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18 July 2018
Federal Indictment Details Years of Drug Trafficking, Homicide and Deadly Drug Overdoses at Clinton-Peabody Housing ComplexRead the Press Release
A Federal Indictment unsealed today alleges a conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance that is deadly in doses of only a few milligrams, centered in the Clinton-Peabody public housing complex on the near south side of the City of St. Louis. Many of the defendants lived outside the area but utilized the housing complex to distribute drugs.
In addition to the drug distribution, the Indictment ties three deaths to the conspiracy.
The conspiracy names fifteen individuals who have been arrested today. In addition to the arrests, more than fifteen federal search warrants related to the investigation have been executed by a number of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies this morning. Search warrants led to the seizure of numerous firearms and federal firearm charges will be brought against three additional subjects.
“I believe that the drug distribution organization operating at Clinton-Peabody has been dismantled this morning,” said United States Attorney Jeff Jensen. “The fentanyl dealt by this organization is literally poison.
The Indictment details the roles of the various members of the conspiracy, describing sources, means of communication, operators of stash houses, financial operatives and street level dealers.
Deaths Resulting from the Conspiracy
The Indictment alleges that Defendants Demetrius Johnson (also known as “Meechie” “DJ” and “Huncho”) and Armond Calvin (also known as “Mon”) and Christopher Rhodes, Jr. (also known as “Lil Chris”) murdered victim David Bryant in furtherance of their drug trafficking conspiracy on December 3, 2016.
In addition to the conspiracy, the Indictment alleges that Defendant Demetrius Johnson distributed a lethal dose of fentanyl to victim J.W. which dose resulted in J.W.’s death on October 14, 2016.
The conspiracy alleges another lethal dose of fentanyl was distributed to victim C.P. by Defendants Christopher Pipes (also known as “Cram” “Bam” and “Mike”) and Gregory Ivy (also known as “Scooby” and “S”) on May 3, 2018.
Firearms Counts
Defendant Lebaron Jackson (also known as “LB”) is alleged to have possessed a Taurus 9 millimeter handgun on May 11, 2018 having previously sustained a felony conviction.
Defendant Marquise Brown (also known as “TJ”) is alleged to have used a Glock 9 millimeter handgun in furtherance of the fentanyl conspiracy on May 24, 2018.
Money Laundering and Forfeiture
Throughout the conspiracy, beginning in March 2016, Defendant Ashley Dickerson is alleged to have engaged in financial transactions with the proceeds of the conspiracy with the intent to conceal the nature, location, source and ownership of the proceeds.
In addition to the criminal counts, the Indictment seeks the forfeiture of all proceeds of the conspiracy and any firearms or ammunition used in it or in the specified violent crimes and firearms offenses.
This case was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis Division of the FBI, the St. Louis Division of the DEA, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshals Service and the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
Penalties
All Defendants named in the conspiracy face a ten-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and a maximum term of life.
All Defendants named in the homicide and distribution resulting in death face a twenty-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and a maximum term of life.
Defendant Marquise Brown faces a five mandatory minimum term of imprisonment and a maximum term of life, consecutive to his term of imprisonment for the conspiracy, and a maximum term of life.
All Defendant are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Town Hall Meeting
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative and its law enforcement partners announce a town hall meeting for July 30, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the Peabody Elementary School at 1224 S. 14th Street to address this enforcement action and help residents of the neighborhood address the many social and community needs existing in the Clinton-Peabody development. In addition to law enforcement agencies, community groups and local officials will participate in the town hall meeting and will listen to the concerns of the Clinton-Peabody neighborhood and discuss services available to the community.
Jimmie Edwards, Public Safety Director for the City of St. Louis, stated, “I appreciate the collaborative efforts of federal law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the St. Louis Police Department to act in a proactive way to remove the criminal element off the streets of the city of St. Louis. This is a positive thing for the citizens of St. Louis.”
“Knowing that at least 50% of homicides and gun violence in our city are drug related, the long-term collaboration on this case and the ongoing efforts between the St. Louis City Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, DEA, and the FBI is absolutely going to make the Clinton-Peabody housing complex safer. I believe the residents in this community are going to feel safer by day, and sleep better at night because of our initiative. We are committed to the long-term safety and security of the residents in the Clinton-Peabody complex,” said Police Commissioner John Hayden.
“Today’s law enforcement actions remove violent criminals from the streets of St. Louis, particularly those perpetrating gun violence and the spread of drugs such as fentanyl, both of which are killing our citizens,” said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. “We will continue joint law enforcement efforts like these until the streets of this great city are safe.”
“DEA is committed to protecting our community from the ravages of opiate trafficking and addiction,” William Callahan, III, Special Agent in Charge of the St. Louis DEA said. “With our federal, state and local law enforcement partners we seek to disrupt and dismantle the groups who are trafficking these drugs, oftentimes to the most vulnerable members of society. This group, many of whom have a history of drug dealing and violence, sold a potent and sometimes lethal drug (fentanyl). We hope that the enforcement action taken today will provide some sense of justice to our community and the people they have preyed upon.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Initiative is committed to a long-term solution to gun violence in St. Louis,” continued Jensen “and law enforcement understands that this enforcement action, as comprehensive as it is, is not a long term solution. We are committed to working with the people of St. Louis to rid their community of gun violence using every resource we can.”
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Driver and Four Others Involved in Dimmit County Crash that Resulted in Deaths of Five Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
In Del Rio today, a federal grand jury indicted five (5) individuals, including 20–year-old Jorge Luis Monsivais, Jr., of Eagle Pass, TX, for their roles in a smuggling scheme that resulted in the deaths of five (5) illegal aliens, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Felix Chavez and Dimmit County Sheriff Marion Boyd.
The six-count indictment charges Monsivais, 55-year-old Mexican citizen Marcial Gomez Santana; and occupants, 45-year-old Mexican citizen Mariela Reyna; Marcial’s son, 21-year-old Rudy Gomez of Hockley, TX; and, Marcial’s daughter, 19-year-old Johana Gomez of Houston, TX, with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury, and one count of conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. The indictment also charges Monsivais with one substantive count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death and one substantive count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury. The indictment also charges Santana, Reyna, Rudy and Johana Gomez with one count of harboring illegal aliens for private financial gain.
All five charged in the indictment remain in custody. Upon conviction, the defendants face up to life imprisonment or death, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.
On June 17, 2018, U.S. Border Patrol agents initiated immigration inspections on three vehicles traveling in a convoy on FM 2644 between El Indio, TX and Carrizo Springs, TX. Monsivais led Border Patrol agents and Dimmit County Sheriff’s deputies on a high speed chase. While traveling east bound on Highway 85, Monsivais crashed as he entered the town of Big Wells, TX. Of 13 illegal aliens traveling with Monsivais at the time of the crash, four of them died at the scene and nine were transported to a hospital for medical care. One died on the way to the hospital. U.S. Border Patrol agents detained a total of 23 illegal aliens involved in this scheme--21 Mexican nationals and two (2) Honduran nationals.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is leading this investigation together with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol—Del Rio Sector and the Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Harle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Federal District Court in Brooklyn Enters Permanent Injunction Requiring Staten Island Food Distributors to Comply with Food Safety RequirementsRead the Press Release
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York entered a consent decree and permanent injunction against defendants Euroline Foods, LLC, Royal Seafood Baza, Inc., the companies’ owner/operators Eduard Shnayder, Syoma Shnayder and Albert Niyazov, and operator Oleg Polischouk to prevent insanitary conditions at a food distribution facility, including practices that increase the risk of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono), the Department of Justice announced today.
The consent decree approved by U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan follows a May 2018 civil complaint the Department filed at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The complaint alleged that the defendants’ food preparation at their facility at 175 Lake Avenue, Staten Island, New York (“Defendants’ Facility”) violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by processing and distributing ready-to-eat fish and fishery products, vegetable salads and cheese products in a facility with chronic insanitary conditions. The complaint alleged that FDA inspections found L. mono at the companies’ facility and that the defendants failed to put in place adequate measures to reduce the risk of health hazards such as L. mono, Clostridium botulinum and scombrotoxin.
The defendants agreed to settle the litigation and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. As part of the settlement, the defendants represented that they currently receive, hold and distribute only food that remains enclosed in a container while at the Defendants’ Facility. If the defendants intend to resume food processing and preparation of any non-prepackaged food at the Defendants’ Facility, they must first notify FDA in writing at least 90 days in advance of resuming such operations, comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction and permit FDA to inspect the facility. The injunction also provides safeguards in the event that, in the future, the defendants engage in food processing at another food preparation facility.
“In response to the government’s lawsuit, the defendants have ceased their at-risk processing operations and destroyed affected food preparation equipment,” stated United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York. “Going forward, they are permanently barred by the consent decree from processing any foods, other than prepackaged foods that will remain in their original containers, at their Staten Island facility, and any foods that might present a Listeria monocytogenes hazard at any other facility until they establish that they can comply with all applicable laws and regulations. This Office is committed to protecting the public from the dangers of food exposed to bacterium like L. mono or otherwise contaminated.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that food processors adhere to laws enacted to protect consumers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice and the FDA will continue to work together to make sure that the food that consumers receive is safe.”
According to the complaint, the defendants failed to adequately implement effective sanitation controls to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) requirements. In addition, the complaint alleged that the defendants failed to comply with seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations, which are designed to mitigate food safety hazards associated with the processing of fish and fishery products.
This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gail A. Matthews of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorney James T. Nelson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Associate General Counsel for Enforcement Jennifer C. Argabright of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny .
District Court Orders New York Food Distributors to Comply with Food Safety RequirementsRead the Press Release
A federal court in Brooklyn entered a permanent injunction against defendants Euroline Foods, LLC, Royal Seafood Baza, Inc., the companies’ owner/operators Eduard Shnayder, Syoma Shnayder, and Albert Niyazov, and operator Oleg Polischouk to prevent insanitary conditions, including practices that increase the risk of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono), the Department of Justice announced today.
The entered consent decree of permanent injunction follows a May 2018 complaint filed by the Department for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The complaint alleged that the defendants’ food preparation at their Lake Avenue, Staten Island, New York facility (“Defendants’ Facility”), violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by processing and distributing ready-to-eat fish and fishery products, vegetable salads, and cheese products in a facility with chronic insanitary conditions. Specifically, the complaint alleged that FDA inspections found L. mono at the companies’ facility and that the defendants lacked adequate measures to reduce the risk of health hazards such as L. mono, Clostridium botulinum, and scombrotoxin. The complaint also alleged that the defendants failed to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) requirements or with seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations, which are designed to mitigate food safety hazards associated with the processing of fish and fishery products.
The defendants agreed to settle the litigation by the entered consent decree of permanent injunction. As part of the settlement, the defendants represented that they currently receive, hold, and distribute only food that remains enclosed in a container while at Defendants’ Facility. Under the permanent injunction, if the defendants intend to resume food processing and preparation of any non-prepackaged food at Defendants’ Facility, they must first notify FDA in writing at least ninety days in advance of resuming such operations, comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction, and permit FDA to inspect the facility. The injunction also provides safeguards in the event that, in the future, the defendants engage in food processing at another food preparation facility.
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that food processors follow laws that protect consumers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice and the FDA will continue to work to ensure that prepared food sold to consumers is safe.”
“In response to the government’s lawsuit, the defendants have ceased their at-risk processing operations and destroyed affected food preparation equipment,” stated United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York. “Going forward, they are permanently barred by the consent decree from processing any foods, other than prepackaged foods that will remain in their original containers, at their Staten Island facility, and any foods that might present a Listeria monocytogenes hazard at any other facility until they establish that they can comply with all applicable laws and regulations. This Office is committed to protecting the public from the dangers of food exposed to bacterium like L. mono or otherwise contaminated.”
Trial Attorney James T. Nelson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gail A. Matthews of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York represented the United States along with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Jennifer A. Kang of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-edny.
Creator of “Fitwall” Exercise Equipment Pleads Guilty to Failing to File Income Tax Returns and Health Care Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A resident of Cheyenne, Wyoming and creator of “Fitwall” exercise equipment pleaded guilty today to two counts of willfully failing to file his income tax returns and one count of making a fraudulent application for health care benefits. The change of plea was announced by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Mark A. Klaassen for the District of Wyoming, whose offices are engaged in a joint prosecution of this case.
According to court documents, from 2008-2012, Douglas E. Brendle owned and operated Brendle Climbing Systems, LLC, which sold Fitwalls. In January 2013, Brendle sold the rights to Fitwall to investors, and in exchange received nearly $1.5 million in payments during the period of 2013-2014. Despite receiving this income, Brendle failed to file individual income tax returns or pay income taxes in 2013 or 2014. Brendle’s conduct resulted in a tax loss of $404,501.
Additionally, during 2013-2014, Brendle fraudulently received health care benefits for himself and his family from Wyoming Medicaid, a jointly administered federal-state health care program that pays for medical care for eligible low-income individuals and families. In December 2013, Brendle caused a false renewal application to be filed for Wyoming Medicaid claiming his household had no income. During 2013–2014, Wyoming Medicaid paid Brendle over $20,000 in benefits to which he and his family were not entitled.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 24, 2018. Brendle faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
“These cases take substantial time and effort to investigate and prosecute, but serve as a reminder that no person is above the law, and we will hold those accountable who use improper means to avoid taxes,” said U.S Attorney Klaassen. “We also cannot allow false claims against our health care programs to siphon resources intended to assist our most needy families.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Klaassen commended the work of special agents of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation office in developing the case against Brendle, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric J. Heimann and Trial Attorney Eric C. Schmale of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the enforcement efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Tax Division may be found on their respective websites.
Cotati Resident Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Stanley Charles pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco today to preparing and presenting a false and fraudulent federal income tax return and filing a false amended federal income tax return, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Acting Special Agent in Charge Internal Revenue Service Tara Sullivan. The plea was accepted by the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney, U.S. District Judge.
In pleading guilty, Charles, 33, of Cotati, Calif., admitted to preparing and filing a fraudulent federal income tax return for two clients, a husband and wife, without their knowledge or permission. This tax return falsely reported that the couple had $8,000 in higher qualified education expenses. Along with the false return, Charles filed an IRS Form 8888 [Allocation of Refund] directing the IRS to split the tax refund by paying $5,447 to the couple and the remaining $1,235 to his own bank account. Charles also admitted to preparing and filing with the IRS his own false 2011 Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. His return falsely reported a $9,873 American Opportunity Credit although Charles knew the credit was no more than $2,500. Charles also admitted that he prepared and filed an additional 428 false and fraudulent federal income tax returns for 2009 through 2015, which sought tax refunds generated by false deductions and/or credits.
Charles was charged in an information filed on June 18, 2018, with one count of aiding and assisting in preparation and presentation of false tax returns, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2), and one count of filing a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1). Under today’s plea agreement, Charles pleaded guilty to both counts.
Charles is currently released on a $100,000 bond.
Judge Chesney scheduled Charles’s sentencing hearing for October 24, 2018, at 2:15 p.m. The maximum statutory penalty for each count in the information is 3 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 plus restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Stier is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service.
Corson County Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years for Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Milo Reuben Red Tomahawk, age 38, of Little Eagle, South Dakota, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his conviction of Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender.
U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann pronounced the sentence in federal court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Red Tomahawk was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his release from prison and to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court filings, Red Tomahawk unlawfully committed a domestic assault upon the victim, when at the time of the domestic assault, he had a final conviction on at least two separate prior occasions, for offenses that would have been, if subject to federal jurisdiction, an assault against a spouse and intimate partner. This assault took place in May 2017.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Red Tomahawk was immediately remanded to custody to continue serving his sentence.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton today sentenced Michael Philip Auld (31, Ocala) to 27 years and 3 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography. Following the prison sentence, Auld, a registered sex offender, must serve a lifetime on federal supervised release. The court also ordered him to forfeit a cellphone he had used in the commission of the crime. Auld pleaded guilty on April 3, 2018.
According to court documents, on October 23, 2016, Auld distributed images of child pornography over the internet using his cellphone. At the time of the offense, he was serving a life term of supervised release on another federal child pornography conviction. Acting on a tip from an internet service provider, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Auld’s home on January 11, 2018. Investigators seized electronic devices from Auld’s bedroom, including the cellphone. Auld had been using the phone to receive, possess, and distribute hundreds of images of child pornography since at least 2016. In saved internet conversations on the phone, Auld also graphically described his fantasies of sexually assaulting a young girl and an infant.
“This serial predator has proven he will prey on children at every opportunity,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “While already on probation for child pornography, he continued his pattern of abuse, which has ended thanks to HSI special agents, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution team.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal Prison on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Justin Dewayne Barr, age 33, of Scranton, SC, was sentenced in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Cocaine Base, and Marijuana. United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, sentenced Barr to 188 months in federal prison with 5 years of supervised release to follow, to run consecutive to a two-year federal supervised release revocation which Barr is currently serving.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on February 28, 2017, a deputy with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle make an improper turn and then proceed through a red light. The deputy initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. Upon making contact with the driver, Justin Barr, the deputy smelled an odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and asked Barr to step out. After exiting the vehicle, Barr ran, and a foot chase ensued. During the chase, Barr fought with the deputy and turned the deputy’s wrist, pressing the deputy’s taser into the deputy’s inner thigh while it was cycling and causing the deputy to be briefly incapacitated. Barr was taken into custody shortly thereafter. A search of Barr’s person revealed two bags of marijuana and just over $1,000 in cash. A search of the vehicle revealed a bag of cocaine, a bag of cocaine base, a set of digital scales, and a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with eleven rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. The evidence presented also established that prior to his possession of the firearm, Barr had been convicted of a crime for which he could have received more than one year in prison.
The case was investigated by agents of ATF, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office handled the case. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
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Convicted Armed Robber Sentenced to over 36 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced that a Philadelphia man, convicted in March of multiple armed robberies and related offenses, was sentenced today to 441 months in prison.
On March 26, 2018, Nasir Thompas, 21, was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of the use, carrying, and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence.
At trial, a 7-Eleven clerk testified that during one robbery, the defendant placed a pistol against the clerk’s forehead and threatened to kill him. A video from the Godfrey Food Mart showed the defendant pistol whipping a cashier when he failed to surrender cash as quickly as the defendant demanded. The robbery of the food mart took place in broad daylight in a store packed with people, including young children. The defendant's public assaults have left his victims shaken to this day.
“Time and again, this defendant used a gun to get what he wanted—terrorizing men, women, and children with zero regard for the havoc he wreaked,” said USA McSwain. “The steep sentence he received reflects this unfortunate reality. It also shows that if you menace a community, my office is coming for you and you will be in prison for a very long time.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Parisi.
Connecticut Business Owners Who Profited from Unlawful Exports to Pakistan Are SentencedRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that a father and son were sentenced today in Bridgeport federal court for profiting from unlawful exports to Pakistan. U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill sentenced both MUHAMMAD ISMAIL, 67, of Meriden, and KAMRAN KHAN, 38, of Hamden, to 18 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2012 to October 2013, Muhammad Ismail, and his two sons, Kamran and Imran Khan, were engaged in a scheme to purchase goods that were controlled under the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and to export those goods without a license to Pakistan, in violation of the EAR. Through companies conducting business as Brush Locker Tools, Kauser Enterprises-USA and Kauser Enterprises-Pakistan, the three defendants received orders from a Pakistani company that procured materials and equipment for the Pakistani military, requesting them to procure specific products that were subject to the EAR. When U.S. manufacturers asked about the end-user for a product, the defendants either informed the manufacturer that the product would remain in the U.S. or completed an end-user certification indicating that the product would not be exported.
After the products were purchased, they were shipped by the manufacturer to the defendants in Connecticut. The products were then shipped to Pakistan on behalf of either the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (“PAEC”), the Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (“SUPARCO”), or the National Institute of Lasers & Optronics (“NILOP”), all of which were listed on the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List. The defendants never obtained a license to export any item to the designated entities even though they knew that a license was required prior to export. The defendants received the proceeds for the sale of export controlled items through wire transactions from Value Additions’ Pakistan-based bank account to a U.S. bank account that the defendants controlled.
On March 5, 2018, Muhammad Ismail and Kamran Khan each pleaded guilty to one count of international money laundering, for causing funds to be transferred from Pakistan to the U.S. in connection with the export control violations. In pleading guilty, Ismail and Kamran Khan specifically admitted that, between January and July 2013, they procured, received and exported to SUPARCO, without a license to do so, certain bagging film that is used for advanced composite fabrication and other high temperature applications where dimensional stability, adherence to sealant tapes and uniform film gage are essential. The proceeds for the sale of the bagging film was wired from Pakistan to the defendants in the U.S.
Ismail and Kamran Khan are both citizens of Pakistan and lawful permanent residents of the U.S.
On June 1, 2017, Imran Khan, of North Haven, pleaded guilty to one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In pleading guilty, KHAN specifically admitted that, between August 2012 and January 2013, he procured, received and exported to PAEC an Alpha Duo Spectrometer without a license to do so. He is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss and, in coordination with Trial Attorney Scott McCulloch of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES).
City of New York Agrees to Pay $20.8 Million to Settle Federal Discrimination Charges Made by Registered NursesRead the Press Release
Federal Suit Alleges City Discriminated Against City-Employed Registered Nurses and Midwives by not Recognizing their Work as “Physically Taxing”
Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, today announced a proposed settlement with the City of New York to compensate City-employed registered nurses and midwives who were subjected to discrimination because they are women. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York filed the proposed settlement along with a complaint in federal district court. According to the allegations of the complaint, the City failed to recognize that the work of predominantly-female registered nurses and midwives was “physically taxing,” while deeming other predominantly-male occupations “physically taxing.” As a result, City employees in the predominantly-male “physically taxing” jobs were allowed to retire with full pensions as early as age 50, while registered nurses and midwives, who are predominantly female, had to wait until age 55 or 57 to retire with full pensions.
“This Settlement Agreement will provide significant relief to a class of female nurses and midwives employed by the City of New York who were harmed by the City’s discriminatory employment practices,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “We applaud the United States’ Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for prosecuting this matter and acknowledge the City of New York’s commendable efforts in ensuring that this matter was brought to resolution without protracted litigation.”
“City nurses and midwives care for sick and injured adults, juveniles, and infants through long days and nights under difficult circumstances, and rightfully should be recognized as doing physically taxing work,” said U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “Equal treatment under law means just that, equal treatment and this Office is committed to ensuring that women are treated fairly and equitably in the workplace.” He also thanked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for its investigative work prior to referring this matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Beginning in 1968, the City allowed certain City employees with 25 years of service the option of retiring with full pensions beginning at the age of 50, if the employees worked in jobs the City deemed “physically taxing.” At that time, the City refused to recognize the work of registered nurses and midwives, which was performed mostly by women, as “physically taxing,” but did recognize as physically taxing work performed mostly by men in occupations such as Emergency Medical Specialist - EMT, Exterminator, Motor Vehicle Dispatcher, Window Cleaner, Foremen, and Plumbers.
Beginning in 2004, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), a labor union representing City-employed registered nurses and midwives, began requesting that the City recognize the work of registered nurses and midwives as physically taxing and also allow NYSNA’s qualifying members the option of retiring as early as age 50. The City denied that request in 2004, and again in 2006 and 2008. Thereafter, NYSNA and four of its members filed complaints with the EEOC. The EEOC determined there was reason to believe that the City had discriminated against the nurses when it failed to recognize registered nurse and midwife occupational titles as “physically taxing” in 1968, and again when NYSNA made its requests in 2004, 2006 and 2008. The EEOC then referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The settlement applies to a proposed class of approximately 1,665 registered nurses and midwives hired by the City from Sept. 15, 1965, through March 31, 2012. Subject to court approval, the City would pay these registered nurses and midwives, who would otherwise have been eligible to retire at an earlier age, between $1,000 and $99,000, depending upon their years of qualifying service and the number of years earlier they would have been eligible to retire. The settlement also provides for the City to pay attorney’s fees and an additional $100,000 to the four nurses who initiated the EEOC complaint which led to today’s result.
This matter was handled by Eastern District of New York Assistant United States Attorneys John Vagelatos and Michael J. Goldberger.
City of New York Agrees to Pay $20.8 Million to Settle Federal Discrimination Charges Made by Registered NursesRead the Press Release
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and John Gore, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, today announced a proposed settlement with the City of New York to compensate City-employed registered nurses and midwives who were subjected to discrimination because they are women. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York filed the proposed settlement along with a complaint in federal district court. According to the allegations of the complaint, the City failed to recognize that the work of predominantly-female registered nurses and midwives was “physically taxing,” while deeming other predominantly-male occupations, including in the health care field, physically taxing. As a result, City employees in the predominantly-male physically taxing jobs were allowed to retire with full pensions as early as age 50, while registered nurses and midwives, who are predominantly female, could not retire with full pensions until age 55 or 57.
“City nurses and midwives care for sick and injured adults, juveniles and infants through long days and nights under difficult circumstances, and rightfully should be recognized as doing physically taxing work,” said U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “Equal treatment under law means just that, equal treatment and this Office is committed to ensuring that women are treated fairly and equitably in the workplace.” He also thanked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) for its investigative work prior to referring this matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“This Settlement Agreement will provide significant relief to a class of female nurses and midwives employed by the City of New York who were harmed by the City’s discriminatory employment practices,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “We applaud the United States’ Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for prosecuting this matter and acknowledge the City of New York’s commendable efforts in ensuring that this matter was brought to resolution without protracted litigation.”
Beginning in 1968, the City allowed certain City employees with 25 years of service the option of retiring with full pensions beginning at the age of 50, if the employees worked in jobs the City deemed physically taxing. At that time, the City refused to recognize the work of registered nurses and midwives, which was performed mostly by women, as physically taxing, but did recognize as physically taxing work performed mostly by men in occupations such as Emergency Medical Specialist - EMT, Exterminator, Motor Vehicle Dispatcher, Window Cleaner, Foremen and Plumbers.
Beginning in 2004, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), a labor union representing City-employed registered nurses and midwives, began requesting that the City recognize the work of registered nurses and midwives as physically taxing and also allow NYSNA’s qualifying members the option of retiring as early as age 50. The City denied that request in 2004, and again in 2006 and 2008. Thereafter, NYSNA and four of its members filed complaints with the EEOC. The EEOC determined there was reason to believe that the City had discriminated against the nurses when it failed to recognize registered nurse and midwife occupational titles as “physically taxing” in 1968, and again when NYSNA made its requests in 2004, 2006 and 2008. The EEOC then referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The settlement applies to a proposed class of approximately 1,665 registered nurses and midwives hired by the City from September 15, 1965, through March 31, 2012. Subject to court approval, the City would pay these registered nurses and midwives, who would otherwise have been eligible to retire at an earlier age, between $1,000 and $99,000, depending upon their years of qualifying service and the number of years earlier they would have been eligible to retire. The settlement also provides for the City to pay attorney’s fees and an additional $100,000 to the four nurses who initiated the EEOC complaint which led to today’s result.
This matter was handled by Eastern District of New York Assistant United States Attorneys John Vagelatos and Michael J. Goldberger.
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CV-4100 (WFK)
California Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Vincente Manuel Ruiz, 37, of Modesto, California, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 60 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge J. Derryle Smith. Ruiz was also ordered to pay a $4,000.00 fine.
Ruiz conspired to possess with intent to distribute heroin from August 2017 through December 13, 2017. The investigation into Ruiz started after agents with the DEA executed a search warrant at Jermaine Newell’s property in Soso, Mississippi. Agents located 951 grams of heroin in Newell’s possession. After Newell’s arrest, agents learned that he received the heroin from Ruiz. Agents had recorded phone calls in which Ruiz was heard discussing the heroin and set up a meeting to further the conspiracy. After the arrest of Ruiz, agents located two cell phones that showed Newell had previously sent packages of money to Ruiz in California.
On May 10, 2018, Newell was also sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for his involvement in the heroin conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Ellisville Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for His Role in Cocaine 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 Archie Phillips, 45, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, was sentenced to 192 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that between December 2012 and March 12, 2013, the defendant shipped kilogram bricks of cocaine from Houston, Texas to Buffalo, NY for distribution. Co-conspirators, including Beverly Fields, would then package cash proceeds from the cocaine distribution and ship the currency from the Buffalo area to the defendant in Houston. The defendant utilized a storage locker in Houston, to store some of the drug proceeds. In March 2013, DEA Special Agents found $284,980 in cash in plastic bags stored in the locker.
Beverly Fields was convicted and sentenced.
One of the defendant’s customers was Tyshawn Bradley, who was convicted of multiple charges including conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine within 1000 feet of the Perry Housing Projects.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; and the United States Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
Biloxi Felon Sentenced to over 9 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Charles Nevotney Bolton, 33, of Biloxi, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to 110 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
On March 13, 2017, Bolton sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Afterwards, on March 14, 2017, officers with the Biloxi Police Department obtained a search warrant for his home where they found marijuana, methamphetamine, and a handgun. Bolton has multiple felony convictions dating back to 2005.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Biloxi Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Bay Area CPA Convicted of Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury convicted Marc Howard Berger today of three counts of aiding and abetting the filing of a false tax return announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Acting Special Agent in Charge Tara Sullivan; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
The jury found that Berger willfully assisted in the preparation of three false Form 1040s for codefendant G. Steven Burrill for 2011, 2012, and 2013. The guilty verdict followed a three-week jury trial before the Honorable Richard Seeborg, U.S. District Court Judge.
“We commend today’s jury verdict,” said Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse. “Tax preparers must know that they cannot willfully assist clients in defrauding the IRS and failing to pay their fair share.”
Evidence at trial showed that Berger, 67, of Walnut Creek, Calif., was a Certified Public Accountant and partner with a regional tax preparation firm, Burr Pilger Mayer. Berger’s client, Burrill, was the owner and CEO of Burrill & Company, Burrill Capital, and a number of related entities. Through the entities, Burrill managed venture capital funds, including Burrill Life Sciences Capital Fund III, L.P. (the Fund), a $283 million investment fund focused on the life sciences industry. Between December 2007 and September 2013, Burrill transferred more than $18 million from the Fund to his management companies in excess of the management fees that were due and allowable under the agreements that governed the Fund. Berger intentionally prepared and filed false income tax returns for Burrill that failed to report more than $18 million in income, resulting in unpaid taxes of more than $4.7 million. With Berger’s assistance, Burrill paid no individual income taxes for the years 2009 through 2013.
Berger and Burrill were indicted by a federal grand jury on September 14, 2017. Berger was charged with three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2).
Berger is currently free on bond. The maximum statutory penalty for each count in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2) is three years in prison and a fine of $100,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Berger’s sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Burrill pleaded guilty on December 7, 2017, to one count of investment-adviser fraud, in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 80b-6 & 80b-17, 18 U.S.C. § 2, and 17 C.F.R. § 275.206(4)-8, and one count of tax evasion, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201. His sentencing is scheduled for September 25, 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Leach and Trial Attorney Lori Hendrickson of the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maryam Beros, Larry Garland, and Bridget Kilkenny. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Baltimore Heroin Dealer Linked to 27 Overdoses-9 of Them Fatal-Pleads Guilty to A Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Karon Elijah Peoples, age 24, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a heroin distribution conspiracy. Peoples admitted that during his participation in the conspiracy, he was responsible for distributing, or facilitating the distribution, of between nine and 10 kilograms of heroin. In addition, Peoples admitted that nine fatal overdose victims and 18 overdose survivors had contacted Peoples’ phones prior to their overdose—either by phone call or text message—in order to arrange for the purchase of heroin.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler and the other members of the Harford County Narcotics Task Force--Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph I. Cassilly, Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, Chief Henry Trabert of the Aberdeen Police Department, Chief Charles Moore of the Bel Air Police, and Chief Teresa Walter of the Havre de Grace Police Department; and Director Tom Carr of the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
According to Peoples’ plea agreement, during the fall of 2017, law enforcement began conducting an investigation of Peoples after learning that he was supplying significant quantities of heroin to customers throughout Maryland who traveled to Baltimore City to obtain the heroin. As part of the investigation, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases and undercover purchases of heroin from Peoples.
On December 7, 2017, search warrants were executed at Peoples’ residence, at a stash location on West Lexington Street in Baltimore, and on his vehicle. Law enforcement recovered 900 grams of heroin, $405,156 in cash stored in a blue checkered Louis Vuitton bag, a Rolex watch, a money counter, and digital scales and other drug paraphernalia from the stash location. Law enforcement also recovered 68 grams of heroin from the vehicle.
On December 7, 2017, and on January 9, 2018, when Peoples was arrested as the result of a federal arrest warrant, law enforcement seized a total of 49 cellular phones from Peoples and the search locations. A court-authorized search of the phones revealed hundreds of text messages between Peoples, his co-conspirator, and his customers arranging for the acquisition, purchase, and sale of heroin. The text messages also established that Peoples was part of the conspiracy from no later than May 2015 until his arrest in January 2018.
The Harford County Narcotics Task Force and DEA coordinated with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies through the assistance of the HIDTA Investigative Support Center to collect information about customers of Peoples who were heroin overdose victims. After running searches for the 49 cellular telephones possessed by Peoples, law enforcement found links between cases involving a total of 27 overdose victims—nine who died as a result of the overdose and 18 who survived. The victims, who resided in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, had contacted Peoples’ drug phones prior to their overdoses in order to arrange for the purchase of heroin.
Peoples faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin; and a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2018, at 3:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the DEA, the Harford County Narcotics Task Force, comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Havre de Grace Police Department and the Harford County States Attorney’s Office, and the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek E. Hines and Seema Mittal, who are prosecuting the case.
Ballston Spa Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jason Novoa, age 37, of Ballston Spa, New York, pled guilty yesterday to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Charles Margiotta, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Novoa admitted that, over a period of at least five years, he used a laptop computer equipped with peer-to-peer file-sharing software to download videos and images depicting child pornography. Novoa further admitted that between June 9 and June 13, 2017, he made available for download over 800 images of child pornography. Novoa possessed approximately 30 video files and 310 image files depicting child pornography on June 29, 2017, when the laptop was seized by investigators pursuant to a federal search warrant executed at his residence.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 15, 2018, in Albany, New York.
Novoa faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years on the charge of receipt of child pornography and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years on both counts.The Court is also required to impose a term of supervised release between five (5) years and life, and Novoa will be required to register as a sex offender. 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.
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
Baker County Man Indicted on Federal Charge of Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Joshua Dale Whitt (25, Macclenny) with failing to register as sex offender. If convicted, Whitt faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the indictment, on or about January 2, 2013, Whitt was convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Clermont County, Ohio. Subsequent to his conviction and between January 22, 2018, and May 2, 2018, he traveled from Ohio to Florida and failed to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act also provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.
This case was investigated by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore announces that United States District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Dustin Lee McLellan on July 18, 2018 to serve a term of imprisonment of 180 months followed by 5 years of supervised release for the illegal possession of firearms as a convicted felon during two separate incidents occurring in 2016 and 2017.
On August 7, 2017, a federal jury found the defendant guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a loaded firearm in Brewton, Alabama. The trial evidence in the case revealed that on March 22, 2017, police officers from the Brewton Police Department were on patrol in an area that was known for narcotics activity. While on patrol, the officers encountered the defendant, who appeared passed out in his Chevrolet Corvette. As the officers investigated the scene, they observed that the defendant was in possession of a loaded Davis Industries, model P32, .32 caliber, with one round in the chamber. Furthermore, the testimony elicited at trial established that the defendant was also in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia at the time of his arrest.
Subsequently, on October 23, 2017, the defendant entered a guilty plea for illegally possessing a loaded Highpoint, model C-9, 9mm in Atmore, Alabama on or about August 19, 2016. The firearm was found as a result of a traffic stop.
The Court found that the defendant was an Armed Career Criminal under 18 U.S.C. § 924(e) because of his prior violent felony and serious drug offense convictions. The defendant had two prior felony convictions in Alabama for first degree burglary and one for attempted manufacture of a controlled substance in the second degree. As a result of his status as an Armed Career Criminal, the defendant was subject to a fifteen year mandatory minimum term of incarceration for his firearm convictions. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Brewton Police Department, and the Atmore Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant United States Attorney George F. May, Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence J. Bullard, and U. S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Megan S. Lewis for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Anchorage Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Ronald Teekell, 53, of Anchorage, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve 97 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for the distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, Teekell was first brought to law enforcement’s attention in 2009 when law enforcement received a report that child pornography was being distributed from the open wireless at Jewel Lake Bowl. Teekell became the subject of a federal investigation when law enforcement received child pornography from Teekell’s computer in 2014, and again in 2016. The investigation revealed that Teekell had previously used computers located at both Jewel Lake Bowl and the adjacent Storite Storage companies to receive, access, and distribute images of child sexual exploitation as early as 2009.
Specifically, in November 2014, an FBI Special Agent working in an undercover capacity received hundreds of images and videos depicting child sexual exploitation from an IP address assigned to Jewel Lake Bowl. Additionally, in May 2016, an APD Detective observed a suspect device distributing hundreds of images and videos of child sexual exploitation by means of an online file-sharing network. The IP address in this instance was assigned to Teekell’s home address, rather than the business accounts at either Jewel Lake Bowl or Storite Storage. Both companies are partially owned and operated by Teekell.
In August 2016, APD and FBI executed search warrants at Teekell’s residence, workplace, and storage unit. A subsequent analysis of Teekell’s devices revealed corroborating evidence of his distribution of images of child sexual exploitation between 2009 and 2016.
Pursuant to a plea agreement in this case, Teekell admitted to knowingly receiving, possessing, and distributing more than 500 images and videos depicting child sexual exploitation during the relevant periods. He also agreed to forfeit his ownership in Jewel Lake Bowl and associated entities.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Burgess noted that offenses related to child pornography are extremely serious and that the abuse depicted “haunts the victims” for their entire lives. Judge Burgess stated that there was “no doubt” in his mind that Mr. Teekell’s predilection for child pornography had been a long running addiction.
The Anchorage Police Department (APD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Akron woman indicted for stealing $164,000 from Social SecurityRead the Press Release
An Akron woman was indicted today for theft of government funds.
Jacqueline R. Acklin, 66, fraudulently converted to her own use her father’s Title II Retirement Insurance benefits after her father passed away. The Social Security Administration was not made aware of the death and continued to pay benefits a joint account held by Acklin and her late father. For nearly thirteen years, Acklin withdrew more than $164,000 in federal benefits from the account for which she was not entitled.
Special Agent Manuel Muniz from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the Court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Akron man indicted for making threats involving explosives and killing police officersRead the Press Release
An Akron man was indicted in federal court for making threats involving explosives and interstate threats stemming from posts he made on Facebook in which he referenced making explosives and shooting police officers.
Wesley B. Esper, 33, was indicted on one count of interstate threats involving explosives and one count of interstate communications of threats.
Esper made numerous postings on Facebook on June 21 which included messages such as: “Kids the gov. is wrong and it’s time. Stand up fight. Ohio is the key state. Shoot cops and politicians and any corrupt perversion of our liberty to life and freedom. Be John Dillinger, be a cowboy and don’t give up the revolution. Am will to help assemble automatics and bombs. Thank you and bless. Tyrants and alike must answer to patriots and the people,” according to the indictment.
Another post stated: “Ohio is the most corrupt and has sold off our public institutions. Go out and shoot your governor. That piece of (expletive) should hang along with many local authoritarian creatures. Thank you. Please send me pics of your progress…Strategic acts of violence to put these tyrants in their place,” according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation was conducted by the Massillon Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Riley.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
ATF Undercover Operation Leads to Hattiesburg Guilty PleasRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss – Santoria L. French, 41, of Hattiesburg, and Lemont Antoine Jackson, 37, of Jackson, each entered guilty pleas to felony charges yesterday before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
French entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Jackson, a three time convicted felon, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Jackson transported from the City of Jackson to Hattiesburg a Yugoslavian 7.62 caliber rifle with two 30 round magazines which he sold an undercover agent for $530 on May 25, 2017.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms conducted an undercover operation in Hattiesburg during 2016-2017 targeting persons selling illegal narcotics and firearms. French, who had no prior felony convictions, sold a confidential informant cocaine and firearms on at least 12 different occasions between October 17, 2016, and February 9, 2017. Agents were also able to identify and purchase narcotics from French’s supplier Thomas Michael Jordan, a/k/a "Big Mike," who entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy charge in June 2018.
French will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on October 2, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Jackson will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on September 18, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
30 Years in Federal Prison for Fort Worth Man Convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Ira Alan Arias, age 42, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Sisseton, South Dakota, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison following a federal jury’s guilty verdicts on three counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child.
U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange pronounced the sentence in federal court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Arias was also ordered to serve six years of supervised release after his release from prison and to pay $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
On or about May 3, 2015, Arias forcefully engaged in three sexual acts with the victim, who was 14 years old at the time of the sexual abuse. Arias was the victim’s uncle. The sexual abuse occurred in a hotel room in Codington County.
At the sentencing hearing, the district judge stated that Arias “not only used but dehumanized” the victim. The district judge also stated that the sentencing “brings some sort of closure” and that our “system of justice does work.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri.
Arias was immediately remanded to custody to continue serving his sentence.
144 Months in Federal Prison for McLaughlin Man Convicted of Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Sinjin Cameron, age 25, of McLaughlin, South Dakota, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for his conviction of Voluntary Manslaughter.
U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann pronounced the sentence in federal court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Cameron was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his release from prison and to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court filings, between the 2nd and 3rd days of September, 2017, at McLaughlin, in Corson County, South Dakota, the defendant, Sinjin Cameron, committed voluntary manslaughter by unlawfully killing a human being, upon a sudden quarrel and heat of passion. Cameron continued assaulting the victim after he was knocked unconscious. The victim died from blunt force trauma to the head.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri.
Cameron was immediately remanded to custody to continue serving his sentence.
17 July 2018
Woman Sentenced for Firearms Conspiracy and ObstructionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk woman was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in prison and six months under house arrest for helping her husband possess firearms after he was convicted of a felony and attempting to obstruct the investigation against him.
According to court documents, Christina Danielle Patterson, 42, helped her husband and co-defendant buy, sell, and keep in their home more than 20 guns. She then lied about doing so during an interview with ATF agents; attempted to contact a witness in a ploy to have him generate a false sales receipt showing that she, rather than her husband, was the seller of a gun; changed the registered business address of the family business in an attempt to invalidate a federal search warrant; and stole business records and other evidence from a third party, among many other acts of obstruction carried out at her husband’s direction.
Once Patterson was charged in a superseding indictment and detained pending trial, she agreed to cooperate, but then continued to undermine the investigation against her husband by giving statements to law enforcement that contradicted several other cooperating witnesses and that falsely exonerated her from wrongdoing. As her husband’s trial approached, she rejected her signed statement of facts and denied committing any crimes, all while under oath during a social security administrative proceeding for disability benefits.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-114.
United States Attorney announces joint efforts to increase violent crime prosecutions in ShreveportRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that efforts to increase violent crime prosecutions in the Shreveport area are having a positive effect on crime rates.
United States Attorney Joseph’s focus on violent crime is part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing effort to increase targeted prosecutions of violent crime through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. In the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana has prosecuted more than 200 defendants throughout the district, approximately 100 of which are in the Shreveport area, for firearm related offenses, including felons and drug dealers in possession of firearms. These prosecutions represent approximately three times the number of such cases than have been brought in previous years.
The PSN program is a collaborative effort led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office involving local, state and federal law enforcement. In Shreveport, participants include the ATF, FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department and Shreveport Mayor’s office. The program has been proven to be successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a crime reduction strategy involving PSN.
“The aim of these targeted prosecutions is to remove the most violent and dangerous offenders from our streets,” Joseph stated. ”We stand with our federal and local partners in facing the threats of violence, gun crimes and drug abuse in our communities. We will not be deterred, and we will continue to step up the pressure on these bad actors. The message is clear, if you threaten the safety and security of innocent people in our communities, you will face the consequences.”
The Western District of Louisiana consists of 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and encompasses two-thirds of the State of Louisiana. This area covers the cities of Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe and Shreveport.
Tallahassee Tax Preparer Charged with Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kenneth Alexander, 46, of Tallahassee, was arraigned today in the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with nine counts of preparing false tax returns, filing a false tax-related document, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that Alexander, the sole shareholder of Wizard Business Center, a tax preparation business in Tallahassee, prepared and filed false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for various individuals between 2012 and 2016. The indictment alleges that Alexander falsely represented the taxpayers’ Schedule A itemized deductions, Schedule C and E losses, and marital status.
The maximum penalty for each count of preparing false tax returns and filing a false tax-related document is three years in prison. The maximum penalty for theft of government funds is 10 years in prison. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is two years consecutive to any other sentence imposed. The trial is scheduled for September 10 at 8:15 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation and the Emerald Coast Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes IRS Criminal Investigation and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Treasury Inspector General’s Office for Tax Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Gary Milligan is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Substitute Teacher Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact MARCIA MURPHY
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4854
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Christopher Harris Speights, age 35, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, today to 35 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release for production of child pornography, and production and attempted production of child pornography.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; and Acting Worcester County State’s Attorney William H. McDermott.
According to his plea agreement, on December 13, 2016, the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit received a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and began an investigation into the production and possession of images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors associated with a specific IP address. Further investigation revealed that the sexually exploitive images were associated with Speights’ residence. On April 20, 2017, Maryland State Police (MSP) troopers and Homeland Security Investigations agents executed a search warrant at Speights' residence.
During the execution of the search warrants at his home, Speights confirmed to law enforcement that he was a permanent substitute teacher, working full-time, at Bradbury Heights Elementary school, located in Capitol Heights, Prince George's County, Maryland. Speights also confirmed that he coached boys youth basketball with a traveling team.
Speights admitted to possessing child pornography on the iPad recovered from his residence, and to surreptitiously filming some of the minors he coached while the minors were staying in North Carolina for a basketball team trip in March 2016. Speights placed his backpack in the hotel room's bathroom, with his iPad video recording from a hole in the exterior mesh pocket of the backpack.
Speights also produced images documenting himself sexually exploiting three minor males. Speights produced two of the images on June 21, 2015, in Ocean City Maryland, which resulted in a state charge of sexual abuse of a minor in the Circuit Court of Worcester County. Speights produced another image on August 3, 2015, at his residence, and produced an additional image on December 14, 2015, while he was chaperoning a Bradbury Heights fifth grade class trip. Those images resulted in two charges of sexual abuse of a minor being filed against Speights in the Circuit Court of Prince George’s County. Judge Grimm ordered that Speights’ federal sentence will be served concurrent to any sentence imposed in his pending cases in Prince George’s and Worcester Counties.
MSP conducted a digital forensic analysis of the media and devices recovered from Speights’ home. Law enforcement determined that Speights adopted the online identities of fictitious minors, then solicited minor males and females online to produce images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and transmit those images via social media. According to the plea agreement, Speights (using the assumed online identity of a minor) threatened minor boys on more than one occasion that if they did not comply with his demands to create and send images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct, he would tell "Coach Speights" about the inappropriate online conversations. As a result of the investigation, law enforcement was able to positively identify over 20 minors from whom Speights requested images of sexually explicit conduct.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the Maryland State Police, HSI Baltimore, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, and the Worcester and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Hagan and Lindsay Kaplan, who prosecuted the federal case.
Statement of Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office on the Convictions of State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and His Son AdamRead the Press Release
Robert Khuzami, Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, said: “Yet again, a New York jury heard a sordid tale of bribery, extortion, and the abuse of power by a powerful public official of this State. And yet again, a jury responded with a unanimous verdict of guilt, in this case of Dean Skelos and his son Adam – sending the resounding message that political corruption will not be tolerated.”
St. Thomas Man Indicted for Transporting a Minor for Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Osvaldo Tavarez, 48, appeared for his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller after a Federal Grand Jury returned a two-count indictment charging transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Tavarez remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday July 18, 2018.
According to court records, Tavarez transported a minor who had not obtained the age of eighteen to an area in St. Thomas and engaged her in illegal sexual activity. Under federal law, Tavarez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Suspected child exploitation or missing children cases may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via its toll-free 24–hour hotline at 202-514-5678, or to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at (340) 693-2250.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
St. Louis Woman Sentenced on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Carol J. Dotson was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment on wire fraud charges. She was also ordered to pay restitution in excess of $2,043,248 million dollars.
According to court documents, from July 2003 to February 2017, Doston embezzled more than $2 million dollars from a commercial real estate property management company in Olivette, Missouri where she was the office administrator. Dotson wrote multiple checks to herself, withdrew large sums of cash to spend on elder care for her mother, mortgage payments, home renovations, home cleaning services, law services and shopping at local stores.
Dotson, 71, St. Louis, pled guilty in March to one felony count of wire fraud. She appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Richard Webber.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Olivette Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dianna Collins is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.
South Carolina Man Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ashan M. Benedict, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the arrest of DAYVON CHESTNUT, a/k/a “Dayvon Denaris Wynez Chestnut,” for trafficking in firearms, including the trafficking of firearms from South Carolina to the New York City area. CHESTNUT was arrested this morning in South Carolina by the ATF and the NYPD, and will be presented today on a complaint in federal court in the District of South Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “A big part of keeping our city safe is curtailing the flow of illegal guns to our streets. As alleged, until today, trafficking in illegal firearms was Dayvon Chestnut’s stock in trade. Now, thanks to the ATF and NYPD, he is in custody and awaiting prosecution by our Office.”
ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan M. Benedict said: “As alleged, Dayvon Chestnut conspired to traffic firearms into the state of New York. Those who traffic in firearms are a direct focus of the ATF mission to combat violent crime. ATF and its partners at the NYPD work together every day to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and groups that circumvent the law by putting illegal firearms on the streets of New York. I would like to thank the Special Agents and NYPD Detective Task Force Officers of the ATF Crime Gun Intelligence Center for their diligent work on this case. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the United States Attorney’s Office for their work in prosecuting the case.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1]:
Since in or about 2016 through the present, CHESTNUT has been purchasing firearms in South Carolina, and directing others to purchase firearms in South Carolina, and selling those firearms to other individuals. CHESTNUT utilizes Facebook communications and phone communications, among other methods, to communicate with some of his co-conspirators. In April and May 2018, CHESTNUT traveled to the New York City area on at least four occasions to distribute those firearms.
* * *
CHESTNUT, 25, of Bishopville, South Carolina, is charged with conspiracy to traffic in firearms and firearms trafficking, each of which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the efforts of the ATF and NYPD in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Krissoff in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
South African Man Sentenced for Assaulting A Federal Officer with FecesRead 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 Ziyaya Mtola, 44, of Capetown, South Africa, who was convicted following a jury trial of assaulting a federal officer and destroying government property, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. Following the completion of his sentence, the defendant will be deported to South Africa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that, on May 14, 2017, the defendant threw feces in the face and on the body of a female corrections officer at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, NY. After this incident, and continuing over the following 10 days, Mtola destroyed two sprinkler systems in the detention facility, smeared feces on a cell door, and destroyed a cell window.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director Thomas Feeley.
Smith County Woman Guilty of Federal ViolationsRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 47-year-old Whitehouse, Texas woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown today.
Shelly Hunter pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen funds before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell on July 16, 2018.
According to information presented in court, from March 2005 until February 2017 Hunter was employed as the Business Office Manager for Peltier Chevrolet, Inc., an automotive dealership located in Tyler, Texas. Beginning March 2011, Hunter embezzled and stole funds belonging to the dealership. She did so by way of nearly 250 unauthorized transactions, including ACH payments and checks. Hunter then used the stolen funds to pay her personal credit cards. In some instances, she mailed checks to pay her accounts. She also directly wired funds from the dealership’s bank account to her credit card accounts. Hunter used various means to conceal the theft of funds from the dealership. These efforts included forging the signature of Peltier’s manager, initiating authorized payments, creating fraudulent entries in Peltier’s general ledger, and generating false bank reconciliations.
Under federal statutes, Hunter faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Coan.
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Sewickley Man Charged with Evading Taxes for Himself and His Cleaning BusinessRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of Sewickley, Pa., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on charges of tax evasion and obstructing the due administration of the internal revenue laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The three-count indictment named Mark Stanford as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Stanford evaded payment of both his personal income taxes and the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes that he should have paid by virtue of owning and operating a cleaning business during the period 2009 through 2013. He is alleged to have made large personal expenditures (such as Bentley automobiles) rather than pay the taxes due and owing. He is also alleged to have lied to the IRS about his ability to pay his tax obligations and to have filed a false report with the IRS regarding his personal and business financial situation.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (or both) for each tax evasion count and up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 (or both) for the obstruction count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney James R. Wilson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Second Honduran Congressman Charged with Conspiring to Import Cocaine into the United States and Related Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Raymond P. Donovan, the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today that charges have been filed in Manhattan federal court against Honduran congressman MIDENCE OQUELI MARTINEZ TURCIOS and, in a separate indictment, ARNALDO URBINA SOTO, CARLOS FERNANDO URBINA SOTO, and MIGUEL ANGEL URBINA SOTO. The charges in each indictment include conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related weapons offenses involving the use and possession of machineguns and destructive devices. The United States is seeking the defendants’ extraditions from Honduras.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants include a Honduran congressman and a former Honduran mayor. All are charged with conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. and conspiring to use and carry machineguns and destructive devices in furtherance of cocaine importation. Politically connected defendants in Honduras allegedly working in league with violent drug cartels is a recipe for harm here in the U.S. We are committed to working with the DEA to police and prosecute such conduct.”
Special Agent in Charge Raymond P. Donovan said: “DEA and our partners continue to expose drug-related corruption across the world, which fuels violence and insurgency while upending the rule of law. These Honduran elected officials and their associates allegedly conspired with the Sinaloa Cartel and flooded American communities with huge amounts of deadly poison. DEA looks forward to their extradition to the United States to face American justice and answer for their many alleged crimes.”
As alleged in the Indictments unsealed in federal court:[1]
From at least in or about 2004, up to and including in or about 2014, multiple drug trafficking organizations in Honduras and elsewhere worked together, and with support from MARTINEZ TURCIOS, the Urbina Soto defendants, and others, to receive multi-hundred-kilogram loads of cocaine sent to Honduras via air and maritime routes from, among other places, Venezuela and Colombia. The cocaine shipments were transported westward within Honduras toward the border with Guatemala and eventually imported into the United States, often in coordination with high-ranking members of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
MARTINEZ TURCIOS is a legislator, referred to as a diputado, in the National Congress of Honduras. MARTINEZ TURCIOS is the second Honduran congressman to be charged in connection with the DEA’s investigation of politically connected drug trafficking in Honduras. In January 2018, Honduran congressman Fredy Renan Najera Montoya was also charged with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related firearms offenses. See United States v. Najera Montoya, S1 15 Cr. 378 (PGG).
MARTINEZ TURCIOS was a member of a violent Honduran drug trafficking organization known as the Cachiros. Between in or about 2004 and in or about 2014, MARTINEZ TURCIOS received a total of over $1 million in bribes and other payments from the leaders of the Cachiros, which he used to, among other things, enrich himself and fund his campaign activities and political operations. MARTINEZ TURCIOS helped provide the appearance of legitimacy to the leaders of the Cachiros by virtue of his political position and authority, and by acting at times as a nominal partial owner of one of the organization’s money laundering front companies, Ganaderos Agricultores del Norte, S. de R.L. de C.V. MARTINEZ TURCIOS also provided direct support for violent drug trafficking activities by the Cachiros. For example, MARTINEZ TURCIOS personally escorted some Cachiros cocaine shipments as they were transported through Honduras, managed heavily armed security teams responsible for protecting large quantities of drugs, participated in weapons training provided to paid Cachiros assassins recruited from the gang known as Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and helped plan and participated in acts of violence perpetrated by members and associates of the Cachiros.
As alleged in a separate Indictment, between in or about 2005 and in or about 2014, ARNALDO URBINA SOTO, CARLOS FERNANDO URBINA SOTO, and MIGUEL ANGEL URBINA SOTO operated a drug trafficking organization based in Yoro, Honduras, where ARNALDO URBINA SOTO acted as mayor between in or about 2009 and in or about 2014. The Urbina Soto defendants capitalized on their power in the Yoro Department and aligned with other major Honduran criminal syndicates, such as the Cachiros and the Copan-based group led by Miguel Arnulfo Valle Valle and Luis Alonso Valle Valle, to receive cocaine-laden aircraft at various locations in Honduras, including clandestine airstrips in remote areas as well as public roads in the vicinity of Yoro. The Urbina Soto defendants coordinated – and at times personally joined – heavily armed security details that oversaw the unloading of the planes and the transportation of the illicit cargo in connection with importing massive quantities of cocaine into the United States.
* * *
MARTINEZ TURCIOS, 57, is charged in three counts: (1) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, (2) using and carrying machineguns and destructive devices during, and possessing machineguns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy, and (3) conspiring to use and carry machineguns and destructive devices during, and to possess machineguns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy. If convicted, MARTINEZ TURCIOS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison on Count One, a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison on Count Two, and a maximum term of 20 years in prison on Count Three.
The second Indictment charges CARLOS FERNANDO URBINA SOTO, 44, and MIGUEL ANGEL URBINA SOTO, 39, with violating the same statutes as MARTINEZ TURCIOS. ARNALDO URBINA SOTO, 37, is charged in two counts: (1) conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, and (2) conspiring to use and carry machineguns and destructive devices during, and to possess machineguns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the cocaine importation conspiracy. If convicted, CARLOS FERNANDO URBINA SOTO and MIGUEL ANGEL URBINA SOTO each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison on Count One, a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison on Count Two, and a maximum term of 20 years in prison on Count Three. If convicted, ARNALDO URBINA SOTO faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison on Count One, and a maximum term of 20 years in prison on Count Three.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, New York Strike Force, and Tegucigalpa Country Office. Mr. Berman also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
These cases are being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III and Mathew J. Laroche are in charge of the prosecutions.
The charges contained in the Indictments are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment charging Martinez, and the separate Indictment charging Arnaldo Urbina Soto, Carlos Fernando Urbina Soto, and Miguel Angel Urbina Soto, as well as the descriptions of the Indictments set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Schuele Boys Gang Member Sentenced for His Role in Cocaine 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 Schuele Boys Gang member Antwon Steward, a/k/a Stacks, 35, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wei Xiang, who handled the case, stated that Steward participated in a cocaine distribution operation with co-defendant Michael Robertson, a/k/a Bones. The defendant cooked powder cocaine into “crack” for Robertson. Steward and Robertson also shared supplies of cocaine, locations for storing and selling cocaine, and customers. The investigation utilized court-ordered interceptions of wire and electronic communications between Robertson, the defendant, and customers. Robertson was previously convicted and sentenced to 97 months in prison.
Steward was one of 28 Schuele Boys Gang members, associates and other individuals arrested and convicted in this case. The Schuele Boys Gang, which operated in the Schuele Street area of the East Side of Buffalo, was responsible for multiple acts of violence, including murder, and the distribution of illegal narcotics including cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
School Owner Pleads Guilty to Bribing Public Official at VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
The owner of Eelon Training Academy (“Eelon”), a privately owned, non-accredited school purporting to specialize in digital media courses, pleaded guilty today to bribing a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of payments to Eelon that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
Michelle Stevens, 57, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of bribing a public official. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia. In April 2018, two other individuals, Albert Poawui and Sombo Kanneh, pleaded guilty in related cases to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, respectively.
The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with Stevens’ plea, she created Eelon Training Academy after learning about the VR&E program from a VR&E program counselor. In or about September 2016, the VR&E program counselor facilitated the first tuition payment from the VA to Eelon. Shortly after receiving this payment, the VR&E program counselor told Stevens that she should give him seven percent of the monies paid by the VA to Eelon.
Stevens admitted to later making two cash payments of $1,500 to the VR&E program counselor in furtherance of her scheme to bribe the VR&E program counselor in exchange for the VR&E program counselor sending veterans under his supervision to Eelon and facilitating the VA’s payments to Stevens. In total, Stevens received approximately $83,000 from the VA for education that she purported to provide to veteran students. Stevens submitted invoices to the VA amounting to no less than $300,000 for the tuition and equipment of seven students, but was not paid the balance of the invoice amount due to the VA’s ongoing investigation into Eelon following complaints by students about the poor quality of education.
In an effort to procure the outstanding payments from the VA, Stevens made numerous fraudulent misrepresentations to the VA, and maintained fraudulent student files in the event of an audit by the VA. For example, Stevens emailed to the VA an “attendance” sheet for eight students. The attendance sheet was created by Stevens and included handwritten check marks purporting to represent the dates that the students attended class. In fact, as Stevens well knew, the students had not attended class on many of those dates nor was class even held on many of those dates.
Stevens’ plea is the third guilty plea in an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou and Paralegal Specialist Joshua Fein also assisted in the prosecution of this case.
School Owner Pleads Guilty to Bribing Public Official at VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The owner of Eelon Training Academy (“Eelon”), a privately owned, non-accredited school purporting to specialize in digital media courses, pleaded guilty today to bribing a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of payments to Eelon that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
Michelle Stevens, 57, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of bribing a public official. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia. In April 2018, two other individuals, Albert Poawui and Sombo Kanneh, pleaded guilty in related cases to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, respectively.
The Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with Stevens’ plea, she created Eelon Training Academy after learning about the VR&E program from a VR&E program counselor. In or about September 2016, the VR&E program counselor facilitated the first tuition payment from the VA to Eelon. Shortly after receiving this payment, the VR&E program counselor told Stevens that she should give him seven percent of the monies paid by the VA to Eelon.
Stevens admitted to later making two cash payments of $1,500 to the VR&E program counselor in furtherance of her scheme to bribe the VR&E program counselor in exchange for the VR&E program counselor sending veterans under his supervision to Eelon and facilitating the VA’s payments to Stevens. In total, Stevens received approximately $83,000 from the VA for education that she purported to provide to veteran students. Stevens submitted invoices to the VA amounting to no less than $300,000 for the tuition and equipment of seven students, but was not paid the balance of the invoice amount due to the VA’s ongoing investigation into Eelon following complaints by students about the poor quality of education.
In an effort to procure the outstanding payments from the VA, Stevens made numerous fraudulent misrepresentations to the VA, and maintained fraudulent student files in the event of an audit by the VA. For example, Stevens emailed to the VA an “attendance” sheet for eight students. The attendance sheet was created by Stevens and included handwritten check marks purporting to represent the dates that the students attended class. In fact, as Stevens well knew, the students had not attended class on many of those dates nor was class even held on many of those dates.
Stevens’ plea is the third guilty plea in an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou and Paralegal Specialist Joshua Fein also assisted in the prosecution of this case.
San Jose Resident Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Julio Camacho Pacheco was sentenced today to 140 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Beth Labson Freeman, United States District Judge.
Pacheco pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy on April 3, 2018. According to his plea agreement, Pacheco admitted that between February 10 and February 17 of 2017, he conspired and collaborated with others to sell a pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant working for the DEA. Pacheco admitted he delivered approximately 430.5 grams of 100% pure “crystal meth” (d-methamphetamine hydrochloride) to the informant’s car at a Burger King restaurant in San Jose where he and his co-conspirators exchanged the drugs for $4,000. Further, Pacheco acknowledged that after he was identified as the supplier for the transaction, he participated in another transaction on May 3, 2017, in which he sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover officer for $3,200. On July 19, 2017, Pacheco was arrested after agreeing to sell another two kilograms of methamphetamine to the undercover officer. At the time of his arrest, Pacheco was at the site arranged for the transaction and in possession of approximately 1,954 grams of crystal methamphetamine. In all, Pacheco was responsible for the actual and attempted sale of over three kilograms of methamphetamine.
On October 19, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging Pacheco with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841; two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841; and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Pacheco pleaded guilty to all four counts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman sentenced the defendant to a five-year period of supervised release and forfeiture of digital scales and U.S. currency recovered during a search of his home. Pacheco has been in custody since his arrest and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris prosecuted the case with the assistance of Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Salvadoran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Salvadoran national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Jose Antonio Reyes-Ramos, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (approximately 81 days) and one year of supervised release. Reyes-Ramos will be subject to deportation proceedings. On June 28, 2018, Reyes-Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
Reyes-Ramos was deported from the United States to El Salvador in 2011 and then again in 2012. In 2017, after Reyes-Ramos had illegally returned to the United States, he was arrested on Cape Cod for sexual conduct for a fee. On April 19, 2018, Reyes-Ramos was taken into immigration custody.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Rebecca J. Adducci, Interim Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Nationwide Debit Card Fraud Scheme Targeting Apple StoresRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Israel Butler, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay over $353,000 in restitution for fraud involving a debit card, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Butler traveled from Sacramento to cities throughout California and the rest of the United States, including the East Coast, Midwest, and Alaska, using a revoked debit card to purchase products from Apple stores. Butler told store associates that there was a problem with his debit card and invited the associates to call his bank. In fact, it was Butler’s conspirator with whom the associates spoke. The conspirator gave the sales associates a false code that allowed the transactions to be completed on Butler’s revoked debit card. Butler was arrested in Colorado after attempting further fraudulent purchases at Apple stores.
Butler also used the revoked debit card to purchase other goods and services. All totaled, the loss caused by Butler’s fraud scheme was approximately $353,000.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles prosecuted the case.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Israel Butler, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John A. Mendez to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay over $353,000 in restitution for fraud involving a debit card, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Butler traveled from Sacramento to cities throughout California and the rest of the United States, including the East Coast, Midwest, and Alaska, using a revoked debit card to purchase products from Apple stores. Butler told store associates that there was a problem with his debit card and invited the associates to call his bank. In fact, it was Butler’s conspirator with whom the associates spoke. The conspirator gave the sales associates a false code that allowed the transactions to be completed on Butler’s revoked debit card. Butler was arrested in Colorado after attempting further fraudulent purchases at Apple stores.
Butler also used the revoked debit card to purchase other goods and services. All totaled, the loss caused by Butler’s fraud scheme was approximately $353,000.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles prosecuted the case.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Receipt and Possession of Images of Child RapeRead the Press Release
A registered sex offender with prior convictions for raping a 12-year-old girl he met via the internet, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison for two federal felonies involving his receipt and possession of images of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. RICHARD DAVID BLICK, 65, formerly of Edmonds, Washington was indicted in September 2017, following an investigation by the King County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). BLICK was convicted in March 2018 following a two-day trial. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour ordered BLICK to be supervised by federal probation for the rest of his life following the prison sentence.
“Despite incarceration, treatment, supervision, and sex offender registration, this defendant remains a predator, using the internet to seek out children that he can exploit,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “He has proved time and again that he poses an ongoing and substantial threat to community safety. As a result, this long prison sentence is the only way to protect our kids from his crimes.”
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, the electronic service provider Dropbox made a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an account later linked to BLICK was uploading pictures of child pornography. The subsequent law enforcement investigation revealed BLICK owned the Dropbox account and that he was a Level 3 registered sex offender with a 2001 conviction for raping a 12-year-old girl. In August 2017, law enforcement served search warrants on BLICK’s residence, an RV in Edmonds. On BLICK’s various electronic devices were thousands of images of child pornography as well as chats and videos with a 14-year-old California child whom BLICK convinced to send him sexually explicit images. BLICK has been in federal custody since his arrest in August 2017.
“Each time an image of child exploitation is shared online, the child in that image is victimized all over again. Law enforcement discovered thousands of images on Blick’s electronic media, including the fact that he convinced a minor to send him sexually explicit images. He represents the worst kind of criminal, one who preys on innocent children. Let today’s sentencing be a warning to other child predators; law enforcement officers are actively looking for you and will ensure you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Seattle.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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 www.justice.gov/psc
The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton and Special Assistant United States Attorney Cecilia Gregson. Ms. Gregson is a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute child exploitation cases in federal court.
Pelham Recidivist Drug Dealer Found GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALBANY: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that Joshua Griffin, age 32, of Pelham, Georgia was found guilty by a jury of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (Count 1), Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (Count 2) and Possession of Cocaine (Count 3). The trial was held July 16-17, 2018 before United States District Judge Leslie J. Abrams in Albany.
Evidence presented during the trial of the case showed that Pelham Police conducted a search at Griffin’s residence at 515 Lee Williams Road, Pelham, Georgia on January 11, 2017. They recovered approximately 48 grams of marijuana, approximately 20 grams of 80% pure methamphetamine, less than 1 gram of cocaine, digital scales, plastic baggies, a ledger and approximate $1000 in United States Currency.
Prior to the trial, the Government had served notice that it intended to seek increased punishment in his case based on his prior conviction in 2010 for Distribution of Cocaine Base.
Mr. Griffin faces a minimum mandatory term of incarceration of ten years and maximum potential sentence of life imprisonment on Count 1, a maximum potential sentence of ten years on Count 2 and a maximum sentence of three years on Count 3. Sentencing in the case will be held in about 60 days following a pre-sentence investigation and report.
“Repeat drug offenders in the federal system get harsher sentences as a matter of law and, as in this case, oftentimes face stiff mandatory minimum sentences upon conviction. Others in the illicit drug trade would be wise to pay heed to Mr. Griffin’s fate,” said United States Attorney Charles Peeler.
The case was investigated by the Pelham Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Owner of Queens Construction Company Indicted for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Rafal Ziolkowski, the owner of Oliwa Construction, Inc., in Queens, with seven counts of willfully failing to collect and pay taxes, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements to federal agents. Ziolkowski was arrested earlier today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James D. Robnett, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the charges.
“As alleged in the indictment, Ziolkowski defrauded the United States by not reporting cash wages paid to his company’s employees,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Today’s indictment serves as notice that this Office is committed to prosecuting those who seek to profit at the expense of the United States and honest taxpayers.”
“As alleged, evading Employment Taxes has an impact on all taxpayers not only in the present but the future as well,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Robnett. “Both retired citizens and some dependent children depend on this assistance, which plays a critical role in the financial security of all Americans.”
According to the indictment, between January 2010 and December 2013, Ziolkowski failed to pay a total of approximately $650,000 in Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes by understating the wages paid to Oliwa employees. To avoid his tax liability, Ziolkowski paid Oliwa’s workers millions of dollars in cash obtained by cashing commercial checks. When the IRS confronted Ziolkowski about his scheme, he falsely denied having ever visited a check cashing establishment.
If convicted of these charges, Ziolkowski faces a maximum sentence of 45 years’ imprisonment.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Moscow is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
Rafal Ziolkowski
Age: 41
Ridgewood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-347 (FB)
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-State Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Blacklick, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy, transfer of a false identification document, mail fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Albert McCall, 55, pleaded guilty to six counts before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab after jury selection and opening statements, but before the presentation of any evidence.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that McCall engaged in a conspiracy to violate various federal identity theft laws, harming victims from across the country. McCall and his co-conspirators obtained the victims’ personal identification information by purchasing the information on the dark web or through a variety of other means. Using embossing machines and card reader/writer tools, McCall created counterfeit identification documents, such as Ohio drivers’ licenses, and produced fraudulent credit cards that functioned as though they were real. McCall and his co-conspirators then used the counterfeit driver licenses and credit cards to purchase merchandise and rent hotel rooms and cars in the victims’ names. Further, they used the counterfeit identification documents to open lines of credit in victims’ names and without their knowledge, including a line of credit used to purchase more than $7,000 worth of jewelry from the Kay Jewelers in the Ross Park Mall. Investigators interrupted McCall’s criminal plot to use victims’ identities to purchase vehicles using the counterfeit driver licenses and stolen personal identification information.
The investigation included the use of an undercover federal law enforcement officer, who communicated with McCall and purchased from McCall a counterfeit Ohio driver’s license. McCall was arrested by the police department in Warren, Michigan, and the cellular telephones found on his person at the time of his arrest linked him to much of the criminal conduct at issue. Search warrants executed both in Ohio and in Pennsylvania provided further evidence of McCall’s extensive multi-state identity-theft scams.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for November 27, 2018 at 9:30 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than two years and up to 82 years in prison, a fine of $1,500,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered McCall detained.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan T. Conway and Christy C. Wiegand are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service, in conjunction with multiple police departments in Pennsylvania and Ohio, including police departments from Columbus, Ohio, Canfield, Ohio, Bucks County, Ohio, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ross Township, Pennsylvania, and Wilkins Township, Pennsylvania, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McCall.
O.C. Pro Poker Player Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges for Theft of over $6 Million Dollars in Sales Scheme Related to Super Bowl and World Cup Ticket SalesRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man has pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud offense and admitted operating a $6 million scheme that bilked investors who were promised large profits from the resale of tickets to high-profile sporting events, including the Super Bowl and the World Cup.
Seyed Reza Ali Fazeli, 49, of Aliso Viejo, a professional poker player, ran a Las Vegas-based ticket business called Summit Entertainment, which also operated under the names onlinetickets.com and pacertickets.com.
According to court records, from May 2016 through May 2017, Fazeli solicited investors in Orange County, Houston and Las Vegas to send approximately $6 million to Summit Entertainment to purchase tickets to the 2017 Super Bowl and the 2018 World Cup games. Fazeli told the victims that Summit Entertainment would resell the tickets at a substantial profit and share the proceeds with them.
After numerous investors wired approximately $6 million to Summit for sports tickets, Fazeli failed to provide any profit distribution. Fazeli falsely told the victims that the ticket sales went poorly because the NFL prohibited their resale and that he was negotiating a settlement with the NFL.
According to court documents, Fazeli never purchased large numbers of Super Bowl or World Cup tickets as promised. Instead, he used the money for gambling expenses at Las Vegas Casinos and for personal expenses.
United States District Judge David O. Carter set sentencing for January 28, 2019. Fazeli faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Anyone who may have been victimized by Summit Entertainment or Fazeli is encouraged to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at 310-477-6565.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally of the Santa Ana Branch office.