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Monday 11 June 2018
U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and U.S. Marshal George White to Announce Results of Revent Law Enforcement Initiative Conducted Throughout the Southern District of MississippiRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and U.S. Marshal George White will hold a press conference on TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. to announce the results of "Operation Triple Beam," a collaborative multi-agency, anti-violent crime initiative led by the U.S. Marshals Service.
WHEN: TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 2018 10:30 A.M.
WHERE: United States Federal Courthouse
Second Floor Exterior Courtyard
501 E. Court Street
Jackson, Mississippi
***In the event of rain***
United States Attorney’s Office
Fourth Floor Conference Room
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant Selected to the 2018 Class of Leadership TennesseeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN - Leadership Tennessee today announced its 45 Class VI members, leaders from rural and urban communities across Tennessee who will spend the next year engaging in collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issues of statewide importance.
The 45 new class members represent each geographic region of the state, including the communities of Memphis, Martin, Jackson, Nashville, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville, Kingsport, Johnson City and Chattanooga. Professional sectors represented include healthcare, education, economic development, government, tourism and agriculture.
Class VI members:
Adamsville: Commissioner Jai Templeton, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Brentwood: Valerie Hayes, Managing Director, Deloitte
Bristol: Jerry Caldwell, Executive Vice President/General Manager, Bristol Motor Speedway; Senator Jon Lundberg, State of Tennessee
Columbia: Jeff Aiken, President, Tennessee Farm Bureau
Chattanooga: Jared T. Bigham, Executive Director, Chattanooga 2.0; Stacy Goodwin Lightfoot, Vice President College and Career Success, Public Education Foundation; Hodgen Mainda, Vice President Community Development, Electric Power Board – Chattanooga; David Steele, Director of Civic Engagement & Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Dakasha Winton, Chief Government Relations Officer/Senior Vice President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee
Clarksville: Charlie Koon, VP Corporate & Military Business Development, F&M Bank
Dresden: Mayor Jake Bynum, Weakley County
Franklin: Brigadier General Kurt Winstead, Director of Joint Staff, Tennessee National Guard
Jackson: Logan Hampton, President, Lane College; Justice Roger Page, Tennessee Supreme Court; Lisa Piercy, MD, Executive Vice President, West Tennessee Healthcare
Johnson City: Alan Levine, Chairman/CEO, Ballad Health
Kingsport: Mayor John Clark, City of Kingsport; Dr. Jeff McCord, Vice President, Economic and Workforce Development, Northeast State Community College; Aundrea Wilcox, Executive Director – KOSBE, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce
Knoxville: Pastor Daryl Arnold, Overcoming Believers Church; Robyn Jarvis Askew, Shareholder/Attorney, Lewis, Thomason, King, Krieg & Waldrop P.C.; Cynthia Gibson, Chief Legal & Business Affairs Officer (former), Scripps Networks Interactive; Dr. Victoria Neiderhauser, Dean and Professor, University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Nursing
Martin: Keith Carver, Chancellor, University of Tennessee at Martin
Maryville: Bryan Daniels, President & CEO, Blount Partnership
Memphis: Rob Clark, Chief Government Affairs Officer, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Tosha Downey, Advocacy Director, Memphis Education Fund; Mike Dunavant, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, U.S. Department of Justice; Mitch Graves, President/CEO, HealthChoice LLC; Leslie Lynn Smith, President and CEO, EpiCenter Memphis; Tish Towns, Senior Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer, Regional One Health
Murfreesboro: Dan Caldwell, Senior Manager, Training, US Manufacturing, Nissan Group of North America; Beth Duffield, Senior Vice President of Education & Workforce Development, Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce
Nashville: Shanna Singh Hughey, President, Think Tennessee; Paige Kisber, President and CEO, Hospital Alliance of Tennessee; Amy New, Assistant Commissioner, Community and Rural Development, State of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development; Toks Omishakin, Deputy Commissioner/Chief of Planning and Environment, Tennessee Department of Transportation; Ann Jarvis Pruitt, Executive Director, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services; Emily Reynolds, Vice Chairman, Tennessee Board of Regents; Gabe Roberts, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, TennCare; Tara Scarlett, President/CEO, Scarlett Family Foundation; Todd Skelton, Deputy Counsel to Governor Bill Haslam, State of Tennessee; Deborah Taylor Tate, Director, Administrative Office of the Courts, Tennessee Supreme Court;
Union City: Lindsay Frilling, CEcD, CEO, Obion County Joint Economic Development Council;
"Each Leadership Tennessee class brings its own experience and insight to the table, and we’re especially excited about Class VI and what they bring to the conversation around critical issues in Tennessee," Leadership Tennessee Executive Director Cathy Cate said. "Each class grows together over the course of the year as they challenge their perspectives on issues in their communities. We’re looking forward to the conversations Class VI will have over the next year as they develop the program around focus areas they highlight as critical to state success."
Entering its sixth year, Leadership Tennessee selects a new class of leaders annually to visit different regions and communities of Tennessee, learning best practices and analyzing important issues faced by Tennesseans. To date, Leadership Tennessee has built a network of 175 leaders across the state.
"Leadership Tennessee helps you build relationships across multiple industries and sectors, public and private, but more importantly it builds opportunities for partnerships," recent Class V graduate and Tennessee Charter Schools Center CEO Maya Bugg said.
In conjunction with its fifth-year celebration, Leadership Tennessee brought Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman to tour the state and hosted its first gubernatorial forum at Lipscomb University in May. It also launched its "Volunteer State of Mind" initiative to spotlight Tennesseans’ propensity to selflessly serve and volunteer.
Earlier this year, Leadership Tennessee cohosted panels focused on the relationship between health, economic development, and education in building healthier communities, and it held a summit on childhood poverty in Northeast Tennessee in April.
Leadership Tennessee, an initiative of the College of Leadership & Public Service at Lipscomb University, fosters collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issues of state importance, connecting a network of diverse leaders and engaged citizens.
U.S, Attorney Brady Announces the Arrest in Nigeria of an Individual who Conspired with 4 Others Charged in a Business E-Mail Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today the arrest of Taiwo Musiliudeen Idris by law enforcement authorities in Nigeria. Idris was charged today by criminal complaint in the Western District of Pennsylvania with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme. The arrest was made public following an announcement by federal authorities of a significant coordinated effort to disrupt BEC schemes designed to intercept and highjack wire transfers from businesses and individuals, including many senior citizens.
According to U.S. Attorney Brady, Idris’ arrest was part of Operation Wire Wire, a coordinated law enforcement effort by the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Postal Service, to disrupt Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes. The operation was conducted over a six-month period, culminating in over two weeks of intensified law enforcement activity resulting in 74 arrests in the United States and overseas, including 29 arrests in Nigeria and three arrests in Canada, Mauritius, and Poland, respectively.
BEC, also known as "cyber-enabled fraud," targets businesses that regularly perform wire transfer payments, as well as individuals, including the elderly and purchasers of real estate. The schemes typically involve impersonating a key employee or other party to a business transaction after obtaining unauthorized access to that person’s email account. Fraudulent emails sent to the victim dupe the victim into wiring money to bank accounts controlled by the criminals instead of to a legitimate bank account belonging to a party to the transaction.
"Deception is at the heart of every business e-mail compromise or CEO impersonation scheme. Attackers gain access to a corporate e-mail account and then spoof the owner’s identity to defraud the company or its employees, customer or partners of money," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "We are committed to identifying and prosecuting anyone who uses the internet to financially exploit western Pennsylvania businesses and citizens."
"These types of schemes are constantly evolving as criminals become more sophisticated in targeting their victims,’ said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. "The best way to avoid being taken advantage of is to verify the authenticity of requests before they are carried out."
According to the criminal complaint affidavit, Taiwo Musiliudeen Idris conspired with Ismail Shitu, Nathanael Nyamekye, Adnan Ibrahim, and Akintayo Bolorunduro to launder over $411,000 in real estate settlement proceeds that were fraudulently obtained from a BEC. The BEC targeted the sellers of residential property in Maryland, along with their real estate company, and the settlement company.
According to the complaint affidavit, the settlement company received fraudulent emails and faxes that caused the settlement company to wire the sale proceeds to a bank account belonging to Ismail Shitu in the Western District of Pennsylvania, instead of to the bank account of the victim sellers. Specifically, the complaint affidavit states that on April 29, 2016, Ismail Shitu sent an instant message to Akintayo Bolorunduro containing the details of Shitu’s bank account. Within minutes, Bolorunduro sent Shitu’s bank account information to Taiwo Musiliudeen Idris in an instant message. Within twenty minutes of Idris’ receipt of Shitu’s bank account information, the settlement company received a fraudulent fax purporting to be from the sellers which requested the settlement proceeds to be wired to a bank account which, unbeknownst to them, belonged to Shitu.
The complaint affidavit further describes how the $411,000 was then withdrawn through Shitu’s purchase of eight official bank checks payable to various individuals and/or entities in varying amounts. Photos of several of the official bank checks were sent in instant messages from Shitu to Bolorunduro. Bolorunduro then forwarded those photos to Idris. Shitu, Nyamekye and Ibrahim then laundered the remaining funds.
Shitu, Ibrahim, and Bolorunduro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Bolorunduro was sentenced on May 10, 2018, by Judge Arthur J. Schwab to 63 months’ imprisonment. Shitu and Ibrahim are scheduled for sentencing on October 15, 2018. Nyamekye is scheduled for trial in September 2018.
Assistant United States Attorneys Charles A. Eberle, Adam N. Hallowell and James R. Wilson are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the arrest of Idris.
Two Women Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendants AMELIA M. TEDTAOTAO, age 31, and ANN MARIE C. PANGILINAN, age 41, were sentenced in District Court today by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco- Gatewood. The Court ordered terms of imprisonment as a result of the defendants’ convictions for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349. TEDTAOTAO was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, ordered to pay $9,005.53 restitution, a $100 assessment fee and to perform 50 hours of community service. PANGILINAN was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, the last six months of which can be served in home detention during a two year period of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,850 restitution, a $100 assessment fee and to perform 50 hours of community service.
From May 2014 to July 2014, TEDTAOTAO, PANGILINAN and others participated in an ATM debit-fraud and check-fraud scheme involving Bank of Guam (BOG) funds and checks drawn from Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants deposited fraudulent checks into third party BOG accounts via ATM transactions, and then withdrew funds based upon those checks. For the entire period of the conspiracy, the defendants and their co-conspirators attempted to obtain over $70,000 from BOG by depositing 101 fraudulent checks drawn from a closed and insufficiently funded account at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Guam Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Marivic P. David, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Guam.
Two Plead Guilty, Third Defendant Awaiting Trial in Pawtucket Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – Two Pawtucket residents have pleaded guilty to federal charges and a third person is awaiting trial for their alleged participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy which operated out of a Pawtucket residence, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves and Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF.
Appearing today before U. S District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Brandon Querceto, 31, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams of more of cocaine base. On Friday, Jacqueline Caraballo, 44, pleaded guilty before U. S District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to conspiracy to distribute heroin, five counts of distribution of heroin, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base and heroin, and one count each of possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
A third defendant arrested and charged in this matter, Michael Querceto, 33, is awaiting trial in federal court on one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, four counts of distribution of heroin, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, and one count each of possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
According to information presented to the Court, in September 2017, Pawtucket Police received information that an individual in Pawtucket was allegedly dealing heroin, arranging for the drug transactions via his cell telephone. Pawtucket Police linked the phone to Michael Querceto. The investigation also determined that Michael Querceto, his brother Brandon Querceto and Jacqueline Caraballo shared the same residence.
According to information presented to the Court, a Pawtucket Police Department undercover officer allegedly called Michael Querceto several times to arrange for a series of purchases of heroin. After the purchases were made over the course of several weeks, a court-authorized search warrant was obtained and executed at the Pawtucket residence, at which time law enforcement seized, among other drugs, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, steroids, fentanyl, $6,796 in cash, and a handgun.
According to information presented to the Court, it is alleged that Jacqueline Caraballo conspired with Michael Querceto to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine. It is alleged that on at least five occasions she distributed heroin, four times with Michael Querceto.
According to information presented to the Court , during the court-authorized search of the residence, law enforcement seized from Brandon Querceto’s bedroom more than 5 grams of heroin and nearly 60 grams of crack cocaine packaged for distribution.
All three defendants have been detained since their arrest. Brandon Querceto and Jacqueline Caraballo are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on September 11, 2018.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Pawtucket Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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Tonawanda Man Sentenced for His Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Raymond Hopson, 35, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between July 28, 2016, and November 8, 2016, Hopson made several sales of crack cocaine to an undercover (UC) officer posing as a drug customer. During that time, the defendant was living with for Niagara Falls Police Officer Stephanie Costanzo, at her residence on Grand Avenue in Niagara Falls. Hopson would store some of his cocaine, along with paraphernalia used to weigh and distribute the cocaine, at the residence.
On November 9, 2016, Special Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with the Niagara Falls Police Department executed a search warrant at Costanzo’s residence. Agents and officers recovered approximately 5.6 grams of cocaine, a digital scale used for weighing and distributing the cocaine, and drug paraphernalia used to package and distribute the cocaine. Although she did not participate in the distribution of the controlled substances, Costanzo was aware that Hopson stored his cocaine and paraphernalia at her residence.
Hopson conspired with another co-defendant, Lindsay Carrier, to distribute crack cocaine. On five occasions between July 28, 2016, and November 8, 2016, Hopson obtained crack cocaine from Carrier and then sold it to an undercover officer. A search warrant executed at the Willow Avenue residence of Carrier’s mother, resulted in the seizure of quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine.
Costanzo and Carrier were previously convicted. Costanzo was sentenced to time served, and Carrier received 70 months in prison.
Hopson’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Falls Police department, under the direction of Superintendent Bryan Dalporto, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.Three defendants face federal charges for illegally purchasing/possessing firearms used to kill area police officersRead the Press Release
Boone County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Pickett and Terre Haute Police Officer Robert Pitts killed with firearms that were illegally purchased
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today that three individuals have been charged for their role in illegally purchasing/possessing firearms that were eventually used to kill two area police officers. The charges are a result of a violence reduction program initiated by the Department of Justice called Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Dawn Rochon, 29, Indianapolis, has been charged with eight counts relating to making false statements when acquiring a firearm. Tiffany N. Dean 33, West Terre Haute, faces charges of making a false statement when purchasing a firearm and her brother, Levi M. Brenton 20, Terre Haute, faces charges including conspiracy to make false statements when purchasing a firearm, possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user and selling/giving a firearm to an unlawful drug user.
“When guns are purchased or possessed illegally, it is never for a good reason and the results are often tragic,” said Minkler. “We all continue to mourn the loss of Deputy Pickett and Officer Pitts and law enforcement must hold all those who contributed to their senseless death accountable. Those who ‘lie and buy’ guns will be prosecuted in federal court.”
According to court documents and testimony, Rochon allegedly made an illegal purchase of a 9mm handgun in February 2017, from a gun store in Indianapolis, making false statements on the purchase documents. The same gun is alleged to have been used to kill Boone County Deputy Jacob Pickett in March 2018. The indictment further alleged Rochon made three similar illegal purchases of firearms.
Similarly in February 2017, Tiffany N. Dean is alleged to have purchased a 9mm handgun from a gun store in Terre Haute. Dean completed required paperwork for the purchase, indicating the gun was for her, when in fact the gun was being purchased for her brother Levi M. Brenton because he was “too young to buy it.” According to the criminal complaint, Dean and Brenton went to the gun store together to purchase the firearm and Brenton left the store with the gun in his possession. It is further alleged that Brenton then sold the gun for $350. That same gun was allegedly used in the killing of Terre Haute Police Officer Robert Pitts in May 2018.
“ATF remains committed to removing violent criminals from our communities, including those who provide firearms to individuals who are prohibited from having them,” stated Trevor A. Velinor, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “The lasting damage that gun violence does to our communities cannot be overstated. ATF will work tirelessly to address and combat gun violence perpetrated against our community and the men and women in law enforcement.”
In January 2018, Minkler introduced a violence reduction strategy called Project Safe Neighborhoods, specifically aimed at reducing the number of homicides and non-fatal shooting in both Indianapolis and Evansville. An Assistant United States Attorney is assigned to each IMPD District as well as working closely with the Evansville Police Department to prosecute individuals who illegally carry firearms. To date 117 PSN cases have been charged. Some of the most egregious include:
Franklin Fitzpatrick, 42, Louisville, charged in Evansville, two-time convicted felon actively engaged in methamphetamine distribution while in possession of three handguns.
Korrtel Filzen, 28, Indianapolis, convicted felon charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and eight business robberies in Indianapolis.
Brennan Rogers, 48, Indianapolis, felon in possession of a 9mm handgun, 9mm tec-9 pistol and illicit drugs.
Anthony White, 20, and Brian York, 30, both from Indianapolis, charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and robbing six Dollar General stores and a BP Gas Station
Lemontrae Bible, 24, Indianapolis, convicted felon on two separate drug-related charges in possession of loaded .22 caliber pistol.
These cases have been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Speedway Police Department and the Evansville Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney who are prosecuting PSN cases include: Will McCoskey, Matthew Lasher, Kendra Klump, Pamela Domash, Peter Blackett, Jeff Preston, Todd Shellenbarger, Lauren Wheatley and Barry Glickman.
Attorney General Sessions has directed U.S. Attorneys from around the country to take the lead in results-oriented reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods. PSN is a collaborative approach to public safety to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. Indianapolis has a violent crime rate 2.5 times the national average and a homicide rate 4.5 times the national average. Minkler strongly believes aggressive prosecutions of the most violent criminals will be a catalyst to reduce the number of gun-related victims.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to partner with federal and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute individuals committing violent crimes involving firearms. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 2.3)
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Three Broward County Residents Sentenced to Prison for Heroin and Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
Three Broward County residents have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a heroin and firearms trafficking enterprise.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Ari C. Shapira, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office, and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.
According to the court record, associates Scoth Vilbrun, 19, Mondlin Seppe, a/k/a “Box Chevy,” 27, and Jovante Telfort, 26, all of Pompano Beach, were involved in the trafficking of firearms and narcotics. On July 13, 2017, Vilbrun sold approximately 7 grams of heroin and a .45 rifle to an undercover officer. On August 10, 2017, Seppe, sold approximately 14 grams of heroin and 2 revolvers to an undercover officer. On June 23, 2017, Telfort, 26, sold approximately 15 grams of heroin and a Ruger, mini 30 rifle to an undercover officer.
The defendants previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute narcotics and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense and were recently sentenced to prison by United States District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas. On May 30, 2018, Telfort, was sentenced to a total of 84 months in prison (24 months in prison for the narcotics offense, to be followed by 60 months in prison for the firearm offense). On the same date, Seppe was sentenced to a total of 78 months in prison (18 months in prison for the narcotics offense, to be followed by 60 months in prison for the firearm offense). On June 6, 2018, Vilbrun was sentenced to a total of 72 months in prison (12 months in prison for the narcotics offense, to be followed by 60 months in prison for the firearm offense).
Each defendant was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release for the narcotics offense, to run concurrent to 5 years of supervised release for the firearm offense.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings 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 ATF and BSO in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Brown.
Court documents and information related to this case 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.
Tampa Man Charged with Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death, Two Others Charged with Conspiracy and DistributionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the indictment of Corey Damond Smith, Jr. (23, Tampa) for the distribution of fentanyl resulting in the death of an individual. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In addition, a separate indictment has been returned against Jeffrey Luis Rodriguez (33, Tampa) charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of distribution of heroin involving serious bodily injury, and five counts of distributing heroin or fentanyl or both. If convicted of the offenses, he faces a life term in federal prison.
A third individual, Donald Calvin Hatch, Jr. (29, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl. He faces up to 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date for Hatch has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on November 13, 2017, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to an address near the University Mall area to aid a man, B.D., who had suffered from an opioid overdose. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue also responded to the scene and administered several doses of an opioid overdose reversal medication (Narcan). However, these lifesaving measures were unsuccessful in reviving the victim. Detectives learned that the victim had obtained the narcotics from Smith, who had sold them as heroin. In fact, Smith had actually sold fentanyl, which is 10 times stronger than heroin. A medical autopsy revealed that the cause of death of the victim was fentanyl intoxication.
In his plea agreement, Hatch admitted to conspiring with Rodriguez, acting as his middleman, in five sales of opioids to undercover law enforcement. Hatch also admitted to having used heroin sold to him by Rodriguez and overdosing as a result.
An indictment is merely formal charge that an individual has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases are part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse. They were investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s Heroin Working Group, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Palermo.
Swiftbird Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Swiftbird, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner.
Raven Different Horse, age 27, was indicted on May 22, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on June 7, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 23, 2018, Different Horse assaulted his intimate partner sexually, with a dangerous weapon, and by suffocation, which caused serious bodily injury.
The charges are merely accusations and Different Horse is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Different Horse was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
St. Petersburg Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years for A Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Devin Fabian Collins (25, St. Petersburg) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm used in the offense. Collins was found guilty by a jury on February 13, 2018.
According to evidence presented at trial, Collins drove recklessly through St. Petersburg as he was being followed by a police helicopter. After Collins pulled into an apartment complex, officers arrived at the scene and Collins fled on foot, while tossing drugs and a gun. At the time of the incident, Collins had a prior felony conviction and is, therefore, prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James Preston and Callan Albritton.
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.
Southington Restaurant to Make Changes to Comply with Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement agreement with the Smokin’ with Chris Restaurant in Southington, to resolve allegations that the restaurant was not operating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”).
The settlement agreement resolves an ADA complaint filed by an individual with mobility disabilities alleging that the Smokin’ with Chris facility was not accessible. The restaurant is in the process of making the changes to its facility required by the settlement agreement, including creating accessible parking spaces, adding an accessible entry route and entrance to the restaurant, providing a ramp to the accessible entrance, constructing an accessible restroom, and adding accessible seating in the dining, bar, and patio areas. Smokin’ with Chris will continue to make improvements to its facility over the next year.
Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including restaurants, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted the commitment of the owners of Smokin’ with Chris to work collaboratively with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to address the ADA issues and to increase the restaurant’s accessibility without litigation.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensures that individuals are able to access and enjoy the state’s restaurants and other places of public accommodation,” stated U.S. Attorney Durham. “We appreciate the cooperation of the owners of Smokin’ with Chris throughout our investigation and their readiness to agree to remediate the restaurant’s architectural barriers.”
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica H. Soufer of the District of Connecticut in coordination with the Disability Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Signature Healthcare to Pay More Than $30 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Rehabilitation TherapyRead the Press Release
Signature HealthCARE, LLC (Signature), a Louisville, Kentucky based company that owns and operates approximately 115 skilled nursing facilities, including seven in middle Tennessee, has agreed to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims to Medicare for rehabilitation therapy services that were not reasonable, necessary and skilled, the Department of Justice announced today. The settlement also resolves allegations that Signature submitted forged pre-admission certifications of patient need for skilled nursing to the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program. Under the settlement agreements, Signature has agreed to pay more than $30 million. As part of the resolution, the State of Tennessee will receive a portion of the settlement.
“Health care providers who engage in deceptive practices place patients at unnecessary risk and contribute to the financial distress of our federal healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran. “Our dedicated teams of civil enforcement attorneys will work tirelessly with the relators who report fraud such as this and with our law enforcement partners who investigate healthcare fraud. When we determine that companies are cheating the taxpayers, we will hold them accountable as we have in this case.”
The government alleged that Signature engaged in various practices that resulted in the submission of claims for unreasonable, unnecessary, and unskilled services to Medicare patients, including: presumptively placing patients in the highest therapy reimbursement level, rather than relying on individualized evaluations to determine the level of care most suitable for each patient’s clinical needs; providing the minimum number of minutes required to bill at a given reimbursement level while discouraging the provision of additional therapy beyond that minimum threshold; and, pressuring therapists and patients to complete the planned minutes of therapy even when patients were sick or declined to participate in therapy.
“Health care fraud impacts the quality of our health care, in addition to costing consumers and taxpayers,” said Acting TBI Director Jason Locke. “We are fortunate to have this strong relationship with our federal law enforcement partners in continuing to investigate this type of behavior in Tennessee.”
“We will continue to work with our state and federal partners to hold healthcare providers accountable for false billing,” said Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III. “This settlement demonstrates a continued commitment to protecting the integrity of the TennCare program.”
“Signature was charged with illegally boosting profits by providing excessive amounts of therapy to patients whether they needed it or not,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “The decision to provide therapy should never be based on corporate financial considerations rather than a patient’s medical needs.”
The settlement resolves allegations filed in a lawsuit by Kristi Emerson and LeeAnn Tuesca, former Signature therapy employees, in federal court in Nashville, Tennessee. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did in this case. Ms. Emerson and Ms. Tuesca will receive a portion of the recovered funds.
The settlements were the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Tennessee and the Northern District of Georgia; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah K. Bogni of the Middle District of Tennessee and Lena Amanti of the Northern District of Georgia represent the United States. Assistant Attorney General Philip Bangle represents the State of Tennessee.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Emerson and Tuesca v. Signature HealthCARE, LLC, et al., Case No. 1:15-cv-00027 (M.D. Tenn.). The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Seven Des Moines Individuals Charged with Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On March 28, 2018, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging seven defendants with sex trafficking announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Six defendants were arrested and appeared in federal court in Des Moines. The remaining defendant was arrested on June 8, 2018, in Texas. Trial is scheduled for October 15, 2018, before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey.
According to the Indictment, in the Spring and Summer of 2017, the defendants trafficked three adult victims. Darren Coleman, Sarina Williams, Mark Carter, and Stephen Cobb are alleged to have conspired with one another, and actually engaged in, sex trafficking of a victim by force, fraud, and coercion. Coleman and Cobb are further alleged to have used a firearm in the course of trafficking the victim. Coleman and Sarina Williams are charged with additional offenses relating to the travel of the victim across state lines for the purposes of prostitution.
Mark Carter, Julyen Singleton, Ronzell Williams, and Breanna Brown are charged in the same Indictment with conspiring with one another to traffic, and to have actually trafficked, a separate victim by force, fraud, and coercion. Mark Carter is also charged with sex trafficking a third victim by force, fraud and coercion, and for using a firearm in the course of these offenses.
Each defendant is subject to a fifteen-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, up to life imprisonment. Conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking has no mandatory minimum prison sentence and has a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
The public is reminded that an Indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless they are proven guilty.
Human trafficking is defined as a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely. Anyone who suspects human trafficking is occurring, be it a minor engaging in paid sex acts, or anyone being coerced into prostitution or labor, is urged to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department, Vice and Narcotics Control Section. Analytical support has been provided by the Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Department of Public Safety, as well as the Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center. The Polk County Attorney’s Office also assisted with this prosecution. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mark Corum, 62, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to four counts of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Corum engaged in Skype conversations with various Skype users in the Philippines in which he instructed the other parties to perform sexual acts on children while he watched on live webcam. Corum sent the persons in the Philippines payments of between $25 and $35 via money transmittal services in exchange for them performing the sexual acts he requested on children and transmitting the images to him via webcam. Transcripts of the Skype chats filed with the court reflect that, at Corum’s direction, children between the ages of infancy and 10 years old were sexually abused. The Skype chats also contain statements by Corum alluding to prior trips to the Philippines and sex acts with children there. He stated that he had visited the Philippines “many times” and had “many good memories.” He also indicated that if he visited the Philippines again, he wanted to have sex with one of the children he had directed to be abused, a six-year-old girl. In addition, on June 23, 2016, Corum used the internet to transmit images of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct to another person.
This case was investigated by the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine T. Lydon and Jill Thomas are prosecuting the case.
Corum is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on October 29, 2018. Corum faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison on the distribution of child pornography count and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison on each of the four production of child pornography counts, as well as a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 on each count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Sacaton Gang Member Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Today, George Alonzo Renteria, 30, of Sacaton, Ariz., and a member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to life imprisonment for first degree murder, with a consecutive sentence of ten years for committing the murder with a firearm. Renteria had previously been convicted at a jury trial of first degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence.
On Feb. 17, 2014, Renteria shot and killed a fellow member of the Gila River Indian Community. Renteria encountered the victim in Chandler, Ariz., and convinced him to get into a car Renteria was driving. Renteria then drove the victim to a deserted field on the Gila River Indian Community and shot him to death with a handgun. Renteria was in the midst of a violent crime spree, having perpetrated a vehicle theft and an armed home invasion in the hours leading up to the murder.
During the trial, the victim was described by fellow community members as a gentle, well-liked, and kind-hearted man who went out of his way to help those around him. Renteria, on the other hand, is a longtime member of a street gang with a violent criminal history. At the time he murdered the victim, Renteria was on federal supervised release for a prior robbery conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the Gila River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Keller and William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-16-00407-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-079_Renteria
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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.
Romanian Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Re-entryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ioan Rostas, a/k/a Ioan Angel, age 29, and a citizen of Romania, was sentenced today to time served (86 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
As part of his guilty plea, Rostas admitted that he was removed from the United States to Romania on September 28, 2017. On March 17, 2018, Border Patrol Agents arrested Rostas near Chateaugay, New York. Rostas was in a group of four people who had entered the United States without inspection from Canada shortly before Border Patrol Agents encountered them in the woods near Chateaugay.
Following sentencing, Rostas was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security, for removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by the Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Joseph Cavico, Jr., 50, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession of firearm with obliterated serial number. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott S. Allen, Jr. and Paul C. Parisi, who are handling the case, stated that on December 15, 2017, law enforcement officials from the LeRoy Police Department responded to a domestic dispute in LeRoy, New York. Upon arrival, officers saw Cavico on top of a female, assaulting her, with a pistol at his side. The pistol’s serial number had been obliterated.
The defendant has three prior felonies dating back to 1990 and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division; the LeRoy Police Department, under the direction of Chief Christopher Hayward; and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff William Sheron, Jr.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2018, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Redirections Treatment Owner Charged with Unlawfully Distributing Buprenorphine and Defrauding Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – The owner of Redirections Treatment Advocates, LLC, an opioid addiction treatment practice with offices in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, has been indicted on charges of unlawfully dispensing controlled substances and health care fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady of the Western District of Pennsylvania and United States Attorney William J. Powell of the Northern District of West Virginia announced today. This indictment is the eleventh in a series of charges filed in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia since Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the formation of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that commit opioid-related health care fraud.
The 47-count indictment, returned on June 5, and unsealed Friday, names Jennifer Hess, 49, of Washington, Pennsylvania.
According to the indictment, Hess is the owner of Redirections Treatment Advocates, LLC, an opioid addiction treatment center with multiple locations in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. The indictment alleges Hess aided five physicians on multiple occasions with unlawfully dispensing buprenorphine, also known as Suboxone and Subutex, a drug that should be used to treat individuals with addiction. The indictment also charges Hess with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute buprenorphine. Finally, the indictment charges Hess with health care fraud for allegedly causing fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid for payments to cover the costs of the unlawfully prescribed buprenorphine.
“Combatting the opioid epidemic in western Pennsylvania is the number one priority of this Office. We are aggressively prosecuting doctors and medical professionals who would exploit others’ addiction for their own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Brady. “As detailed in this indictment, RTA owner Jennifer Hess operated a network of addiction treatment clinics – which could be helping those in their hour of greatest need – as a cash business, and then committed health care fraud. This Office will continue to protect those suffering from opioid abuse disorder from this illegal and unethical conduct.”
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with our colleagues in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The Northern District of West Virginia has been seriously affected by health care providers who violate federal law. Our citizens have suffered at their hands long enough. We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who choose to violate the law,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Powell, Northern District of West Virginia.
“The health care system is a critical piece of our nation's infrastructure,” said Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “Individuals alleged to have defrauded health care programs place additional burdens and costs on the health care system, which affects every American citizen. The FBI views this crime as a severe problem and today's arrest sends a clear message that we are dedicated to stopping this type of activity.”
Hess faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each of the 45 counts charging her with unlawfully dispensing Schedule III controlled substances, a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $1 million for the single count charging her with conspiracy to unlawfully dispense a Schedule III controlled substance, and a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for the single count charging her with health care fraud. 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 Attorneys Robert S. Cessar and Michael L. Ivory of the Western District of Pennsylvania and Assistant United States Attorney Sarah E. Wagner of the Northern District of West Virginia are prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States.
The investigation leading to this indictment was conducted by the Western Pennsylvania Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, which combines personnel and resources from the following agencies to combat the growing prescription opioid epidemic: Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office - Criminal Division, Civil Division and Asset Forfeiture Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Licensing.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Queensbury Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Chad Knowlton, age 24, of Queensbury, New York, pled guilty today to distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Janelle M. Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Knowlton admitted to using a custom-built desktop computer equipped with peer-to-peer file-sharing software to download and distribute child pornography. Knowlton also admitted to using a smartphone to download additional child pornography. Overall, Knowlton downloaded and retained more than 1,000 videos and images depicting child pornography.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 9, 2018 before Senior United States Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. Knowlton, who is detained pending sentencing, faces a minimum 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Knowlton will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Knowlton is also facing state charges alleging the sexual abuse of children in Warren County. He is innocent unless and until proven guilty of those charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
Prolific Opioid Dealer Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Skyler Christopher Sanders (33, Bradenton) to 13 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, methamphetamine, carfentanil, and fentanyl. He pleaded guilty on December 21, 2017.
According to court documents, Sanders and his associates sold drugs out of a house in Bradenton that operated as an open-air drug market. These drugs included cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, methamphetamine, carfentanil, and fentanyl. Sanders and his associates sold these drugs to undercover detectives on numerous occasions.
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation entitled “Hot Batch.” The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout.
Oregon Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Assault and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Nicholas James Cantrell, 28, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and assaulting a Multnomah County Sheriff deputy while being held on a federal detainer at the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC).
According to court documents, Cantrell was arrested and booked into MCDC after fleeing Gresham Police and abandoning a bag containing a firearm and a digital scale. While in custody for the federal firearm charge, Cantrell assaulted a jail deputy by repeatedly punching, choking, and slamming the deputy’s head against the floor until the deputy lost consciousness.
Cantrell previously pleaded guilty to one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm and assault on certain officers or employees on February 13, 2018.
The case was jointly investigated by the United States Marshals Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Gresham Police Department, and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Jane Shoemaker and John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
New York Man Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Arafat M. Nagi, 47, of Lackawanna, New York, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. for the Western District of New York and Special Agent in Charge Gary Loeffert of the FBI’s Buffalo Office made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
On Aug. 28, 2014, a community member advised the FBI that the defendant spoke about violent jihad to various people in the Lackawanna community and it was common for Nagi to get into verbal complaints over his jihadi beliefs. Further investigation determined that the defendant pledged allegiance to ISIS and the leader of the terrorist group, Abu Bakr al Bagdadi.
Investigators learned that the defendant traveled to Turkey on two occasions, in October 2012 and July 2014, with the intention of meeting with members of ISIS. Prior to traveling to Turkey, the defendant purchased a large number of military combat items, including a tactical vest, army combat shirt, body armor, Shahada Flag, combat boots, backpack, burn kit, a hunting knife, machete and night vision goggles. Once in Turkey, Nagi purchased a SIM card and activated a Turkish cell phone number. Facebook messages showed that the defendant contacted other individuals, who were prepared to help the defendant enter Syria to join ISIS, and exchanged Turkish cell phone numbers. In addition, evidence seized from the defendant’s electronic devices showed that the defendant, while in Turkey, was researching how to travel from Istanbul to cities close to the Syrian border.
During follow up interviews in December 2014 and March 2015, the community member who alerted the FBI regarding Nagi’s actions stated that the defendant still possessed radical political and religious views. According to the individual, Nagi was angry about the killing of rebels in Yemen which he blamed on the United States; pledged an oath to ISIS leaders; expressed agreement with ISIS tactics, including the killing of innocent men, women and children. The individual further reported that defendant planned to travel to Yemen and Turkey again soon.
This case was investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and assistance was provided by the New York State Attorney General’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Joel L. Violanti of the Western District of New York, and Trial Attorney Paul Casey of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
New Haven Gang Member Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIE GARVIN, also known as “Tank” and “Black,” 27, of New Haven, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a violent New Haven street gang.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2014, ATF and the New Haven Police Department began “Operation Red Side” through a series of controlled narcotics purchases and firearms seizures. The investigation revealed that members and associates of the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a sect of the Bloods street gang based in New Haven, were engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies. In addition to distributing crack cocaine and other narcotics in and around New Haven, the investigation indicated that members and associates of the RSGB, under the direction of Jeffrey Benton and others, transported the drugs to Bangor, Maine, and sold them in Bangor and its surrounding communities. The RSGB also traded narcotics for firearms and used drug addicts as straw purchasers of firearms. Members then brought the firearms back to New Haven and distributed them to gang members.
GARVIN was an active member of the RSGB. He traveled frequently to Maine and sold crack cocaine and heroin in the Bangor area. He also coordinated the purchase of several firearms, which he transported to New Haven for his use and the use of other RSGB members.
The investigation also revealed that GARVIN regularly robbed other drug dealers for cash in the New Haven area. On December 22, 2011, GARVIN and an associate shot and seriously wounded an individual during an attempted robbery. On April 26, 2013, GARVIN and another individual robbed a marijuana dealer at gunpoint, stealing approximately $800, a quantity of marijuana and other items.
On June 8, 2014, GARVIN was arrested on state charges after he was found in possession of a loaded .22 caliber firearm.
In December 2014, a grand jury in Connecticut returned an indictment charging GARVIN with robbery and firearm offenses and, in February 2015, a grand jury in Maine returned an indictment charging GARVIN with narcotics and firearm offenses. On July 30, 2015, he pleaded guilty in Connecticut to possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. GARVIN also agreed to have his Maine case transferred to Connecticut and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and conspiracy to violate federal firearms laws.
GARVIN has been detained since his arrest on December 23, 2014.
As a result of this investigation, 21 members and associates of the RSGB were convicted of federal charges in Connecticut and Maine. The investigation has resolved seven murder cases, four attempted murders and four armed robberies that occurred in 2011 and 2012.
Benton pleaded guilty to various offenses stemming from this investigation and admitted that he participated in four gang-related murders and one attempted murder. On October 4, 2017, he was sentenced to 480 months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hamden Police Department. The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office also provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of the investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Markle and Jocelyn Kaoutzanis. A related case in the District of Maine is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to a Year and a Day for Making a False Tax ClaimRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Robert E. DeAngelis, 38, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Jon D. Levy to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release for making a false claim for a federal tax refund. DeAngleis also was ordered to pay $100,574 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). He pled guilty on January 16, 2018.
According to court records, DeAngelis, who was then residing in North Berwick, Maine, falsely reported his income, as well as the amount of federal income tax withheld from him, on his 2014 joint income tax return. As a result, the IRS issued a refund payment in the amount of $31,615, to which he was not entitled. The restitution order reflected improper refund payments he obtained in connection with the filing of his 2011, 2012 and 2014 tax returns.
The case was investigated by the IRS, Criminal Investigations.
- NYCHA Settlement documents
Myrtle Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charges in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Jason Jarvis Parker, age 36, of Myrtle Beach, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Florence to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of heroin and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, a quantity of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, all in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1). United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after a pre-sentence report is prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was part of an investigation conducted by state and federal agents into the sale of illegal drugs in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area. On August 28, 2017, agents made a controlled purchase of heroin from Parker. Agents made additional controlled purchases of heroin from Parker on September 6, 2017 and September 20, 2017. After the last purchase, agents arrested Parker during a traffic stop and found him in possession of over 28 grams of cocaine base and quantity amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine.
Ms. Lydon stated the defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years and a fine of $5,000,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Florence, and the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Drug Enforcement Unity (DEU). Assistant United States Attorney Christopher D. Taylor of the Florence office handled the case.
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Myrtle Beach Felon Who Threatened Police on Facebook Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Anthony Scott Hunt, age 37, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., pled guilty in federal court in Florence to Felon in Possession of a Firearm. United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on February 19, 2018, a complainant met with an officer at the Horry County Police Department (HCPD) regarding some disturbing Facebook posts by Anthony Scott Hunt, which were directed toward Horry County Police and Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU). In the Facebook posts, Hunt referenced DEU in Horry County and stated he was “taking these…cops to war” and that he had automatic weapons, ammunition, and body armor. He also stated he is “stalking my guns up” and that he had a “Beretta 45,” along with other specific guns, so he is “Ready for War.” HCPD located, on the Facebook account, a picture of Hunt wearing what appeared to be a “Raiders” jersey and hat, bandana mask, and beaded bracelets while holding what appeared to be a Beretta pistol.
Horry County detectives obtained a search warrant for the property where Hunt lived and located, in Hunt’s living quarters, a Beretta .45 caliber handgun, loaded with rounds of ammunition, along with the jersey, hat, bandana, and bracelets Hunt was depicted wearing in his Facebook picture. Prior to his possession of the firearm, Hunt had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
U.S. Attorney Lydon stated the defendant faces a maximum penalty of $250,000 and/or ten years imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Horry County Police Department, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, the Horry County Myrtle Beach Violent Crimes Task Force, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Bomb Team. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office handled the case.
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Mexican cartel leader Edgar Valdez-Villareal, a/k/a “La Barbie,” sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and money launderingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Edgar Valdez-Villareal, a/k/a La Barbie, who was born in the U.S. and rose to be a high-level leader of Mexico’s Beltran-Leyva Cartel, has been sentenced to 49 years and one month in federal prison on charges of cocaine trafficking and money laundering.
“Valdez-Villareal imported tons of cocaine into the U.S. while ruthlessly working his way up the ranks of one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels, leaving in his wake countless lives destroyed by drugs and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “He will now go to federal prison for nearly the rest of his life. The highest levels of Mexican drug cartel should know that, like La Barbie, they will be held accountable for their crimes.”
“Edgar Valdez-Villareal a/k/a “La Barbie” was once a powerful and high-ranking member of the Mexico-based Sinaloa and Arturo Beltran-Leyva Drug Cartels,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Valdez-Villareal engaged in two decades of drug trafficking crimes and reigned with immeasurable acts of violence and intimidation. His ruthless and violent drug trafficking activities posed a significant threat to the quality of life in our country and elsewhere. The lengthy sentence he received makes the U.S. a safer place. DEA wants to thank its local, state, federal, regional, national and foreign (especially the government of Mexico) law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for making this extraordinary case a success.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: As early as the year 2000, Valdez-Villareal began his drug trafficking career as a marijuana distributor in Laredo, Texas. He soon developed cocaine customers in New Orleans and Memphis, and his activities escalated into regular shipments of 150-180 kilograms of cocaine to distributors in multiple cities. Valdez-Villareal eventually entered into a relationship with Arturo Beltran-Leyva, who was then associated with the Sinaloa Cartel and Joaquin Guzman-Loera, a/k/a “El Chapo,” in Mexico. With their support, Valdez-Villareal began coordinating shipments of cocaine into Mexico from Colombia and other South American countries using speedboats and airplanes, while also paying bribes to local law enforcement officials. The cocaine was then transported across the border into the U.S. to Valdez-Villareal’s distributors. At the same time, Valdez-Villareal became a top-level enforcer for the cartel and coordinated a war against his rivals, the Gulf Cartel and Zetas in Mexico.
In 2004, Valdez-Villareal and his partners sought out a more formalized distribution organization for their cocaine customers in Memphis and Atlanta. Valdez-Villareal obtained cocaine from Colombia, exported the cocaine from Mexico to customers located in the U.S. in tractor trailer loads of up to 300 kilograms twice per week, then arranged for currency to be smuggled back across the border to the organization’s supervisors in Mexico. In Atlanta alone, the organization distributed a total of 1,500 kilograms of cocaine in just six months in 2005. DEA agents were able to build the case against Valdez-Villareal using wiretaps, seizures of over 100 kilograms of cocaine and $4 million of drug proceeds, and witness testimony.
Edgar Valdez-Villareal, a/k/a La Barbie, 44, of Laredo, Texas has been sentenced to 49 years and one month in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit the sum of $192,000,000, by U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. Valdez-Villareal was convicted of conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to launder money on January 6, 2016, after he entered a guilty plea.
This case was investigated by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Former U.S. Attorney John Horn, Assistant U.S Attorney Elizabeth M. Hathaway, Chief of the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford prosecuted the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance with this case.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
McLaughlin Man Charged with Murder-First Degree and Felony Child Abuse and NeglectRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Murder-First Degree, Felony Child Abuse-Aggravated Battery of an Infant, and Felony Child Abuse and Neglect.
Kenneth William Chase, age 31, was indicted on May 22, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on June 4, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, an additional mandatory special assessment of $5,000, and $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, Chase committed first degree murder upon a minor victim, in the perpetration and attempted perpetration of child abuse, by inflicting traumatic head injuries to the minor victim.
The charges are merely accusations and Chase is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Chase was ordered detained pending trial. A trial date has been set for August.
McLaughlin Man Charged with Assault of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault of a Federal Officer.
Austin Rain Folson, age 19, was indicted on May 22, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on June 4, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, Folson committed assault when, on or about the 14th day of March, 2018, Folson forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with a federal officer while the officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties. The Indictment alleges that Folson’s assault resulted in the officer sustaining an injury.
The charges are merely an accusation and Folson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Folson was ordered detained pending trial. A trial date has been set for August.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Settlement with NYCHA and NYC to Fundamentally Reform NYCHA Through the Appointment of a Federal Monitor and the Payment by NYC of $1.2 Billion of Additional Capital Money over the Next Five YearsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ben Carson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), Helen M. Albert, Principal Deputy Inspector General, performing the duties of the Inspector General, HUD Office of the Inspector General (“HUD OIG”), and Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today the simultaneous filing of a Complaint against defendant NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY (“NYCHA”) and a proposed settlement agreement, in the form of a Consent Decree, with NYCHA and the City of New York (the “City”). The Complaint alleges that NYCHA for years has violated and continues to violate basic federal health and safety regulations, including regulations requiring NYCHA to protect children from lead paint and otherwise to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing. The Complaint further alleges that NYCHA has repeatedly made false statements to HUD and the public regarding its lead paint compliance, and has intentionally deceived HUD inspectors. To fundamentally reform NYCHA and ensure that it provides housing that complies with federal law, the Consent Decree – which is subject to the review and approval of the Court – imposes a strong federal Monitor and requires the City, among other things, to provide $1.2 billion of additional capital funding to NYCHA over the next five years, and $200 million every year thereafter until the problems are fixed and the Consent Decree is no longer necessary.
Along with other federal, state, and city funding, there will be approximately $ 4 billion available for capital improvements the first four years.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “NYCHA’s failure to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing is simply unacceptable, and illegal. Children must be protected from toxic lead paint, apartments must be free of mold and pest infestations, and developments must provide adequate heat in winter and elevator service. NYCHA has put its residents at risk. Today’s unprecedented settlement will improve life for the 400,000 residents who call NYCHA home, while ensuring accountability, reform, and oversight at this troubled institution. The City’s commitment of resources to NYCHA is extraordinary and promises real relief for NYCHA residents.”
HUD Secretary Ben Carson said: “This historic agreement marks a new era for New York City’s public housing, one that puts families and their children first. New York City and New York State are making an unprecedented commitment to put NYCHA on a new path. The cooperation of Federal, State and city officials will vastly improve the living conditions for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who call NYCHA home.”
HUD OIG Principal Deputy Inspector General Helen M. Albert said: “We are proud of the integral work that the OIG staff performed which led to today’s settlement. This represents a consequential partnership with the U.S. Attorney and others to ensure that those who reside in NYCHA housing will do so in safe and sanitary conditions.”
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said: “Instead of protecting children from lead poisoning, NYCHA systematically violated EPA and HUD lead paint safety regulations and covered up its noncompliance. Today’s landmark settlement puts a stop to that. It is not only a great example of what EPA and HUD can achieve by working together, but it also sends a strong message to housing authorities, landlords, and renovators – violating the law and endangering public health will not be tolerated. This agreement will dramatically improve the living conditions of New York City’s most vulnerable residents.”
According to the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court:
For years, NYCHA has failed to comply with key HUD and EPA lead paint safety regulations, including by failing to inspect apartments for lead paint hazards and failing to remediate peeling lead paint. NYCHA also fails to ensure that its workers use lead-safe work practices. Children have been harmed as a result of NYCHA’s failures. Between 2010 and 2016, at least 19 lead-poisoned children were found to have been exposed to deteriorated lead paint in their NYCHA apartments, and thousands more were put at risk.
NYCHA also fails to provide “decent, safe, and sanitary” housing as required by HUD regulations. Mold grows unchecked at many NYCHA developments, often on a very large scale, threatening the health of residents with asthma. Across the city, NYCHA residents are provided inadequate heat in winter, leading to frigid apartment temperatures. Pest and vermin infestations are common. Elevators fail, leaving elderly or disabled residents trapped in their apartments or sleeping in building lobbies.
NYCHA has repeatedly made false statements to HUD and the public regarding these matters. These include false certifications by NYCHA each year that it would comply with HUD’s lead paint safety regulations. NYCHA also deceived HUD about living conditions at NYCHA, going so far as to publish a “Quick Tips” training guide for how to hide conditions from HUD’s inspectors.
* * *
The United States has filed a proposed Consent Decree today, which would resolve the allegations in the Complaint. The Consent Decree remains subject to review and approval by the Court. The Consent Decree provides for the appointment of a federal monitor to oversee fundamental reform at NYCHA. The Monitor has the authority, under the review of the Court, to set the performance standards that NYCHA must meet, devise the plans by which NYCHA will achieve those standards (including by implementing changes to NYCHA’s management, organization, and workforce structure), and require NYCHA to select independent contractors to perform certain work. The Monitor will be selected by the United States, after consultation with City and state officials and NYCHA stakeholders, and subject to approval by the Court.
The Consent Decree also commits the City of New York to provide an additional $1 billion in capital funds over the next four years, over and above what the City has budgeted, and at least an additional $200 million in capital funds each subsequent year until the conditions identified in the Complaint are addressed. Further, the Consent Decree requires NYCHA to comply immediately with HUD’s and EPA’s lead-safe work practices rules and to provide notice to residents in any apartment where NYCHA has identified lead paint.
* * *
In the Consent Decree submitted today, NYCHA admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following:
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- At least once a year, beginning no later than 2010 and extending through 2016, NYCHA’s certifications to HUD contained untrue representations that NYCHA “will comply with” HUD’s federal lead paint safety regulations.
- In more than half of NYCHA’s developments, NYCHA’s inspections (including statistical sampling) have confirmed the presence of lead paint somewhere on the premises, and in at least 92 developments, the inspections (including statistical sampling) have confirmed the presence of lead paint inside apartment units.
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- Since at least 2010, NYCHA has not performed most of the biennial lead paint risk assessment reevaluations required by regulation for developments containing lead paint.
- From at least 2012 to 2016, NYCHA failed to perform visual assessments of apartments for lead paint hazards as required by regulation. In 2016, NYCHA began performing visual assessments in units where children under six reside, but NYCHA has not yet performed visual assessments in the majority of apartments that may contain lead paint.
- Since at least 2010, NYCHA has not ensured that staff use lead-safe work practices when performing work on surfaces that may contain lead paint.
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- Currently, after NYCHA has removed mold from apartments, the mold returns at least 30% of the time.
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- In Winter 2017-2018 alone, more than 320,000 residents, 80% of the public housing population, lost heat.
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- In 2016 alone, NYCHA experienced an average of more than 13 outages per elevator.
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- NYCHA’s data reflects more than 260,000 work orders for roaches between 2013 and 2016. For the same period, there were more than 90,000 mouse work orders and nearly 36,000 rat work orders.
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- For a decade, NYCHA provided its staff with a list of “Quick Fix Tips” to improve its Public Housing Assessment System inspection scores.
Mr. Berman thanked HUD, HUD OIG, and EPA for their invaluable assistance in this matter. Mr. Berman also thanked Mark Peters and the Department of Investigation for their important wok in this area.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Environmental Protection Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert William Yalen, Mónica P. Folch, Jacob Lillywhite, Talia Kraemer, and Sharanya Mohan are in charge of the case.
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Manchester Man Convicted of Interstate Transportation of a Minor for SexRead the Press Release
CONCORD – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that a jury found Kurt Carpentino, 34, of Manchester, New Hampshire, guilty of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
In a trial that began on June 7, 2018 and ended with the jury’s verdict on June 11, 2018, evidence demonstrated that Carpentino transported a person under the age of 18 from New Hampshire to Vermont with intent to engage in sexual activity.
Evidence at trial showed that on April 27, 2017, the Hinsdale, New Hampshire Police Department received a report of a missing 14-year-old child. The child was found later that morning at an abandoned motel owned by the defendant’s sister in Rockingham, Vermont. The child told the police that the defendant took her to the motel and that they had sex there. The defendant was observed driving by the motel and arrested nearby. Later that day, he admitted to taking the child from New Hampshire to Vermont and having sex with her at the hotel. A few weeks later, the defendant wrote the victim letters from jail, attempting to get her to recant her statement to the police.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2018. The defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
“Those who prey on children will be prosecuted aggressively,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “There is no place in our community for those who attempt to rob children of their innocence. I am grateful for the courage of the young victim, as well as the hard work and dedication of the investigators and prosecutors who secured this guilty verdict.”
The investigation in this case was led by the Vermont State Police, Homeland Security Investigations in Manchester, New Hampshire, the Hinsdale, New Hampshire Police Department, the Manchester, New Hampshire Police Department, the Springfield, Vermont Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police, with the assistance of the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth R. Aframe and Georgiana L. Konesky.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Man Sentenced for $9 Million Credit Card Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A man who led a $9 million nationwide credit card fraud scheme was sentenced today to 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, Michael Cooper, 30, of Orlando, Florida, owned and operated several different entities for the sole purpose of defrauding credit card customers, credit card companies, and various Internet service companies by obtaining refunds of money paid by credit card customers to these Internet service companies. Between 2012 and 2016, Cooper and employees of his entities, Homeland Arbitration LLC, Smith Associates, P.A., and Cohen Associates, LLP, targeted Internet service companies that offered to assist individuals in setting up or managing an Internet presence for their small business. Cooper and his employees located former clients of these companies and misrepresented that they worked at a law firm, provided legal services, and conducted “arbitration” to recover money credit card customers previously paid to the Internet service companies. Unbeknownst to these credit card customers, Cooper and his employees then impersonated these individuals in phone calls and written communications with the individual’s credit card companies, and fabricated contracts and other documents to obtain refunds on their behalf. Cooper charged his clients 40 percent of any amount recovered on their behalf. In total, Cooper and his employees obtained more than $9 million in fraudulent refunds from at least 76 different businesses.
In addition to Cooper, the following four individuals who were employed by Cooper have pleaded guilty to offenses arising from their unlawful participation in the credit card refund scheme described above:
Name, Age
City, State
Convictions
Sentencing Date
Dustin Lee Faulkner, 24
Orlando, FL
Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud
June 12
Ashley R. Davis, 34
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud
June 12
Gustavo Carvajal, 28
Coral Springs, FL
Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud
July 12
Michael E. Gordon, 29
Jacksonville, FL
Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud
August 3
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, Kelly R. Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Joseph Cronin, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Lee Martin and Thomas A. Garnett prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:17-cr-124.
Lower Brule Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on June 11, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Tristan Patterson, a/k/a Tristan Johnson, age 20, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Patterson was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2017. He pled guilty on March 21, 2018.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on July 29, 2017, when Patterson was being booked into the Lower Brule Correctional Facility following a tribal arrest. Patterson was non-compliant with the booking process. As he was escorted to a holding cell and his wrist restraints were removed, Patterson stood up and began to wrestle with correctional staff. A restraint chair was brought in and he was ordered to sit in the chair.
Patterson resisted and began to tense up his arms in an attempt to avoid being restrained. He also attempted having his legs restrained by kicking his legs out and up. In the course of resisting, Patterson struck one of the correctional officers on the side of the face with his foot, knocking his glasses up. Then Patterson began to spit towards the correctional officers and was placed in a spit mask. No injuries were noted, though one of the correctional officer’s watch was broken in the struggle.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Patterson was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Loves Park Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Loves Park man pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard to producing child pornography.
GRANT WOJAHN, 37, admitted in his written plea agreement that he created a Facebook account and posed as a female teenager. Wojahn admitted that on March 20, 2015, while using that profile, he contacted a minor female victim using the Facebook private messaging feature and persuaded and enticed the minor female victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of having the minor victim take photographs of the sexually explicit conduct and then having the minor victim transmit the images to Wojahn using the private messaging service on Facebook. According to the plea agreement, the female victim was 13 years of age at the time the pictures were produced and transmitted. Wojahn also admitted that between May 21, 2014, and April 5, 2015, he similarly persuaded six other minor female victims, who were between the ages of ten and 12, to do the same.
Wojahn also admitted that on March 25, 2015, he used the Facebook private messaging service to chat and send another user a number of images of child pornography depicting one of the minor victims. Wojahn further admitted that on Sept. 1, 2015, he possessed numerous images of child pornography on a USB storage device, a cellphone, and other devices, and that he possessed at least 43 videos of child pornography and at least 71 images of child pornography.
Wojahn faces a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, and a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and a term of supervised release of five years to life. This offense also carries a maximum fine of $250,000.
Sentencing for Wojahn is set for Sept. 26, 2018, at 9:00 a.m., in federal court in Rockford.
The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret J. Schneider.
Louisiana Man Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Bossier City, Louisiana, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Lake of the Ozarks area.
Kenneth Harvey Hudson, 29, of Bossier City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 8, 2018, Hudson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Camden County, Mo.
According to court documents, investigators received information from a confidential source that several individuals from Louisiana were in possession of methamphetamine and guns. Officers contacted Hudson, who was driving a Malibu with co-defendants Sir Master Ford, 29, of Greenwood, La., and Philip Daniel Dennington, 30, of Bossier City, as passengers, at a gas station in Osage Beach, Mo. Officers searched Hudson’s vehicle and found a bag that contained 922 grams of methamphetamine and four firearms, including a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, a loaded Glock .40-caliber pistol, a loaded Smith & Wesson .22-caliber revolver and a loaded Roam/Sontheim .22-caliber revolver.
In 2011, Hudson was convicted of distributing methamphetamine in Louisiana and sentenced to five years in prison. He was on parole for that offense at the time of his arrest in this federal case. Hudson admitted to a long history of substance abuse and methamphetamine use.
Ford was sentenced on Feb. 8, 2017, to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Dennington pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and awaits sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Lockport Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Sterling Jones, 24, of Lockport, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who handled the case, stated that on March 31, 2017, the defendant possessed 295 videos and 11 images of child pornography. These videos and images were on the cellular telephone and were stored by the defendant in his DropBox online storage account. Over 600 images of child pornography were recovered from Jones’ cellular telephone and some of the images included prepubescent minors and depictions of violence.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
Local Man Sentenced for Multiple Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 24-year-old man from Houston has been ordered to federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick. Lucio Banda pleaded guilty March 21, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt sentenced Banda to 120 months in prison. At the hearing, Banda tried to mitigate his responsibility by claiming he did not distribute child pornography on the internet through his use of a peer-to-peer program. The court heard arguments and reviewed evidence regarding how the file-sharing program worked with respect to the sharing and distribution of files Banda made available. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Banda was responsible for the distribution of child pornography. He was further ordered to pay $18,136.40 in restitution to the known victims included in his collection and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
Banda first came to the attention of law enforcement after they found multiple images of child pornography associated with his online account.
Authorities conducted a search at his residence, at which time they seized Samsung Galaxy Note 3 cellular phone and a San Disk Micro SD Ultra flash drive and a San Disk Ultra Plush flash memory card. Forensic analysis ultimately uncovered 2,191 images and 251 videos contained child pornography which included a substantial number of files with minor females under the age of five. Some of the images are known victims identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
He admitted the child pornography was his as well as the online account he used to obtain child pornography and acknowledged using peer-to-peer software to search for, download and obtain child pornography. He also admitted to viewing child pornography for at least five years and that he had been doing so for at least two to three years.
Banda was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie N. Searle is prosecuting the case which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Lackawanna Man Sentenced for Attempting to Provide Support to ISISRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, NY – Arafat M. Nagi, 47, of Lackawanna, NY, was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison and 15 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara for attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. for the Western District of New York, and Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert of the FBI’s Buffalo Office made the announcement.
On August 28, 2014, a community member advised the FBI that the defendant spoke about violent jihad to various people in the Lackawanna community and it was common for Nagi to get into verbal complaints over his jihadi beliefs. Further investigation determined that the defendant pledged allegiance to ISIS and the leader of the terrorist group, Abu Bakr al Bagdadi.
Investigators learned that the defendant traveled to Turkey on two occasions, in October 2012 and July 2014, with the intention of meeting with members of ISIS. Prior to traveling to Turkey, the defendant purchased a large number of military combat items, including a tactical vest, army combat shirt, body armor, Shahada Flag, combat boots, backpack, burn kit, a hunting knife, machete and night vision goggles. Once in Turkey, Nagi purchased a SIM card and activated a Turkish cell phone number. Facebook messages showed that the defendant contacted other individuals, who were prepared to help the defendant enter Syria to join ISIS, and exchanged Turkish cell phone numbers. In addition, evidence seized from the defendant’s electronic devices showed that the defendant, while in Turkey, was researching how to travel from Istanbul to cities close to the Syrian border.
During follow up interviews in December, 2014 and March 2015, the community member who alerted the FBI regarding Nagi’s actions stated that the defendant still possessed radical political and religious views. According to the individual, Nagi was angry about the killing of rebels in Yemen which he blamed on the United States; pledged an oath to ISIS leaders; expressed agreement with ISIS tactics, including the killing of innocent men, women and children. The individual further reported that defendant planned to travel to Yemen and Turkey again soon.
“Today’s sentencing serves as yet another sobering reminder that terrorism’s reach knows no boundaries and that its supporters may be found—even in our own backyard,” said U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Yet, today’s sentencing also demonstrates how members of the community play an important role in helping us to identify and eliminate those in our midst who support terrorism. Working with the community and with our partners in law enforcement, this Office will continue its vigilance in discharging our duty to enforce the rule of law so as to protect the lives of Americans at home and abroad and to preserve those values—such as liberty, tolerance, and justice—which define us as Americans.”
“Although today's sentencing of Arafat Nagi closes one FBI Buffalo counter-terrorism investigation, our office continues to identify and investigate potential existing or emerging threats,” said Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Frigm. “Nagi's actions were not only a threat to this country, but his behavior exposed those around him to unwarranted public scrutiny and speculation. That, too, is unacceptable. Our office continues to engage with our partner communities to understand their perspectives and to provide them with the protection afforded every member of our society. It is through these partner communities that we gain a true understanding of radicalization and use our combined conviction to deter recruitment and the spread of radicalization propaganda. The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and assistance was provided by the New York State Attorney General’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Joel L. Violanti of the Western District of New York, and Trial Attorney Paul Casey of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Michigan Free Speech CaseRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today filed a Statement of Interest in Speech First, Inc., v. Schlissel in the Eastern District of Michigan. The plaintiff, Speech First, a nationwide organization dedicated to defending civil liberties, alleges that the University of Michigan has adopted policies prohibiting and punishing speech protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Speech First alleges that the University of Michigan’s policies on “harassment,” “bullying,” and “bias” are so vague and overbroad as to prompt students to limit their speech out of fear that they might be subject to disciplinary sanction, including “individual education” or “restorative justice” at the hands of the University’s Bias Response Team.
The United States’ Statement of Interest argues that the University of Michigan’s Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, which prohibits “harassment,” “bullying,” and “bias,” is unconstitutional because it offers no clear, objective definitions of the violations. Instead, the Statement refers students to a wide array of “examples of various interpretations that exist for the terms,” many of which depend on a listener’s subjective reaction to speech.
The United States also argues that the University’s Bias Response Policy chills protected speech through its Bias Response Team. The Bias Response Team, which consists of University administrators and law enforcement officers, has the authority to subject students to discipline and sanction. It encourages students to report any suspected instances of bias, advising them: “[t]he most important indication of bias is your own feelings.” According to the plaintiff, the Bias Response Team has responded to more than 150 alleged incidents of bias in the last year.
In filing the Statement of Interest, Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio provided the following statement:
“Freedom of speech and expression on the American campus are under attack. This Justice Department, under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is committed to promoting and defending Americans’ first freedom at public universities."
This is the fourth Statement of Interest filed by the Department of Justice in a First Amendment case under Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The first was filed on Sept. 26, 2017 in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, the second was filed on Oct. 24, 2017 in Shaw v. Burke, and the third was filed on January 25 in Young America’s Foundation and Berkeley College Republicans v. Janet Napolitano.
Honduran Man Sentenced for Illegal Use of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
JOSE ALBERTO SANTOS-MONTALVAN, age 42, a citizen of Honduras was sentenced yesterday after pleading guilty to a one-count indictment for illegal use of a Social Security number, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
According to court documents, SANTOS-MONTALVAN used a social security number that was not assigned to him by the Social Security Administration to register for a safety training course that he was required to complete before he could begin working for a local construction company on various job sites in the local area.
U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced SANTOS-MONTALVAN to a sentence of time served. Following the completion of his sentence, SANTOS-MONTALVAN will be surrendered to the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Guilty Verdict for Last of 19 Charged Defendants from Violent Drug OrganizationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced today that a federal jury has convicted Romel Anthony, the last of the 19 defendants charged in the Khalil Smith indictment. Anthony was part of a violent drug gang that was responsible for, among other things, waterboarding, pistol-whipping, and torturing its victims with boiling water. Anthony was found guilty of one count of Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. The other members of the drug gang either pleaded guilty or were previously convicted at earlier trials.
“This was an extremely violent drug organization and it’s a credit to our prosecutors and the investigators involved that every single member of this gang has now been convicted and taken off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Gangs like this terrorize communities and hold neighborhoods hostage and this particular group is an example of why violent crime is a priority for both the Department of Justice and our office.”
“This conviction of the last member of the Khalil Smith home invasion robbery crew represents conclusive justice for the involved victims and their families and for the citizens of Philadelphia," said Special Agent in Charge Donald Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. “This conviction is the culmination of nearly four years of relentless investigation by the men and women of ATF Philadelphia, local law enforcement, and our outstanding partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office.”
The investigation was led by the ATF, with assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, the Hatfield Township Police Department, the Whitpain Township Police Department, and the Cherry Hill Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Salvatore Astolfi and Jeanine Linehan.
Ghanaian Man Sentenced for His Role in Internet Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy announced today that Adams Amen, 32, a citizen of Ghana residing in Detroit, Michigan, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 44 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott S. Allen, Jr., who handled the case, stated that between March 28, 2015, and June 15, 2017, the defendant conspired with Jason Osei Bonsu and other Ghanaian nationals to devise an internet romance scheme to defraud victims and obtain money.
In furtherance of the scheme, Amen’s co-conspirators utilized a dating website, MillionaireMatch.com, to engage victims in communications online and over the phone to develop a rapport with victims and convince victims that they were developing romantic relationships via the internet. Victims received alleged pictures of the co-conspirators that were actually photographs of others downloaded from the internet. For example, Victim 1, who resides in the Western District of New York, received images of a person known to her as “Marvin Roecker,” but the image actually depicted a real estate agent from Texas, whose name is not “Marvin Roecker.”
After successfully building rapport, victims were asked to wire money to assist with fictitious business ventures, family emergencies, or inheritances. Victims did so, wiring funds to accounts in Ghana, the United Kingdom, and to accounts in the United States controlled by Ghanaian nationals, including Amen.
On March 2, 2016, Victim 1 wired $65,000 to Amen’s TD Bank account. Text messages between the defendant and co-defendant Jason Osei Bonsu demonstrate that both were participants in the scheme to defraud Victim 1. For instance, Amen and Bonsu discussed quickly withdrawing Victim 1’s money to prevent the bank from becoming suspicious. Subsequently, on March 21, 2017, following a request by “Marvin Roecker,” Victim 1 wired another $180,000 to a bank account located in the United Kingdom, which was controlled by a co-conspirator.
Between March 28, 2015, and June 15, 2017, victims wired $881,656 directly to accounts controlled by the defendant. One victim deposited $27,990 cash directly into Amen’s account. Victims lost a total of $909,646.
Jason Osei Bonsu was previously convicted and sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
Former Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $300KRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Norfolk woman pleaded guilty today to an embezzlement scheme that resulted in a loss of over $300,000.
According to court documents, Evelyn Gregory, 49, worked as the office manager of a women’s health clinic from 2007 through April 2016, and had access to multiple office credit cards which she misappropriated for her own use without the practice’s knowledge or consent. During this time Gregory incurred $250,000 in unauthorized purchases of office credit cards. As Gregory’s scheme progressed, she stopped paying office expenses, which caused the practice to accrue debts of which the owners were not aware due to the fact that Gregory concealed her activities by withholding credit card statements from the practice’s accountants. In the latter years of her tenure, Gregory started a debt collection company to which she referred debts owed to the practice without the owner’s knowledge or consent. Gregory and her son operated this company, and aggressively pursued patients for payment, collecting nearly $50,000 in funds owed to the practice. Gregory did not use the collected funds to satisfy the patients’ debt, instead charging the debt off the practice’s books and depositing the collected funds into her personal accounts.
Gregory pleaded guilty to money laundering and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on September 12. 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, Kelly R. Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Joseph Cronin, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Kaitlin Gratton Cooke are 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. 4:18-cr-21.
Former Nashville Airport Employee Pleads Guilty to Mail FraudRead the Press Release
John Pat Banister, Sr., 52, of Springfield, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court, to mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Banister, a former Telecommunications Service Manager at the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), was charged by information on April 5, 2018, with one count of mail fraud, after an investigation determined that he had used his airport credentials to fraudulently order 282 cell phones and sold them to another individual for profit. During the plea hearing, Banister admitted that from February 2015 through January 2017, he used his position and purchasing credentials to order the phones and that he personally profited from the scheme. According to court records, the MNAA paid approximately $134,627.21 for the cell phones.
At sentencing, Banister faces up to 20 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nashville International Airport Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint is prosecuting the case.
Former Merced County Store Manager Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud Government Benefits ProgramRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Suzy Vang Lo, 41, formerly of Merced, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 21 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States by unlawfully purchasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from recipients in exchange for cash, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
Suzy Vang Lo and her husband, Michael Chu Lo, pleaded guilty to the scheme in March 2018. According to court documents, Suzy Vang Lo was the manager of LV Market in Winton. Her husband performed many employee functions at the store even though he was not officially employed at the store. Suzy Vang Lo conspired with her husband to give SNAP recipients cash in exchange for swiping their benefit cards. When the defendants exchanged SNAP benefits for cash, it caused the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to wire sums of money into an account that Suzy Vang Lo controlled.
Special Agent-in-Charge Lori Chan, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Western Region, stated: “The USDA OIG has the responsibility for protecting the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Protecting the integrity of SNAP is a major investigative priority for OIG. OIG conducts investigations in each region of the United States to deter and uncover criminal activity that undermines important USDA nutrition programs. Vendors who engage in SNAP fraud exploit the program’s needy beneficiaries and misuse the substantial funding that taxpayers provide. The OIG at USDA works to ensure SNAP funds are used for their intended purpose, feeding families, not for the enrichment of criminal enterprises.”
The USDA, through its Food and Nutrition Service, administers SNAP, a food assistance program designed to help low-income individuals and families purchase food. In California, the Food and Nutrition Service authorizes retail food stores to accept SNAP benefits for eligible food items from authorized recipients via the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system. Through EBT, the funds provided by SNAP and other state benefits programs are loaded onto the benefit recipients’ EBT debit cards. When a recipient wishes to use SNAP benefits to purchase eligible food items at a participating store, the store or customer swipes the recipient’s EBT card, and the recipient enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN). The SNAP dollar amount is immediately deducted from the customer’s SNAP account and is credited dollar-for-dollar to the retailer’s bank account.
When a retailer is authorized to participate in SNAP, it is informed that it may accept SNAP benefits only in exchange for eligible food items, and it must acknowledge in writing that trading cash for SNAP benefits is illegal.
In this case, for approximately three and a half years, the defendants swiped SNAP beneficiaries’ EBT cards and give them cash in the approximate amount of 69 cents per dollar of SNAP benefits. Michael Chu Lo kept notes at the cash registers to warn customers to remain silent during the transactions to avoid detection, and he attempted to hide large transactions by swiping EBT cards multiple times.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan A. S. Richards and Jeffrey A. Spivak are prosecuting the case.
Co-defendant Michael Lo is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2018.
Former Georgia Prison Guard Sentenced in Connection with Sexual Assaults of Female Inmates and Bomb ThreatRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that former Georgia prison guard Edgar Daniel Johnson, 51, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for sexually assaulting three female inmates at the Emanuel Women’s Facility in Swainsboro, Georgia; for coercing the women to help him cover up the assaults; and for making a bomb threat at Elba Island on a separate occasion, in May, 2017. The Court will determine the amount of restitution owed to the victims at a later hearing.
In Oct. 2017, Johnson pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Georgia to three counts of willfully depriving the inmates of their Eighth Amendment rights under color of law, three counts of obstruction for coercing the women to cover up the assaults, and one count of maliciously conveying false information about explosive materials. During the plea hearing, Johnson admitted that, between Nov. 1, 2012, and Sept. 30, 2013, while he was working as a Georgia Department of Corrections prison guard at the Emanuel Women’s Facility, he engaged in non-consensual vaginal intercourse, on more than one occasion, with female inmates S.A., M.A., and M.P. Johnson further admitted that each act of intercourse was against the inmate’s will and violated the inmate’s right under the Eighth Amendment to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, which includes the right to be free from unwanted sexual assaults. Johnson further admitted that he coerced each of the inmates to cover up the assaults.
Johnson also admitted that on May 3, 2017, in an unrelated matter, he used a cellular telephone to call Southside Fire in Chatham County, Georgia, and falsely report a bomb threat at Elba Island. Johnson admitted that at the time he called in the bomb threat, he maliciously conveyed the threat even though he knew the threat to be false.
“This defendant abused his legal authority to prey on vulnerable women who had been entrusted to his care,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting the rights of all individuals, and will hold law enforcement officers who violate the law accountable.”
“No one is above the law, and the criminal actions of this former prison guard compel a strong rebuke. Anyone who chooses to prey on others under color of official right should expect federal prosecution and jail,” said United States Attorney Bobby L. Christine.
“Corrections officials have a difficult and important job, but we cannot allow them to abuse their authority and assault the very people they are charged with supervising," said J.C. Hacker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The FBI will not allow the actions of a few to tarnish the many corrections officials who do their job every day, maintaining order and respecting the law."
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Augusta Resident Agency with assistance from the Georgia Department of Corrections and the District Attorney’s Office for Swainsboro, Georgia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Lyons and Matthew Josephson of the Southern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Former Biscayne Park Police Chief and Two Former Patrol Officers Indicted for Conspiring to Violate Juvenile’s Civil rights by Intentionally Making False ArrestsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), today announced federal charges against former Biscayne Park Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano and former Officers Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez for their roles in conspiring to falsely arrest a 16-year-old juvenile, T.D., for four unsolved burglaries.
Atesiano, Dayoub and Fernandez were charged with conspiracy to violate civil rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 241; and deprivation of T.D.’s civil rights, under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. If convicted, Atesiano, Dayoub and Fernandez each face a maximum statutory sentence of 11 years in prison. An initial hearing for Atesiano was held today, in Miami, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan.
The indictment alleges that Atesiano, as the Biscyane Park Police Chief, caused and encouraged officers to knowingly arrest T.D. without a legitimate basis in order to maintain a fictitious 100 percent clearance rate of reported burglaries. Atesiano directed Dayoub and Fernandez to arrest T.D. on June 13, 2013, and falsely charge him with unsolved burglaries knowing that there was no evidence and no lawful basis to support such charges. The indictment further alleges that following Atesiano’s instruction, Dayoub and Fernandez gathered information for four unsolved burglary cases, completed four arrest affidavits for the burglaries, and included a false narrative that an investigation revealed that T.D. had committed the four burglaries of unoccupied dwellings. Atesiano, Dayoub and Fernandez knew there was no evidence and no lawful basis to arrest and charge T.D. with those crimes. On July 9, 2013, at a meeting of the City Council for The Village of Biscayne Park, Atesiano announced that his department had a 100 percent clearance rate for burglaries.
An indictment merely contains allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Mr. Greenberg commends the investigative efforts of the FBI, the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force and FDLE in this matter.
Mr. Greenberg thanked the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office for its assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Wallace and Special Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney D.W. Tunnage of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
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.
Former Biscayne Park Police Chief and Two Former Patrol Officers Indicted for Conspiring to Violate Juvenile’s Civil Rights by Intentionally Making False ArrestsRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), today announced federal charges against former Biscayne Park Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano and former Officers Charlie Dayoub and Raul Fernandez for their roles in conspiring to falsely arrest a 16-year-old juvenile, T.D., for four unsolved burglaries.
Atesiano, Dayoub, and Fernandez were charged with conspiracy to violate civil rights under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 241; and deprivation of T.D.’s civil rights, under color of law, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242. If convicted, Atesiano, Dayoub, and Fernandez each face a maximum statutory sentence of 11 years in prison. An initial hearing for Atesiano will be held at 1:30 p.m. today, in Miami, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John J. O’Sullivan.
The indictment alleges that Atesiano, as the Biscyane Park Police Chief, caused and encouraged officers to knowingly arrest T.D. without a legitimate basis in order to maintain a fictitious 100 percent clearance rate of reported burglaries. Atesiano directed Dayoub and Fernandez to arrest T.D. on June 13, 2013, and falsely charge him with unsolved burglaries knowing that there was no evidence and no lawful basis to support such charges. The indictment further alleges that following Atesiano’s instruction, Dayoub and Fernandez gathered information for four unsolved burglary cases, completed four arrest affidavits for the burglaries, and included a false narrative that an investigation revealed that T.D. had committed the four burglaries of unoccupied dwellings. Atesiano, Dayoub and Fernandez knew there was no evidence and no lawful basis to arrest and charge T.D. with those crimes. On July 9, 2013, at a meeting of the City Council for The Village of Biscayne Park, Atesiano announced that his department had a 100 percent clearance rate for burglaries.
An indictment merely contains allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the Miami Field Office of the Federal Bureau Investigation including the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force and FDLE. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Wallace and Special Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling of the Southern District of Florida, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney, and Trial Attorney D.W. Tunnage of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.