in 2015 to deliver jet fuel to Syria via the Banias Refinery Company. On or about Jan. 13, 2016, OFAC blocked two wires from Sovfracht that passed through the United States totaling $2,585,340 for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria. As a result, the defendants allegedly began to use third party companies to continue making U.S. dollar payments for shipments to Syria.
On Sept. 1, 2016, OFAC designated Sovfracht for Crimean sanctions violations. Following these sanctions, Sovfracht was prohibited from transacting in U.S. dollars without first receiving a license from OFAC, regardless of whether or not the transaction was for the supply of goods to Syria. On Sept. 9, 2016, the government sent notice to Sovfracht of a forfeiture action against the blocked $2,585,340. On Dec. 20, 2016, OFAC designated Transpetrochart for working with Sovfracht.
According to the indictment, in October 2016, following Sovfracht’s designation, the defendants utilized Maritime Assistance LLC (Maritime) as a front company for Sovfracht, as part of the scheme to circumvent U.S. sanctions and conduct U.S. dollar transactions. Maritime was operated by employees, including several of the defendants, of Sovfracht. The indictment alleges that Sovfracht and Maritime employees acted interchangeably. Maritime assumed debts previously owed by Sovfracht and paid third parties on contracts previously negotiated by Sovfracht. The indictment alleges that these activities allowed the defendants to continue engaging in U.S. dollar transactions, which passed through the United States, in spite of Sovfracht’s designation.
According to the indictment, following designation, Sovfracht, acting through Maritime, continued to transact in U.S. dollars for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria, in violation of both the Crimean and Syrian sanctions. For example, on or about May 11, 2017, OFAC blocked two wires from Sovfracht that passed through the United States totaling $2,957,983 for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria. In response to the blocking, Ilya Loginov allegedly stated to co-conspirators that Maritime “has been burned,” that it was “unadvisable to make further use of it,” and that they had “to create a new … clean company.”
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to violate IEEPA is five years in prison, and for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties and forfeitures of blocked funds and facilitating property such as the vessels in question. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The government is represented by Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui and Erik Kenerson, Arvind K. Lal, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Tobin, Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick of the District of Columbia. Assistance earlier was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Russian and Syrian Nationals Charged with Laundering Millions of U.S. Dollars for Designated Russian Company That Shipped Jet Fuel to Syria in Violation of U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
Eight businessmen, including five Russian nationals and three Syrian nationals, were indicted today on federal charges alleging that they conspired to violate U.S. economic sanctions against Syria and Crimea, by sending jet fuel to Syria and making U.S. dollar wires to Syria and to sanctioned entities in Syria without receiving a license from the U.S. Treasury Department.
The indictment was returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and involves transactions conducted by Joint Stock Company Sovfracht (Sovfracht), a Russian shipping company and freight forwarder.
The five Russian nationals – Ivan Okorokov, Ilya Loginov, Karen Stepanyan, Alexey Konkov and Liudmila Shmelkova – are employees of Sovfracht. Yaser Naser is a Syrian national who has worked on behalf of Sovfracht in Syria to coordinate its business there. Farid Bitar and Gabriel Bitar are petroleum inspectors at Port Banias, Syria. All eight individuals were charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. A forfeiture allegation was also included in the indictment.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Dunham of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
“The U.S. sanctions on Syria and Crimea thwart Syria’s support of terrorism and its pursuit and use of weapons of mass destruction, as well as the actions of those who seek to undermine Ukraine’s democratic processes and territorial integrity. The National Security Division will not tolerate any attempts to evade these important foreign policy and national security tools,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “The defendants allegedly conspired to defy our sanctions against Syria and Crimea, endangering both American interests in the region as well as our foreign policy and national security at home. I applaud the investigators who helped bring these alleged violations to light and the violators to justice.”
“The indictment in this case demonstrates that we will vigorously investigate and prosecute violations of U.S. economic sanctions, including the use of our financial system to promote and facilitate the activities of sanctioned entities, such as the delivery of jet fuel to Syria,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “The charges also reflect the tireless dedication of the FBI to rooting out this illegal activity.”
“The FBI takes sanctions violations extremely seriously and will not hesitate to use our full investigative resources to stop this type of alleged illegal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Dunham. “This investigation underscores the determination of the special agents and intelligence analysts who pursue those who violate United States laws, no matter where they reside.”
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As noted in the indictment, on May 11, 2004, the President declared a national emergency to deal with the threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States posed by the actions of the Government of Syria. That and subsequent Executive Orders imposed economic sanctions on Syria, which prohibited, among other things, the exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, to Syria of any goods, technology, or services from the United States, which includes the processing of U.S. dollar wires for transactions conducted overseas.
According to the indictment, as early as 2011, banks began rejecting U.S. dollar wires by Sovfracht that were destined for Syria. The alleged conspirators began using front companies and falsifying information in shipping records and the related U.S. dollar wires in order to circumvent the sanctions. In subsequent conversations in 2015, the defendants allegedly sent e-mails warning about the effect of “Western sanctions” and the related prohibition on U.S. dollar transactions.
The indictment alleges that the defendants used vessels owned by Transpetrochart Co. Ltd. (Transpetrochart), a Russian based company that owned the petroleum tankers Mukhalatka and Yaz, to transship jet fuel and other items surreptitiously to Syria.
The indictment also notes that on May 8, 2014, the Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), designated the Banias Refinery Company, a Syrian based petroleum processing company owned by the Syrian regime, for processing petroleum that was imported into the Syrian Port of Banias. According to the indictment, in spite of these sanctions, the defendants engaged in U.S. dollar transactions beginning in 2015 to deliver jet fuel to Syria via the Banias Refinery Company. On or about Jan. 13, 2016, OFAC blocked two wires from Sovfracht that passed through the United States totaling $2,585,340 for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria. As a result, the defendants allegedly began to use third party companies to continue making U.S. dollar payments for shipments to Syria.
On Sept. 1, 2016, OFAC designated Sovfracht for Crimean sanctions violations. Following these sanctions, Sovfracht was prohibited from transacting in U.S. dollars without first receiving a license from OFAC, regardless of whether or not the transaction was for the supply of goods to Syria. On Sept. 9, 2016, the government sent notice to Sovfracht of a forfeiture action against the blocked $2,585,340. On Dec. 20, 2016, OFAC designated Transpetrochart for working with Sovfracht.
According to the indictment, in October 2016, following Sovfracht’s designation, the defendants utilized Maritime Assistance LLC (Maritime) as a front company for Sovfracht, as part of the scheme to circumvent U.S. sanctions and conduct U.S. dollar transactions. Maritime was operated by employees, including several of the defendants, of Sovfracht. The indictment alleges that Sovfracht and Maritime employees acted interchangeably. Maritime assumed debts previously owed by Sovfracht and paid third parties on contracts previously negotiated by Sovfracht. The indictment alleges that these activities allowed the defendants to continue engaging in U.S. dollar transactions, which passed through the United States, in spite of Sovfracht’s designation.
According to the indictment, following designation, Sovfracht, acting through Maritime, continued to transact in U.S. dollars for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria, in violation of both the Crimean and Syrian sanctions. For example, on or about May 11, 2017, OFAC blocked two wires from Sovfracht that passed through the United States totaling $2,957,983 for the delivery of jet fuel to Syria. In response to the blocking, Ilya Loginov allegedly stated to co-conspirators that Maritime “has been burned,” that it was “unadvisable to make further use of it,” and that they had “to create a new … clean company.”
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
The maximum statutory penalty for conspiracy to violate IEEPA is five years in prison, and for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties and forfeitures of blocked funds and facilitating property such as the vessels in question. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The government is represented by Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zia Faruqui and Erik Kenerson, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Tobin, Paralegal Specialist Toni Anne Donato, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick of the District of Columbia. Assistance earlier was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari Redbord of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Retired Soldier Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A retired soldier pleaded guilty today to receiving and selling stolen government property that had been initially delivered to at Fort Eustis.
According to court documents, Francis “Edward” Roach, 55, of Yorktown, is a retired soldier who served in the U.S. Army from 1982-2006. He owned and operated A & E Automotive Repair of Denbigh, Inc., a local repair shop based in Newport News. From August 2010 through mid-2015, Roy E. Friend, who worked as the Chief of Logistics and Program Management, Aviation and Missile Command at Fort Eustis, made over 600 orders and fraudulently obtained over approximately $2.3 million worth of goods through the General Services Administration (GSA) Advantage website using his GSA Advantage account. All of the orders were paid for with funds belonging to the United States. Some of these items, including boxes of tools and or other equipment, were taken to A & E Automotive where they were resold by Roach for private financial gain. Roach sold items to individuals at discounted prices providing false explanations as to how he obtained the equipment.
The property received and stolen by Roach was a portion of an over $800,000 fraud committed by civilian employees of the Department of Defense, who were also retired soldiers.
Friend pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 33 months in prison for his role in the scheme, along with another former Department of Defense employee. Roach pleaded guilty to theft of government property and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on October 18. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General, General Services Administration (GSA), Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office, and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:17-cr-108.
Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Putnam County man was sentenced to federal prison on drug and firearm charges, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Malcolm Hodges, 25, previously entered guilty pleas to illegally possessing a firearm, and possessing and intending to distribute methamphetamine. Hodges was sentenced to a total of 78 months in prison – 18 months on the firearms charge, and 60 months on the methamphetamine charge. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of several agencies, including the Dunbar Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
“Unfortunately, Hodges’ previous state conviction didn’t deter him from criminal activity,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Hopefully, after spending over 6 more years in federal prison, he will make better choices.”
Hodges, a convicted felon, admitted that on September 1, 2016, he fled a DUI checkpoint in Teays Valley, and that he had a .45 caliber revolver in his possession at the time. Hodges is prohibited from possessing any firearms under federal law because of a 2013 felony conviction for wanton endangerment with a firearm in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County.
Hodges also admitted that on April 23, 2017, he threw 72 grams of methamphetamine out of the passenger-side window of his car after a Dunbar Police Department officer attempted to pull him over for a traffic violation. The methamphetamine was quickly recovered, along with a large amount of cash from Hodges’ vehicle and person.
Assistant United States Attorney Matt Davis was in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers handed down the sentence.
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.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews and USAttyStuart
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Providence Man Sentenced on Drug Trafficking, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – John Nunez, 47, of Providence, was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine and crack cocaine and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., also ordered Nunez to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. Nunez pleaded guilty on April 4, 2018, to one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm.
The U.S. Sentencing Guideline imprisonment range in this matter is 51 to 63 months. The government recommended a term of incarceration of 40 months.
According to information presented to the Court, in late summer 2015, detectives assigned to the Providence Police Department Narcotics Unit developed information that Nunez was trafficking drugs from his residence. As part of their investigation, detectives arranged for the purchase of cocaine from the defendant.
Detectives developed information that on September 4, 2015, Nunez would be leaving his residence with a large amount of cocaine. As Nunez left his residence, detectives approached Nunez who, upon seeing the detectives, tossed a package inside his vehicle and stated, “It’s not mine and I don’t live here.” Detectives retrieved the bag, and from inside a glass case in the bag detectives discovered two bags of heroin, two bags of cocaine powder and eleven bags of crack cocaine.
Detectives executed a court-authorized search of Nunez’s residence. From inside the residence detectives seized 533.5 grams of cocaine, 71.5 grams of crack cocaine, .4 grams of heroin, a 9mm semi-automatic firearm, and items used in the packaging and distribution of illegal narcotics.
According to court records, Nunez was previously convicted on drug trafficking charges in state and federal courts in New York. He was also convicted for escape from a New York prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence P. Donnelly, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard B. Sullivan.
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Pair Guilty of Creating Child Pornography of ToddlerRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The second of two defendants in a child pornography production case has been found guilty.
U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott found Jason Fletcher, 41, of Franklin, Ohio, guilty of conspiracy to produce and production of child pornography at the conclusion of a bench trial yesterday afternoon.
He and Ciera Richter, 25, of Cincinnati, were indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2017. Richter previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Steve Francis, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the convictions.
According to court documents, Fletcher was previously convicted by the state of Ohio of importuning a minor, among other crimes. Under the terms of his probation, he was not to possess pornography of any kind.
In May 2017, during a visit with his probation officer, the officer noticed Fletcher had two mobile devices and, after having Fletcher provide access to the devices, started to review the phones’ contents. The probation officer found pornography of a minor female on one of the phones and Fletcher was subsequently arrested.
Search of the phone revealed, among a collection of child pornography, child pornography videos made with the phone. Some of the videos on the phone involve Fletcher, Richter and a two-year-old.
According to evidence at Fletcher’s bench trial and Richter’s plea, in February 2017, on an evening when Richter was babysitting the toddler, Fletcher used his cell phone to record videos of himself molesting the victim, while Richter held and moved the two year old. Fletcher brought “medicine” with him, which Richter gave to the child. Fletcher was a registered sex offender at the time he made the videos.
Conspiracy to produce child pornography and production of child pornography are crimes that generally carry a potential sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison. Fletcher faces a potential range of 35 years to life in prison, because he has at least two prior state convictions for sex crimes involving children.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by HSI and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Gaffney and Christy Muncy, who are prosecuting the case.
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Page Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Yesterday, Frank Junior Young, 23, of Page, Ariz., and a member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen M. McNamee to 144 months in prison, followed by a term of 15 years of supervised release. Young had previously pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse.
On Feb. 19, 2016, Young sexually abused the victim by using force and threats. The victim is also a member of the Navajo Nation and the assault occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Law Enforcement. The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-08033-PCT-SMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-080_Young
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Owner of Payday Lending Enterprise Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Orchestrating $220 Million Fraudulent Lending SchemeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RICHARD MOSELEY SR. was sentenced today to 120 months in prison, after having been found guilty in November 2017 of racketeering, fraud, and identity-theft offenses for operating an illegal payday lending enterprise in which MOSELEY charged illegally high interest rates and issued payday loans to victims who did not authorize them. MOSELEY was convicted after a three-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Richard Moseley’s illegal payday lending operation exploited more than half a million of the most financially vulnerable people in the U.S. Charging usurious interest and exorbitant fees, and even signing people up for loans they didn’t authorize, Moseley put financially struggling people even further in debt. Today Moseley has been rightly sentenced to prison for his predatory ways.”
According to the Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and the evidence presented at trial:
From approximately 2004 to 2014, MOSELEY owned and operated a group of payday lending businesses (the “Hydra Lenders”) that issued and serviced small, short-term, unsecured loans, known as “payday loans,” through the Internet to customers across the United States.
For nearly a decade, MOSELEY systematically exploited more than 620,000 financially struggling working people throughout the United States, many of whom struggled to pay for basic living expenses. MOSELEY, through the Hydra Lenders, targeted and extended loans to these individuals at illegally high interest rates of more than 700 percent, using deceptive and misleading communications and contracts and in violation of the usury laws of numerous states that were designed to protect residents from such abusive conduct.
In furtherance of the scheme, the Hydra Lenders’ loan agreements materially understated the amount the payday loan would cost and the total amount of payments that would be taken from borrowers’ bank accounts. MOSELEY structured the repayment schedule of the loans such that, on the borrower’s payday, the Hydra Lenders automatically withdrew the entire interest payment due on the loan, but left the principal balance untouched so that, on the borrower’s next payday, the Hydra Lenders could again automatically withdraw an amount equaling the entire interest payment due (and already paid) on the loan. Under MOSELEY’s control and oversight, the Hydra Lenders proceeded automatically to withdraw such “finance charges” payday after payday, applying none of the money toward repayment of the loan principal. Under the terms of the loan agreement, the Hydra Lenders withdrew finance charges from their customers’ accounts unless and until consumers took affirmative action to stop the automatic renewal of the loan.
Through the Hydra Lenders, MOSELEY also extended numerous payday loans to victims across the country who did not even want the loans or authorize the issuance of the loans, but instead had merely submitted their personal and bank account information in order to inquire about the possibility of obtaining a payday loan. MOSELEY then automatically withdrew the Hydra Lenders’ usurious “financing fees” directly from the financially struggling victims’ bank accounts on a bi-weekly basis. Although hundreds of victims, over a period of years, lodged complaints that they had never approved or even been aware of the issuance of the loans, the Hydra Lenders, at MOSELEY’s direction, continued to issue loans to consumers without confirming that the consumers in fact wanted the loans that they received or had reviewed and approved the loan terms.
Customers across the country, numerous state regulators, and consumer protection groups complained about the Hydra Lenders’ deceptive and misleading practices in issuing usurious and fraudulent loans. Beginning in approximately 2006, in an attempt to avoid civil and criminal liability for his conduct, and to enable the Hydra Lenders to extend usurious loans contrary to state laws, MOSELEY made it appear that the Hydra Lenders were located overseas. Specifically, MOSELEY nominally incorporated the Hydra Lenders first in Nevis in the Caribbean, and later in New Zealand, and claimed that the Hydra Lenders could not be sued or subject to state enforcement actions because they were beyond the jurisdiction of every state in the United States. In truth, the entirety of MOSELEY’s lending business, including all bank accounts from which loans were originated, all communications with consumers, and all employees, were located at MOSELEY’s corporate office in Kansas City, Missouri. The Hydra Lenders’ purported “offshore” operation consisted of little more than a service that forwarded mail from addresses in Nevis or New Zealand to the Kansas City, Missouri, office.
In furtherance of the scheme, MOSELEY falsely told his attorneys that the Hydra Lenders maintained physical offices and employees in Nevis and New Zealand and that the decision whether to extend loans to particular consumers was made by employees of the Hydra Lenders in Nevis and New Zealand. As MOSELEY well knew, at no time did the Hydra Lenders have any employees involved in the lending business in Nevis or New Zealand, and at all times the decision whether to underwrite loans was made by employees under MOSELEY’s direction in Kansas City, Missouri. To defeat state complaints and inquiries, MOSELEY directed his attorneys at outside law firms to submit correspondence to state Attorneys General that stated – falsely, unbeknownst to MOSELEY’s attorneys – that the Hydra Lenders originated loans “exclusively” from their offices overseas and had no physical presence anywhere in the United States.
From approximately November 2006 through approximately August 2014, the Hydra Lenders generated more than $220 million in revenue. MOSELEY made millions of dollars from the scheme, which he spent on, among other things, a vacation home in Mexico, luxury automobiles, and country club membership dues.
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In addition to the 10-year prison term, MOSELEY, 73, of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $49 million.
Mr. Berman praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Mr. Berman also thanked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which brought a separate civil action against MOSELEY, for referring the matter and for its assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward A. Imperatore and David Abramowicz are in charge of the prosecution.
Nine Corvallis-Area Residents Charged with Perpetrating Credit Card Fraud Funding Marijuana BusinessRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – Nine defendants residing in and around Corvallis, Oregon face conspiracy charges related to a credit card “bust-out” fraud scheme and an interstate marijuana distribution operation funded by the fraud.
A credit card “bust-out” is a fraud scheme that begins with perpetrators obtaining credit cards and accumulating large balances. Payments are then made from co-conspirator bank accounts, reducing the credit card balances and allowing for additional purchases. After numerous purchases and payments are made, a co-conspirator would report the payments as unauthorized to their banks. Banks then seek and obtain reimbursement from the credit card companies and deposit those funds back into the co-conspirator’s bank accounts. No further payments are made on the credit cards, resulting in losses to those institutions that often exceed a card’s spending limit.
As alleged in the complaint, conspirators opened numerous credit cards, defrauding financial institutions of over $1 million. Proceeds from the fraud were allegedly used to establish and operate illegal marijuana grows and fund a state-licensed marijuana retail business, the Corvallis Cannabis Club located in Corvallis. Some of the marijuana grown in Corvallis is alleged to have been transported and sold outside of Oregon.
Three defendants were arrested today and will make their first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo in Eugene on Wednesday, June 13, 2018.
A criminal charge is only an accusation of a crime; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of Oregon State Police and the Corvallis and Philomath Police Departments. It is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Nigerian National Charged with Possessing Private Personal InformationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Nigerian national was charged in federal court in Boston in connection with unlawfully possessing the identifications of two victims.
Richard Emem Jackson, aka Auwire, 23, of Lagos, Nigeria, was charged in an indictment filed on May 17, and unsealed yesterday, with two counts of unlawful possession of a means of identification. Jackson has not yet been arrested and remains at-large.
According to the indictment, on two occasions in 2017, Jackson is alleged to have possessed the identifications of two victims with the intent to commit wire fraud conspiracy as part of a larger fraud scheme.
Jackson faces a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Harman Burkart, Chief of Lelling’s Cybercrimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Jersey, Florida residents arrested in Lake Charles sentenced for possessing 4 pounds of methamphetamine packaged as Mexican candyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two defendants, one from New Jersey and one from Florida, who were arrested during a Lake Charles traffic stop were sentenced Monday for possession of 4 pounds of methamphetamine packaged as Mexican candy.
Javier Munoz, 51, of Vineland, New Jersey, was sentenced to 165 months in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Beljavier Rodriguez, 26, of Bradenton, Florida, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release on one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering. United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey presided over the hearing. According to a joint factual stipulation in the record of the guilty plea, the defendants were traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 on September 9, 2016. A Lake Charles Police officer stopped the vehicle for speeding. The officer found a secret compartment underneath the car that contained two bags that appeared to be professionally printed bags of Mexican candy. Within the bags were 21 individually wrapped bags containing methamphetamine that weighed a total of about 4 pounds.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Lake Charles Police Department as part of the Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
More Than 2,300 Suspected Online Child Sex Offenders Arrested During Operation “Broken Heart” Including One in the Eastern District of North CarolinaRead the Press Release
RALEIGH — The Department of Justice today announced the arrest of more than 2,300 suspected online child sex offenders during a three-month, nationwide, operation conducted by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces. The task forces identified 195 offenders who either produced child pornography or committed child sexual abuse, and 383 children who suffered recent, ongoing, or historical sexual abuse or production of child pornography.
The 61 ICAC task forces, located in all 50 states and comprised of more than 4,500 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, led the coordinated operation known as “Broken Heart” during the months of March, April, and May 2018. During the course of the operation, the task forces investigated more than 25,200 complaints of technology-facilitated crimes against children and delivered more than 3,700 presentations on Internet safety to over 390,000 youth and adults.
"No child should ever have to endure sexual abuse," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "And yet, in recent years, certain forms of modern technology have facilitated the spread of child pornography and created greater incentives for its production. We at the Department of Justice are determined to strike back against these repugnant crimes. It is shocking and very sad that in this one operation, we have arrested more than 2,300 alleged child predators and investigated some 25,200 sexual abuse complaints. Any would-be criminal should be warned: this Department will remain relentless in hunting down those who victimize our children."
The operation targeted suspects who: (1) produce, distribute, receive and possess child pornography; (2) engage in online enticement of children for sexual purposes; (3) engage in the sex trafficking of children; and (4) travel across state lines or to foreign countries and sexually abuse children.
As part of Operation “Broken Heart”, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that on May 16, 2018, a federal grand jury sitting in Raleigh, indicted ANDRE THORPE on seven counts involving child exploitation, including four counts of production of child pornography, two counts of transporting a minor interstate with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of possession of child pornography. The alleged conduct involves years-long sexual abuse of a minor victim, and investigators have identified other alleged minor victims of THORPE as well. If convicted of all counts, THORPE faces not less than 15 years and up to life in prison. This case was investigated by the Office of Homeland Security Investigation in Raleigh. All defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The ICAC Program is funded through the Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). In 1998, OJJDP launched the ICAC Task Force Program to help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communication systems or computer technology to exploit children. To date, ICAC Task Forces have reviewed more than 775,000 complaints of child exploitation, which resulted in the arrest of more than 83,000 individuals. In addition, since the ICAC program's inception, more than 629,400 law enforcement officers, prosecutors and other professionals have been trained on techniques to investigate and prosecute ICAC-related cases.
For more information, visit the ICAC Task Force webpage at: https://www.icactaskforce.org/.
More Than 2,300 Suspected Online Child Sex Offenders Arrested During Operation “Broken Heart”Read the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced the arrest of more than 2,300 suspected online child sex offenders during a three-month, nationwide, operation conducted by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces. The task forces identified 195 offenders who either produced child pornography or committed child sexual abuse, and 383 children who suffered recent, ongoing, or historical sexual abuse or production of child pornography.
The 61 ICAC task forces, located in all 50 states and comprised of more than 4,500 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, led the coordinated operation known as “Broken Heart” during the months of March, April, and May 2018. During the course of the operation, the task forces investigated more than 25,200 complaints of technology-facilitated crimes against children and delivered more than 3,700 presentations on Internet safety to over 390,000 youth and adults.
"No child should ever have to endure sexual abuse," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "And yet, in recent years, certain forms of modern technology have facilitated the spread of child pornography and created greater incentives for its production. We at the Department of Justice are determined to strike back against these repugnant crimes. It is shocking and very sad that in this one operation, we have arrested more than 2,300 alleged child predators and investigated some 25,200 sexual abuse complaints. Any would-be criminal should be warned: this Department will remain relentless in hunting down those who victimize our children."
The operation targeted suspects who: (1) produce, distribute, receive and possess child pornography; (2) engage in online enticement of children for sexual purposes; (3) engage in the sex trafficking of children; and (4) travel across state lines or to foreign countries and sexually abuse children.
The ICAC Program is funded through the Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). In 1998, OJJDP launched the ICAC Task Force Program to help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communication systems or computer technology to exploit children. To date, ICAC Task Forces have reviewed more than 775,000 complaints of child exploitation, which resulted in the arrest of more than 83,000 individuals. In addition, since the ICAC program's inception, more than 629,400 law enforcement officers, prosecutors and other professionals have been trained on techniques to investigate and prosecute ICAC-related cases.
For more information, visit the ICAC Task Force webpage at: https://www.icactaskforce.org/. For state-level Operation Broken Heart results, please contact the appropriate state ICAC task force commander. Contact information for task force commanders are available online at: https://www.icactaskforce.org/Pages/ContactsTaskForce.aspx.
Monroeville Drug Dealer Admits Selling Heroin that Caused a Woman’s Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - On June 11, 2018, a resident of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh to a charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Warren Worthy, 21, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on March 3, 2016, Worthy sold a bundle of heroin (10 stamp bags) to a female who used the heroin that day and overdosed. The female was taken to the hospital, where she died a few days later. An autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was heroin toxicity. The Allegheny County Police Department thereafter conducted a lengthy investigation, which confirmed that Worthy had distributed the lethal heroin to the female victim. Worthy acknowledged responsibility for selling the heroin that resulted in the woman’s death.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for Wednesday, November 21, 2018, at 9 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Worthy remain detained.
Assistant United States Attorneys Troy Rivetti and Caitlin Loughran are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Warren Worthy.
Middletown Man Charged with Stealing More Than $900K from Employer, Family MemberRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that STEPHEN T. GIONFRIDDO, 67, of Middletown, was arrested today on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud stemming from an alleged scheme in which he embezzled approximately $490,000 from his former employer, and then embezzled approximately $457,000 from a family member to pay back his former employer.
GIONFRIDDO appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in New Haven and was released on a $200,000 bond.
According to the criminal complaint, GIONFRIDDO was convicted of federal wire fraud and mail fraud offenses in 2006 for embezzling more than $633,000 from clients while acting as their attorney.
The complaint alleges that, from approximately December 2013 through September 2017, while GIONFRIDDO was working as a paralegal at a law firm in greater Hartford, he made bogus requisitions for approximately $377,895.67 in checks purportedly to pay client expenses. GIONFRIDDO converted these funds for his personal use. GIONFRIDDO also forged the signature of one of the firm’s partners in order to fraudulently convert a certificate of deposit (CD) of approximately $112,748.21 to a check, which funds he also converted for his personal use. In total, GIONFRIDDO stole $490,648.88 from the law firm.
The complaint further alleges that principals at the law firm confronted GIONFRIDDO about the theft of funds in late September 2017, and GIONFRIDDO promised to repay the firm. GIONFRIDDO then stole from a family member by taking approximately $45,000 from a checking account and approximately $217,000 from an online trading account. He also caused a hardship withdrawal of $195,000 to be made against his family member’s defined contribution plan by impersonating his family member on recorded telephone calls with the plan’s provider and submitting bogus paperwork.
If convicted of wire fraud, GIONFRIDDO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan L. Wines.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Javier Contreras Vargas, aka “Cuñado,” a citizen of Mexico and in the United States illegally, was sentenced Monday, June 11, 2018, before U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey for his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Vargas was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in August 2017, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a schedule II controlled substance. He was in the United States illegally at the time of the offense and will be deported after serving his sentence. Vargas has been in custody since his arrest in August 2016.
Vargas was charged along with twenty-one others with various offenses related to a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Of the twenty-one charged, two are awaiting trial.
According to documents filed in the case, between January 1, 2015, and July 7, 2015, Vargas and his coconspirators conspired to distribute methamphetamine and used coded language to purchase multiple kilograms of the illegal substance so that he could distribute the drug to other people.
On July 7, 2015, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and Vargas was found to be in possession of 2 kilograms of methamphetamine. Officers subsequently searched his residence and found approximately 17 kilograms of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized a firearm, and several thousand dollars in United States currency. As part of the plea agreement, Vargas agreed to forfeit the items seized, including the firearm and $25,137.00.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated, with assistance from the Dallas Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted.
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Medical Assistant Charged with Stealing Patient Information and Defrauding Michigan Unemployment Insurance AgencyRead the Press Release
A medical assistant was indicted on charges of defrauding the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) and stealing patients’ Personal Identifying Information (PII) from a doctor’s office in Pontiac, Michigan, announced United States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Douglas J. Zloto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Detroit Field Office.
Indicted was Aline Harris, 34, of Detroit, Michigan. The indictment charges wire fraud, wrongful disclosure of health information, and identity theft in relation to unemployment benefits fraud and unauthorized disclosure of patients’ PII.
According to the indictment, Harris, who worked for a doctor’s office in Pontiac, Michigan was fraudulently printing out patients’ profiles which contained PII and giving the information to others who used them to commit other federal crimes. She also lied to the Michigan UIA and collected over $33,000 in unemployment benefits she was not entitled to.
Harris was arrested today and appeared in court the Eastern District of Michigan for arraignment on the indictment. She was released on a personal bond.
The case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Financial Crimes Task Force led by the United States Secret Service. West Bloomfield, Warren, and Royal Oak Police Departments, Michigan Attorney General’s Office, and the IRS.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abed Hammoud with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against Individual for Engaging in A Fraudulent Ticket Scam and Laundering Proceeds of the FraudRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a criminal Complaint charging WILLIAM McFARLAND with wire fraud and money laundering, in connection with conducting a sham ticket scheme in which he purported to sell fraudulent tickets to exclusive fashion, music, and sporting events through NYC VIP Access, a company controlled by McFARLAND, and also caused the fraud proceeds to be sent to others’ financial accounts in an effort to conceal his ownership and control of the funds. McFARLAND is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Gabriel W. Gorenstein today.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said: “William McFarland, already awaiting sentencing for a prior fraud scheme, allegedly continued to conduct criminal business as usual, selling nonexistent tickets to fashion, music, and sporting events. As alleged, McFarland’s purported exclusive event ticket company, NYC VIP Access, in fact had no access to events for which he sold bogus tickets. Now McFarland faces criminal charges on top of those to which he already pled guilty.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “In March of 2018, William McFarland pled guilty to defrauding investors and vendors of the Fyre Festival, but it is apparent that he did not stop there. McFarland allegedly went on to sell fraudulent tickets to many grand events, totaling almost $100,000. Today’s charges depict our intolerance for such fraudulent activity, and we will continue to diligently investigate acts such as this.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
On March 6, 2018, McFARLAND pled guilty before United States District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud over 80 investors in Fyre Media and Fyre Festival LLC of over $24 million in losses, and one count of wire fraud with a scheme to defraud a ticket vendor for the Fyre Festival of $2 million in losses. United States v. William McFarland, 17 Cr. 600 (NRB). McFARLAND has been on pretrial release since July 1, 2017, and is currently awaiting sentencing in that case.
From at least in or about late 2017, up to and including at least in or about March 2018, McFARLAND owned NYC VIP Access, a company based in New York, New York, that purported to be in the business of obtaining and selling for profit tickets to various exclusive events including fashion galas, music festivals, and sporting events. NYC VIP Access purported to sell tickets to the following events, among others: the 2018 Met Gala, Burning Man 2018, Coachella 2018, the 2018 Grammy Awards, Super Bowl LII, and a Cleveland Cavaliers game and team dinner with Lebron James. McFARLAND, while on pretrial release, perpetrated a scheme to defraud attendees of the Fyre Festival and others by soliciting them to purchase tickets from NYC VIP Access to exclusive events when, in fact, no such tickets existed.
McFARLAND took steps to make NYC VIP Access appear as it if were controlled and operated by other individuals. In soliciting ticket sales, McFARLAND used an email account in the name of a then-employee (“Employee-1”) in order to hide his affiliation with NYC VIP Access. McFARLAND provided prospective customers with contracts that falsely represented that NYC VIP Access had tickets to exclusive events in fashion, music, and sports. In order to distance himself from the operation, McFARLAND directed that Employee-1 sign the contracts between NYC VIP Access and the customers. After McFARLAND induced customers to wire money for tickets, McFARLAND either did not provide tickets at all, or did not provide tickets as advertised. McFARLAND charged at least approximately $100,000 in fraudulent tickets to at least approximately 15 customer-victims. McFARLAND instructed and caused ticket sale proceeds to be sent to a bank account belonging to Employee-1, to which McFARLAND had access and control, or a mobile payment service account belonging to another employee (“Employee-2”), for the purpose of concealing his ownership and control of the funds.
* * *
McFARLAND, 26, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the FBI’s New York Field Office.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United State Attorney Kristy J. Greenberg is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
MS-13 Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Racketeering Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Today, a Maryland gang member was sentenced to 360 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his participation in the racketeering enterprise known as La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, including his participation in two conspiracies to commit murder.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland, Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Chief Douglas Holland of the Hyattsville Police Department; Chief Edward Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy made the announcement.
Selvin Raymundo Salazar aka “Inquieto,” 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte of the District of Maryland. Salazar had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, specifically, MS-13.
According to the statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Frederick, Maryland. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
According to the statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, from at least 2012 through at least 2014, Salazar was a member and associate of the Normandie Locos Salvatrucha (“NLS,” or “Normandie”) clique of MS-13. Salazar admitted that on Feb. 28, 2013, and again on July 30, 2014, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in MS-13, he, together with other members and associates of MS-13, conspired to murder victims that he and his co-conspirators had identified as chavalas.
Specifically, the defendant admitted that on Feb. 28, 2013, in the Lewisdale community of Prince George’s County, Maryland, he and members and associates of the Sailors Locos Salvatrucha Westside (“SLSW,” or “Sailors”) clique of MS-13 traveled in a vehicle, searching for chavalas. Salazar was armed with a .380 caliber handgun that belonged to the Normandie clique. After observing an individual that he and his co-conspirators believed to be a chavala (“Victim-1”), Salazar and a co-conspirator exited the car and approached Victim-1, who was standing with a companion. Salazar’s co-conspirator took the handgun from Salazar and shot Victim-1, as Victim-1’s companion ran away. Salazar and his co-conspirator ran back to the vehicle and he and the occupants of the vehicle fled. Salazar then returned the .380 caliber firearm to the Normandie clique.
Salazar further admitted that on July 30, 2014, in Hyattsville, Maryland, he and at least two other members or associates of the Normandie clique of MS-13 approached three victims, named in the third superseding indictment as “Victim-5,” “Victim-6,” and “Victim-7.” Two of Salazar’s co-defendants pulled out firearms and shot Victim-5 and Victim-6. Victim-5 was struck seven times, with wounds to his upper torso, right arm, and face. Victim-6 sustained a gunshot wound to his right side. Prior to the shooting, Salazar and his co-conspirators had been informed by an associate of MS-13 that the victims were chavalas.
Five of the shell casings recovered from the scene of the July 30, 2014 shooting were examined and determined to have been fired from the same firearm that fired casings recovered at other crime scenes, including the Feb. 28, 2013 murder, a murder that took place in Hyattsville, Maryland on Nov. 11, 2012, and a shooting that took place in Laurel, Maryland on March 28, 2014.
HSI Baltimore, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Frederick Police Department, the Hyattsville City Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Lindsay Eyler Kaplan of the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
Leader of Newark Bloods Street Gang – The South Side Cartel – Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Five Murders, Racketeering, Other Violent Crimes in Furtherance of the Gang EnterpriseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The leader of one of Newark’s most violent street gangs was sentenced today to 540 months in prison for his admitted role in five murders, an armed carjacking, an armed robbery of a drug dealer, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and drug conspiracy as part of a racketeering conspiracy involving the South Side Cartel, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Farad Roland, 33, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) as part of a 27-count second superseding indictment. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
“This sentence effectively ends Farad Roland’s reign as the leader of the South Side Cartel.” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “Working with our partners in the FBI, the Newark Department of Public Safety, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, we have removed a dangerous and violent predator from the streets of Newark, making the city safer for everyone. Stopping violent crime is a top priority of this office, and this sentence should be a warning to those who traffic in illegal drugs and commit acts of violence in support of their criminal enterprises that the office will take action to ensure that they will no longer walk free to terrorize their community.”
“Farad Roland chose to kill for the South Side Cartel of the Newark Bloods and now he can serve time for the gang,” Newark FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie said. “This conduct will not be tolerated and today’s sentence should send a message that the FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will pursue and prosecute members of violent street gangs who seek to inflict violence and fear in our communities. The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue gangs wherever they surface and are steadfast to making Newark and the surrounding communities, a safe place for our citizens.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The South Side Cartel was a sub-set of the Bloods street gang that operated primarily on Hawthorne Avenue in Newark. Originally a neighborhood-based gang whose main activities were selling drugs and committing violent acts to aid the drug-trafficking business, many of the gang’s members were officially brought into the Bloods gang in 2002 and 2003. The gang often operated out of apartments located at 496-500 Hawthorne Avenue, which were dubbed “the Twin Towers.” Local law enforcement made repeated narcotics and gun arrests at this location. Many of the South Side Cartel members had tattoos showing the Twin Towers and the logo “SSC,” which represented the gang’s initials.
Between 2003 and 2010, the South Side Cartel was generally known among law enforcement and the FBI as the most violent street gang in Newark, committing numerous murders, shootings, robberies and other violent acts in furtherance of the enterprise. At its peak, the South Side Cartel had about 20 members or associates, many of whom have since been killed in gang-related murders or who are serving prison sentences for gang-related crimes. Roland’s two co-defendants, Malik Lowery and Mark Williams, previously pleaded guilty in federal court. Lowery was sentenced in August 2016 to more than 26 years in federal prison. Williams is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 13, 2018.
Roland’s admission of guilt includes acknowledgement of his participation in a host of racketeering acts to further the South Side Cartel’s goals, including:
• The Feb. 20, 2005, murder of a Newark resident who was shot during a robbery attempt that Roland ordered one of his gang associates to carry out;
• The Feb. 23, 2005, murder of the 19-year-old gang associate who committed the Feb. 20, 2005 robbery-murder, to prevent him from cooperating with law enforcement and implicating Roland;
• The Oct. 20, 2007, murder of a fellow South Side Cartel member who had fallen into disfavor with the gang;
• The retaliation murders of two people on March 27, 2008, outside the Oasis Bar located on Lyons Avenue in Newark.Roland also admitted committing an armed carjacking; an assault with a dangerous weapon in the 2008 shooting of a fellow gang member with whom Roland had a dispute; an assault with a dangerous weapon in the 2009 shooting of a rival gang member; the armed robbery of a drug dealer in East Orange, New Jersey; and conspiracy to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin and 280 grams of crack cocaine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Roland to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ehrie; the Newark Police Division, under the direction of Department of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose; and Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Robert Frazer of the Violent Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Howard of the Economic Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace Latzer of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Defense counsel:
Farad Roland: Richard Jasper Esq. and Michael Bachrach Esq., New York; and Stephen Turano Esq., NewarkLaw Enforcement Partnership Targets Armed Robbers of Miami Beach TouristsRead the Press Release
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Daniel J. Oates, Chief, City of Miami Beach Police Department, announce the conviction and sentencing of five individuals who participated in armed robberies of Miami Beach tourists.
In February of 2017, Roy William Reed, 24, from Memphis, Tennessee held up two tourists at gunpoint on Ocean Drive, in Miami Beach, while Ashley Brooks, 25, also from Memphis, acted as a lookout (Case No. 17-CR-20930). During the course of the robbery, Reed took, among other items, the victims’ wallets, cash and cellular telephones. Shortly after the robbery, Brooks attempted to use one of the victims’ credit cards at a gas station.
On March 13, 2018, Reed pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On the same day, Brooks pled guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On May 15, 2018, U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Reed and Brooks to 124 months and 84 months, respectively. A restitution hearing has been scheduled for Reed and Brooks on July 17, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., before Judge Middlebrooks.
Similarly, in October of 2017, Rahshard Jovan Stepherson, 45, and Vidyapati El, both of Riviera Beach, and Kemon Dominique Thompson, 25, of Opa Locka, held two foreign tourists at gunpoint in a stairwell on Miami Beach (Case No. 17-CR-20895). Stepherson shoved a firearm into the victims’ necks and stomachs and forced them to comply with his demands. The three defendants ultimately took the tourists’ wallets, watches, and cell phones, before fleeing the crime scene.
On April 10, 2018, a federal jury convicted Stepherson of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Stepherson was sentenced today by Judge Middlebrooks to 360 months in prison and was ordered to pay $6,600 in restitution to the victims.
Defendants Thompson and El pled guilty, on March 20, 2018, to brandishing a firearm in connection with this robbery. On May 15, 2018, Judge Middlebrooks sentenced El to 86 months in prison and was ordered to pay $8,620 in restitution to the victims. Thompson was sentenced today by Judge Middlebrooks to 96 months in prison and was ordered to pay $8,300 in restitution to the victims.
All five defendants were also ordered to serve 5 years of supervised release, following their release from prison.
These armed robbery cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’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.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the City of Miami Beach Police Department in this matter. Mr. Greenberg thanked the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in Memphis for their assistance. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Marcet, Jessica Obenauf, and David Turken.
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.