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17 July 2018
Bank Robber Sentenced to over 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, Robert Lad Solfisburg, 34, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 150 months’ prison. Solfisburg had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery.
From December 2016 until March 2017, Solfisburg robbed four U.S. Banks while wearing disguises. He robbed three in Tucson and a fourth in Tempe, Ariz. Solfisburg would approach bank tellers while holding a plastic bag and demanding that money be placed inside the bag. Anywhere from $2,338 to $4,080 was taken per robbery. Solfisburg successfully robbed all four banks until further investigation revealed his identity and he was apprehended. Solfisburg was on federal supervision at the time for having committed two prior bank robberies in Phoenix and California.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Tucson Police Department, Tempe Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Raquel Arellano, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-00569-TUC-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-082_Solfisburg
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Austin-Based Nigerian Money Launderer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Romance ScamsRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal judge sentenced 34–year-old Nigerian National Kingsley Otuya to 135 months in federal prison for a million dollar plus fraud and money laundering scheme involving romance scams announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and Special Agent in Charge Shane M. Folden, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), San Antonio Division.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Robert Pitman ordered Otuya to pay restitution in the amount of $966,617.31 and be placed under supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.
“This case brutally illustrates how fraud schemes hurt victims not only financially but also emotionally,” said U.S. Attorney John F. Bash. “We will remain steadfast in our efforts to protect Americans from transnational criminal conspiracies.”
In April 2018, Otuya pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court records, authorities began investigating Otuya as part of a series of investigations based in Austin into the activities of West African Fraud Schemes. In Otuya’s case, the funds were primarily derived from romance and investment fraud schemes. The conspiracy scammed American citizens out of over $1 million. Otuya acted as a “catcher,” one of the individuals responsible for quickly withdrawing fraudulently obtained funds from bank accounts where the victims deposited their funds. Otuya used fake passports to open nine different bank accounts in false names in Austin and often structured his withdrawals to amounts under $10,000 so as to avoid bank reporting requirements. Otuya would then send the money to coconspirators before the victim attempted to recover their funds. Otuya was paid a fee for the fraud proceeds that flowed through his accounts. Court records indicated that multiple victims faced serious financial hardship as a result of these schemes and that one of the victims who sent money to Otuya took her own life after losing hundreds of thousands of dollars and being emotionally devastated by a romance scam. Court records indicate that Otuya faces likely deportation back to Nigeria as a result of this conviction.
“Today’s sentence shows how aggressively HSI investigates financial crimes, and its commitment to bring to justice those who perpetrate them,” said Special Agent in Charge Folden. “The people behind these transnational fraud schemes robbed people of more than $1 million, and our special agents are committed to protect the public and the integrity of our financial system.”
HSI agents conducted this investigation along with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)--Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Galdo prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
Atlanta man sentenced for assaulting Federal Marshals with a motor vehicleRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Shusta Traverse Gumbs was sentenced today following his convictions for two counts of using a motor vehicle to assault members of the U.S. Marshals Services’ Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERTF) after he eluded arrest in his vehicle, pinning a Deputy U.S. Marshal with his car during his escape.
“In an attempt to flee arresting officers, Gumbs showed no regard for life when he seriously injured one of the Deputy Marshals with his vehicle,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “His lengthy prison sentence reflects our commitment to prosecute those who seek to injure our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to protect us.”
“We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in obtaining this conviction of Gumbs, who is a violent repeat offender,” said Keith D. Booker, Chief Inspector, Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service. “Law enforcement personnel face dangers every day in an effort to keep communities safe. Violence against those who swear an oath to protect the public will not be tolerated.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and evidence presented at trial: On October 21, 2016, the SERFTF sought Gumbs for an active warrant issued by Douglas County, Georgia, Superior Court for failure to appear for the offenses of theft by receiving stolen property, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of marijuana. SERFTF members saw Gumbs stopped in a black car in a parking lot of a store in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta.
A deputy entered the parking lot in a car, with another deputy as his passenger. A third deputy arrived in a van, with two more deputies as his passengers. Two separate deputies each arrived in separate vehicles. All the officers then converged on Gumbs’s vehicle with the sirens and blue lights of their vehicles engaged and firearms drawn. Gumbs was ordered to turn off and exit his vehicle. Gumbs suddenly placed his vehicle in reverse and backed up approximately 10 to 15 feet.
One of the deputies then ran to his vehicle to retrieve an expandable baton should it become necessary to break any of the windows of Gumbs’ vehicle. As that deputy approached Gumbs’s vehicle a second time, Gumbs accelerated his vehicle to force his way past two of the officers’ parked vehicles. As Gumbs did so, he pinned the deputy between the two vehicles, crushing a thigh, knee, foot, and ankle. Gumbs then fled the West End area at a high rate of speed during heavy traffic, striking a motorist’s vehicle, and running a stop sign and a red traffic light. He eventually abandoned the vehicle and eluded capture until four days later, on October 25, 2016.
Following a jury trial, Shusta Traverse Gumbs, 40, of the U.S. Virgin Islands, was convicted on December 11, 2017, of two counts of forcibly assaulting, impeding, opposing, resisting, or interfering with four federal officers during the performance of their official duties. U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen sentenced Gumbs to 19 years, six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Services’ Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, with assistance from the Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., Chief of the Violent Crime and National Security Section, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Anderson County Man Sentenced for Making False Statements in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) InvestigationRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina –------- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jeffery Michael Patterson, age 41, of Townville, South Carolina, was sentenced in Federal Court to three years’ probation for violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. The sentence was handed down by District Judge Timothy M. Cain.
The facts of the case are as follows. Patterson was employed at a local FAA approved airplane repair and service facility. During the course of a routine evaluation of employees Patterson represented that he had FAA certifications to do certain work on airplanes. The repair facility tried to verify this information through the FAA and were advised that Patterson held none of the certifications that he claimed to have. The matter was then referred to the Inspector General (I/G) of the Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) for investigation. I/G Special Agents interviewed Patterson and he made false statements to them to include the false statement that he had the FAA certifications but that they were under other names because his name had been changed numerous times by the Treasury department to protect his family from drug dealers who had been investigated by his father while working as a drug enforcement officer. At the guilty plea hearing, as well as at the sentencing hearing, Patterson admitted that this story was completely made up and bogus.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens of the Greenville Office. United States Attorney Lydon commended Stephens, the FAA and the DOT I/G for their vigorous investigation and prosecution of the case. She stated that, “Insuring the safety of our aircraft of all types, including commercial and military, is of great importance and one way this is accomplished is to be sure that persons working on or certifying same as airworthy, are qualified to do so.”
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Anchorage Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Federal Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that an Anchorage man has been sentenced in federal court after being convicted of multiple charges related to the October 2016 kidnapping, carjacking, and shooting of two individuals.
Matthew James Scharber, 36, of Anchorage, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve a term of life in prison, plus an additional 10 years on the firearms offense. In December 2017, Scharber pleaded guilty on all five counts of the indictment, which included conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, carjacking, and possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on Oct. 27, 2016, Scharber lured brothers K.A.K. and K.T.K. to his Anchorage apartment. Once the brothers were inside the apartment, co-defendants Corey Sylva and Michael Elder came out from a back room of the apartment and held them at gunpoint. The brothers were then bound with speaker wire and handcuffs before being assaulted by the three men with fists, feet, and a large wooden pole.
In addition, the brothers were robbed of personal property off their person and from their vehicle, a 2005 Subaru Legacy. The rear cargo windows of the victim’s vehicle were spray painted black by Scharber. K.T.K. was unconscious from the assault, and K.A.K. was feigning unconsciousness as they were loaded into their own vehicle, blindfolded, by Sylva and Elder. Scharber then drove the brothers to Hatcher’s Pass where he made them exit the vehicle, before shooting them multiple times while they had their hands bound.
The brothers were left for several hours before a passerby located them. They were transported by a LifeMed helicopter to the hospital and treated for multiple gunshot wounds. K.T.K. had been shot in the upper arm, thigh, and stomach, while K.A.K. had been shot in the chest and elbow. They both had injuries from the beating as well as suffering from the exposure to the cold weather.
The investigation revealed that the beating was in retaliation for K.A.K. and K.T.K. stealing Sylva’s wallet approximately one week earlier. During a search of Scharber’s apartment, law enforcement officers found the two firearms and the wooden rod that were used during the assault and kidnapping.
Sylva was sentenced in May 2018 to serve 121 months in prison, after previously pleading guilty to the carjacking offense. Elder also pleaded guilty to the carjacking offense, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12, 2018.
Scharber has also been indicted in a separate federal case where he faces additional charges for alleged drug trafficking crimes dating back to August 2016, the months leading up to the kidnapping, carjacking, and shooting of the two individuals. Trial in this case has been set for Oct. 22, 2018.
The Alaska State Troopers (AST), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office, leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Taylor.
Albuquerque Woman Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Three Federal Employees with Deadly WeaponsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jackie Herron, 25, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to assaulting three federal employees with deadly weapons. Herron entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.
Herron was arrested on Feb. 22, 2018, on a three-count indictment charging her with assaulting three U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees who were engaged in their official duties in Bernalillo County, N.M. on Dec. 22, 2017. According to the indictment, Herron assaulted the first employee by threatening to run over her and pointing a firearm at her; the second employee by threatening to run over her with a car; and the third employee by pointing a firearm at him.
At sentencing, Herron faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eva Fontanez and Paul Mysliwiec are prosecuting the case.
16 July 2018
Youth are Smuggling Drugs on Behalf of Cartels; Law Enforcers Launch Education CampaignRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Cindy Cipriani (619) 546-9608
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 16, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Federal and state law enforcement officials have launched a billboard campaign in San Diego and Imperial counties to prevent middle and high school students from acting as drug mules for cartels.
The billboards, located in San Diego and Imperial counties as well as one in Mexico, feature stark warnings to minors that smuggling drugs could cost them their freedom and their futures and is not worth the few hundred dollars they are being offered. They were unveiled today at two locations in San Ysidro and one in Tijuana.
Also today, a San Diego teenager pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he recruited classmates to smuggle methamphetamine and fentanyl. Phillip Junior Webb was a senior at Castle Park High School in Chula Vista when he committed the drug offenses.
The number of incidents in which drugs were seized from minors at ports of entry in the Southern District of California has increased significantly in recent years. There was a 153 percent spike in drug seizures from minors from FY 2016 to FY 2017, from 39 to 99. With four months to go in FY 2018, the pace is set to match FY 2017, with a troubling new twist: Minors are smuggling ultra-deadly fentanyl, which has not happened in prior years.
“As law enforcers, and as parents, we are tremendously concerned about our youth being exploited by drug cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “Juveniles need to know that consequences are real and dramatic. Ultimately, it is your choice, and the decision you make now will follow you the rest of your life. Don’t sell your future for a few hundred dollars.”
“We live in a beautiful county which includes a world class city and one of the busiest land border crossings in the world, the San Ysidro Point of Entry. Thousands travel by foot and car to conduct business, visit friends and family, shop, eat, and enjoy life each day. Our enemies use this same border crossing to entice our children to bring death and destruction to the United States,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen Flowers. “Parents, teachers, students - all of us need to know that drug smuggling fuels destruction of lives and the violence on both sides of the border. It is not okay. It is not sexy. It is not easy money. It is not worth losing your life, your dreams, your potential.”
“Smuggling narcotics is a dangerous proposition especially a lethal drug such as fentanyl,” said Pete Flores, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego. “Juveniles need to understand there that no matter what they have been told, there are consequences for smuggling narcotics, not to mention the dangers of working with transnational criminal organizations.”
“In less than a year, at least 70 juveniles were arrested at the Port of Entry trying to smuggle methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and deadly Fentanyl into San Diego County,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “These are young people who are being used by dangerous, organized criminals and who do not fully understand the danger they are putting themselves in and the harm and devastation to potential drug users.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to investigating, dismantling, and referring for prosecution cases in which Transnational Criminal Organizations utilize juveniles to smuggle contraband for financial gain,” said James Plitt, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for HSI in San Diego. “These dangerous organizations exploit young teenagers who do not fully understand the negative consequences that this will have in their lives, those of their family and future goals. Since 2009, HSI has partnered with CBP and other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to educate the juveniles, parents, and community members of the dangerous people that are recruiting and targeting these juveniles. This outreach effort will remain a priority as long as these children continue to be exploited.”
DEA reports that during a one-week span in March of this year, five minors were arrested at the San Ysidro Port of Entry attempting to smuggle significant quantities of fentanyl into the country. Other recent incidents involved a female teen who was driving a vehicle with fentanyl and cocaine concealed within the car. And on four different occasions, teenage boys attempted to enter through pedestrian lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with over 2 kilograms each of fentanyl strapped to their bodies, under their clothes. According to DEA, 2 kilograms of fentanyl equals 2 million milligrams of fentanyl, and it would only take 2 to 3 milligrams to cause respiratory depression and possible death.
Drug traffickers take advantage of the naïve nature of juveniles and lure them with incentives like money and electronics in exchange for illegally crossing drugs into the U.S. Many of these children are recruited at the high schools they attend and some are being recruited by classmates.
Parents, teachers, caretakers, school administrators and children need to be aware that recruiting efforts of traffickers pose a constant threat. They have been known to recruit children at schools, but also may approach them at after-school functions, camps, libraries, on public transportation, via social media outlets, and over electronic communications like gaming consoles, text messages or chat rooms. Recruiters could be other children, parents, familiar adults or complete strangers.
In response to the trend, federal, state and local law enforcement have teamed up to educate the region’s youth about the consequences through school programs and billboards, including two billboards in San Diego County, one on the Mexican side of the border, several in Imperial County and many more are under consideration for Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. They warn about the dangers and collateral consequences of drug smuggling. These billboards were funded by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, a drug-prohibition enforcement program run by the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Prosecutors and agents are holding educational programs in South Bay high schools so that kids are aware of the extreme dangers of handling dangerous drugs like fentanyl, of working with violent cartels, and the fallout from being arrested and charged with related crimes.
Anyone with concerns about potential recruiting is encouraged to call the local DEA office at 858-616-4100 or submit a tip to the Drug Enforcement Administration via its website, www.DEA.gov.
In federal court today, Webb admitted that he arranged for juvenile couriers to smuggle a total of 6.18 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl into the United States from Mexico, for delivery in San Diego, on four occasions: July 12, 2017; September 19, 2017; September 27, 2017 and October 23, 2017. On each of these occasions, the juveniles had drugs strapped on their bodies as they attempted to enter the United States at the San Ysidro or Otay Mesa Ports of Entry.
He also admitted that on May 5, 2018, he knowingly drove two undocumented immigrants into the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in the trunk of his car for financial gain.
Webb is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael M. Anello on October 9, 2018 at 10:15 a.m.
DEFENDANT Case No. 18MJ2229
Phillip Junior Webb Age: 18 Tijuana, Mexico
CHARGES
Count 1 – Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine (21 U.S.C. 841 & 846)
Maximum Penalty: Ten years minimum to life in custody; $1 million fine
Count 2 - Bringing in Undocumented Aliens for Financial Gain (8 U.S.C. 1324)
Maximum Penatly: Three years mandatory minimum to 20 years in custody; $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Drug Enforcement Administration
Customs & Border Protection
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department
Yorktown Heights Truck Driver Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Heist of over $1 Million Worth of Computers Bound for Public High School StudentsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTON SALJANIN was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to 48 months in prison for participating in a scheme to steal, transport, and sell a shipment of approximately 1,200 computers, valued at over $1 million, that were bound for two public high schools in New Jersey. SALJANIN pled guilty on October 18, 2017, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith to one count of conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment, interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, and sale of stolen property and one count of theft from an interstate shipment.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Anton Saljanin was the ringleader and insider in an inside job that resulted in the theft of over $1 million worth of computers meant for school kids. Now, having admitted his role in this truck hijacking scheme, he has been sentenced to prison for his crimes.”
According to the Complaint and Superseding Indictment filed in White Plains federal court, as well as materials submitted in connection with the plea and sentencing proceedings:
On or about January 15, 2014, ANTON SALJANIN, a driver for a shipping company, drove a truck from Yorktown Heights, New York, to a technology company located in Massachusetts to pick up a shipment of approximately 1,200 computers. SALJANIN brought his brother, Gjon Saljanin, with him. The computers were being shipped to two public high schools located in New Jersey, and were valued at over $1 million.
The next morning, SALJANIN reported to the Yorktown Police Department that the truck had been stolen from a parking lot located in Yorktown Heights. Later that day, SALJANIN reported to Yorktown Police that he had been driving around looking for the truck when he happened to spot it from the highway in a parking lot in Danbury, Connecticut. The truck would not have been visible in the Danbury parking lot to a driver passing by on the highway. Furthermore, historical cell site data for SALJANIN’s cellphone contradicts his claims about the route he took to look for the truck.
Yorktown Police detectives examined the truck and found that a window had been broken. The detectives found broken glass on the scene in the Danbury parking lot but found no broken glass on the scene in the Yorktown Heights parking lot, suggesting that the window had been broken at the Danbury parking lot rather than at the Yorktown Heights parking lot.
During interviews with the Yorktown Police, SALJANIN and Gjon Saljanin both falsely claimed that on the night of January 15, 2014, they drove directly from a convenience store outside of Yorktown Heights to the Yorktown Heights parking lot. Security camera footage from various locations in Yorktown Heights shows that a truck matching the description of the truck driven by ANTON SALJANIN and Gjon Saljanin departed from their claimed route, and instead traveled in the direction of the residence of Ujka Vulaj, a long-time friend of ANTON SALJANIN. The video surveillance footage also shows that the duration of the detour corresponds to the approximate length of time it would have taken to drive to Vulaj’s residence, unload the computers from the truck, and return to the route to the Yorktown Heights parking lot.
From in or about January 2014 through at least in or about April 2014, Vulaj sold the stolen computers, some with the help of a co-worker, Carlos Caceres. They sold the computers, which had a retail value of approximately $1,000 each, for far below the market price. Vulaj and Caceres charged approximately $500 to $800 in cash for each computer, and handed over each computer in plain brown cardboard packaging.
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In addition to the prison sentence, SALJANIN, 46, of Yorktown Heights, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Judge Karas also ordered ANTON SALJANIN to forfeit $989,424.15 in ill-gotten gains and to pay $989,424.15 in restitution.
ANTON SALJANIN’s co-defendants have been convicted and sentenced. Vulaj, 56, of Yorktown Heights, New York, pled guilty on June 17, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment, interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, and sale of stolen property, and was sentenced by Judge Karas on May 12, 2017, to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised release (including 6 months of home confinement). Judge Karas also ordered Vulaj to forfeit $989,424.15 in ill-gotten gains and to pay $989,424.15 in restitution.
Caceres, 40, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty on July 21, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit receipt, possession, and sale of stolen property, and was sentenced by Judge Karas on January 6, 2017, to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Judge Karas also ordered Caceres to forfeit $331,188 in ill-gotten gains and to pay $331,188 in restitution.
Gjon Saljanin, 43, of Yorktown Heights, New York, pled guilty on October 16, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit theft from an interstate shipment, interstate transportation of stolen property, and receipt, possession, and sale of stolen property, and was sentenced by Judge Karas on May 4, 2018, to 12 months and one day in prison and two years of supervised release. Judge Karas also ordered Gjon Saljanin to forfeit $989,424.15 in ill-gotten gains and to pay $989,424.15 in restitution.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Yorktown Police Department, the Westchester County Police Department, and the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Won S. Shin, Benjamin Allee, and Scott Hartman are in charge of the prosecution.
Wayne County man indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
A Wayne County man was indicted in federal court on charges involving methamphetamine, cocaine and crack cocaine.
Charles F. Sarno, 36, of West Salem, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine cocaine.
The indictment alleges that on or about March 28, 2017, Sarno knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute and distributed at least five grams of methamphetamine.
The indictment further alleges that on or about March 28, 2017, Sarno did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute and distributed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine and did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of crack cocaine.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, 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 and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Henry F. DeBaggis.
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.
Wayne County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Wayne County man pled guilty today to a sex crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Joshua I. Morrison entered his guilty plea to one count of sexual abuse of a minor. Stuart commended the investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “To have a child victimized in this way is unimaginable period. But to think it would happen while on a family vacation is even worse. My office stands ready to prosecute every single child sex offender brought to us by our law enforcement partners.”
Morrison admitted that the sexual abuse took place on board a cruise ship in international waters on or about 12 a.m. on January 9, 2016. He admitted that he was 18 years old at the time, the minor was 12 years old at the time, and he knew the minor was 12 years old at the time. He further admitted that she performed oral sex on him and that he attempted to engage in sexual intercourse.
Morrison faces up to 15 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 11, 2018. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Assistant United States Attorney Emily J. Wasserman is handling the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Phencyclidine (PCP) ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – United States District Judge Theodore Chuang sentenced Mitchell Felix Brooks, a/k/a “Speedy,” age 47, of Temple Hills, Maryland, to 129 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture of phencyclidine (“PCP”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the FBI, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County Sheriff Melvin C. High; and Chief Peter Newsham of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Brooks was a member of a PCP trafficking conspiracy, which, according to his plea agreement, operated in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Brooks maintained a stash house in Temple Hills, Maryland, where he stored, mixed, and packaged PCP belonging to him and co-conspirator Alexander Patton. Brooks also distributed PCP directly to customers, including co-conspirators Jermaine Washington, Reginald Duckett, and Gilbert Davis.
During a search warrant executed at Brooks’s residence in December 2016, agents seized more than 250 grams of PCP in multiple bottles. Many previously used empty bottles were seized, as were many smaller one-ounce bottle used for distribution. At least 1 kilogram of PCP mixture was reasonably foreseeable to Brooks as a member of the conspiracy.
Other members of the conspiracy who have been sentenced include: Alexander Patton, age 41, of Waldorf, Maryland, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison; Glenn Wright, age 48, of Washington, D.C., who was sentenced to eight years in prison; Reginald Duckett, age 49, of Washington, D.C., who was sentenced to seven years in prison; Antonio Blackmon, age 42, of Temple Hills, Maryland, who was sentenced to 42 months in prison; and Jermaine Washington, age 44, of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, who was sentenced to 37 months in prison.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI’s Cross Border Task Force, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and Gregory Bernstein, who are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorneys’ Office and FBI Announce Federal and Territorial Law Enforcement Training Which Supports Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen Shappert and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Leff announced an upcoming Interview and Interrogation Seminar for federal and territorial law enforcement scheduled for July 30th and 31st on St. Thomas. FBI trainers from the Washington D.C. field office will conduct the training. The training supports Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s primary initiative to reduce violent crime and ensure public safety. Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI participate in PSN initiatives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods contains five key components: leadership by the United States Attorney’s Office; partnerships at all levels of law enforcement and the community; targets and prioritized enforcement that focuses on apprehending the worst-of-the-worst for federal prosecution; prevention of additional violence through locally based information and outreach initiatives; and accountability for results, measured by effective outcomes. For additional information, see Project Safe Neighborhoods.
U.S. Attorney Announces the Appointment of the District Election Officer for the Western District of TennesseeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Reagan M. Taylor will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s Election Day Program for the upcoming August 2, 2018, primary election. AUSA Taylor has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Tennessee, and in that capacity is re-sponsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Dunavant said, "Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process."
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on August 2, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Dunavant stated that AUSA Taylor will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number (901) 544-4231.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resi-dent agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other elec-tion abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (901) 747-4300.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at (800)-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http:www.justice.gov/crt/com-plaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Dunavant said, "Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that infor-mation available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division."
Tyler County man admits to selling methamphetamineRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Charles C. Williamson, of Sistersville, West Virginia, has admitted to methamphetamine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Williamson, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Williamson admitted to selling methamphetamine in November of 2017 in Tyler County.
Williamson faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.
Two illegal aliens admit to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men in the United States illegally have admitted to drug charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hsun Jung Chang, age 29, and Shougi Li, age 24, each pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute and Distribute Marijuana.” The men admitted to possessing marijuana in Ohio County in May 2018.
Each defendant faces up to five years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police and the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert presided.
Two Additional Southern California Surgeons Indicted in Health Care Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two local physicians were indicted by a federal Grand Jury Thursday as part of Operation “Spinal Cap,” which targeted a long-running health care fraud scheme that generated nearly $1 billion in fraudulent claims to the federal government, the state of California, and private insurers. The scheme involved more than $40 million in illegal kickbacks paid to doctors and other medical professionals in exchange for referring thousands of patients who received surgeries and other services at Pacific Hospital.
Jacob Tauber, 66, of Beverly Hills, an orthopedic surgeon, and Serge Obukhoff, 62, of Malibu, a neurosurgeon, were charged for their roles in receiving illegal kickbacks to influence the referral of patients to Pacific Hospital. The indictment also includes honest services fraud and Travel Act charges against both Tauber and Obukhoff.
“These two physicians leveraged vulnerable patients to participate in a fraudulent kickback scheme,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Wilkison. “Their scheme violated their oaths as physicians as well as the law.”
According to the indictment, Tauber performed non-spinal surgeries and referred patients to other surgeons for procedures at Pacific Hospital of Long Beach. Obukhoff practiced out of various medical clinics in Southern California. Influenced by the promise of kickbacks and bribes, Tauber and Obukhoff caused patients with insurance or other covered claims to receive surgeries and services at Pacific Hospital.
In the same indictment, Tauber was separately charged with receiving illicit payments to refer urinalysis specimens to a specific lab.
“Today’s indictment should send a clear message to all health care providers that health care fraud is a federal crime that carries serious consequences and will not be tolerated.” said USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Brian Washington. “The USPS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate those who engage in fraudulent activities intended to defraud federal benefit programs and the Postal Service.”
The case is being investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashwin Janakiram of the Major Frauds Section and Joseph T. McNally and Scott D. Tenley of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Topeka Man Sentenced for Gun Store Break-InRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for a burglary at a gun store, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Darnell Tyree-Peppers, 19, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer. In his plea, he admitted that on July 23, 2017, he and another person broke into Integrity Gun and Pawn, 1949 SW Gage. Surveillance video showed two burglars wearing masks, hooded shirts and gloves smashed the front window of the store. They went straight to a gun case and grabbed eleven handguns before fleeing the scene. The stolen firearms included 9 mm pistols and 40-caliber pistols.
On Aug. 7, 2017, the Nevada Highway Patrol stopped a car in Nevada and seized a Walther .40-caliber pistol that was determined to be one of the stolen guns. Investigators later identified Tyree-Peppers and a juvenile as burglars.
McAllister commended the Topeka Police Department, the Nevada Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for their work on the case.
Topeka Man Sentenced for Escape from Custody, Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced today to nine years and two months in federal prison for escaping from federal custody and robbing a bank before he was recaptured, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Daniel Lee Dukewits, 40, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of escape from custody and one count of bank robbery. In 2010, Duke was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison for armed robbery. In 2017, he was living at the Mirror Inc. residential re-entry center in Topeka where the Bureau of Prisons had placed him. On Nov. 4, 2017, he turned up missing and his GPS tracking device was found in a trash can in his room.
On Nov. 15, 2017, Dukewits went into the Azura Credit Union at 3623 SE 29th Street in Topeka and demanded money. He was arrested within minutes of the robbery after a pursuit during which he rammed a police car.
McAllister commended the Topeka Police, the U.S. Marshals Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for their work on the case.
Three California Residents Sentenced in $20 Million Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three owners and/or managers of Los Angeles, California-area foreclosure rescue companies, Dorothy Matsuba, Jamie Matsuba, and Thomas Matsuba, were sentenced to 240, 135, and 168 months in prison today for their roles in a foreclosure rescue scheme, respectively.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna for the Central District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Paul D. Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Division, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Paul Conlon of the Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Special Agent in Charge R. Damon Rowe of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office, and Sheriff Jim McDonnell of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department made the announcement.
Dorothy Matsuba, 67, her daughter Jamie Matsuba, 33, and her husband, Thomas Matsuba, 67, all of Chatsworth, California, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner of the Central District of California. Judge Klausner also ordered the defendants to serve three years of supervised release. Restitution and forfeiture will be decided at a hearing on Aug. 13. All three defendants were remanded into custody. Dorothy Matsuba pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2017, to one count conspiracy to commit wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank or mortgage lending business, and identity theft, five counts of wire fraud, six counts of false statements to federally insured banks, and six counts of aggravated identity theft. On Dec. 13, 2017, after a one-week trial, Jamie Matsuba and Thomas Matsuba were both convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, making false statements to federally insured banks, and committing identity theft and one count of making false statements to federally insured banks.
According to evidence presented at trial, from January 2005 to August 2014, Dorothy Matsuba, Jamie Matsuba, Thomas Matsuba and others engaged in a scheme to defraud financially distressed homeowners by offering to prevent foreclosure on their properties through short sales. Instead, the conspirators rented out the properties to third parties, did not pay the mortgages on the properties, and submitted false and fraudulent documents to mortgage lenders and servicers to delay foreclosure. The evidence further established that the conspirators obtained mortgages in the names of stolen identities. The defendants also used additional tactics, including filing bankruptcy in the names of distressed homeowners without their knowledge and fabricating liens on the distressed properties, the evidence showed.
Two other defendants have been charged in this matter. Defendant Jane Matsuba-Garcia, 42, of Camarillo, California, previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Defendant Young Park of Los Angeles, California, is a fugitive. In addition, in related cases, Jason Hong, 36, of Chatsworth, and Ryu Goeku, 48, of Canoga Park, California, previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI, FHFA-OIG, IRS-CI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the U.S. Trustee Program, Woodland Hills Field Office, Peter C. Anderson U.S. Trustee and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Trial Attorney Niall M. O’Donnell, Senior Litigation Counsel David A. Bybee and Trial Attorney Jennifer L. Farer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Senior Trial Attorney Nicholas Acker previously worked on the investigation. Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
Three California Residents Sentenced in $20 Million Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Three owners and/or managers of Los Angeles, California-area foreclosure rescue companies, Dorothy Matsuba, Jamie Matsuba, and Thomas Matsuba, were sentenced to 240, 135, and 168 months in prison today for their roles in a foreclosure rescue scheme, respectively.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna for the Central District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Paul D. Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Division, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Paul Conlon of the Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), Special Agent in Charge R. Damon Rowe of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office, and Sheriff Jim McDonnell of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department made the announcement.
Dorothy Matsuba, 67, her daughter Jamie Matsuba, 33, and her husband, Thomas Matsuba, 67, all of Chatsworth, California, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner of the Central District of California. Judge Klausner also ordered the defendants to serve three years of supervised release. Restitution and forfeiture will be decided at a hearing on Aug. 13. All three defendants were remanded into custody. Dorothy Matsuba pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2017, to one count conspiracy to commit wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank or mortgage lending business, and identity theft, five counts of wire fraud, six counts of false statements to federally insured banks, and six counts of aggravated identity theft. On Dec. 13, 2017, after a one-week trial, Jamie Matsuba and Thomas Matsuba were both convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, making false statements to federally insured banks, and committing identity theft and one count of making false statements to federally insured banks.
According to evidence presented at trial, from January 2005 to August 2014, Dorothy Matsuba, Jamie Matsuba, Thomas Matsuba and others engaged in a scheme to defraud financially distressed homeowners by offering to prevent foreclosure on their properties through short sales. Instead, the conspirators rented out the properties to third parties, did not pay the mortgages on the properties, and submitted false and fraudulent documents to mortgage lenders and servicers to delay foreclosure. The evidence further established that the conspirators obtained mortgages in the names of stolen identities. The defendants also used additional tactics, including filing bankruptcy in the names of distressed homeowners without their knowledge and fabricating liens on the distressed properties, the evidence showed.
Two other defendants have been charged in this matter. Defendant Jane Matsuba-Garcia, 42, of Camarillo, California, previously pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Defendant Young Park of Los Angeles, California, is a fugitive. In addition, in related cases, Jason Hong, 36, of Chatsworth, and Ryu Goeku, 48, of Canoga Park, California, previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI, FHFA-OIG, IRS-CI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the U.S. Trustee Program, Woodland Hills Field Office, Peter C. Anderson U.S. Trustee and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Trial Attorney Niall M. O’Donnell, Senior Litigation Counsel David A. Bybee and Trial Attorney Jennifer L. Farer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Senior Trial Attorney Nicholas Acker previously worked on the investigation.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
Texas Return Preparers Charged with Filing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas returned an indictment on Feb. 6, which was unsealed Friday, July 13, charging two return preparers with filing fraudulent tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erin N. Cox for the Northern District of Texas.
The indictment charges Francisco Ventura and Mario Melendez with conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing fraudulent tax returns for clients. It further charges Ventura with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and filing a fraudulent personal tax return.
According to the indictment, Ventura owned and operated multiple tax preparation businesses in Irving, Texas including AJJ Tax and More, Uptown Multi Services and I-Care Financial Services. Melendez allegedly worked for Ventura as a manager and return preparer at Uptown. From November 2013 through May 2014, Ventura and Melendez allegedly conspired to defraud the United States by preparing fraudulent income tax returns that included fake business and education expenses seeking refunds to which their clients were not entitled. Ventura and Melendez allegedly taught tax preparation classes to employees of Uptown and AJJ on how to falsify client returns. The indictment further alleges that Ventura used nominees to obtain Preparer Tax Identification Numbers (PTIN) and Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFIN) from the IRS in order to conceal his ownership of the businesses, and that Ventura stole the name and PTIN of another person to electronically file fraudulent returns with the IRS. Ventura is also alleged to have filed a personal 2014 individual tax return that underreported his income.
If convicted, Ventura and Melendez face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and three years in prison for each count of filing fraudulent tax returns. Ventura further faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison for each wire fraud count, three years in prison for filing a fraudulent individual income tax return and a mandatory two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count. Ventura and Melendez also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Cox commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Alexander Effendi and Melanie Smith of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Texas Resident Receives 12 Months on Fraud Charge, Ordered to Pay $190,000 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Senior United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade sentenced Donna Marie Allison, 54, a resident of Springtown, Texas, to 12 months imprisonment for committing wire fraud. The judge ordered that Allison undergo three years of supervised release after finishing her term of imprisonment and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment. The judge also imposed credit restrictions upon Allison and ordered that she pay $190,000 in restitution to her financial victim.
Allison admitted certain facts as part of her guilty plea. From around February 1, 2012 to around April 1, 2014, Allison devised and participated in a scheme to defraud individuals seeking financing. She represented herself as the head of CRF Investors LLC. Allison falsely represented that her business would offer loans to companies seeking financing for various projects. In this case, Allison falsely represented that she and CRF Investors LLC would provide financing for an assisted living facility in Meridian, Mississippi. Allison’s financial victim was another entity that was trying to build the facility. Allison had the victim sign loan commitment agreements that required the victim to pay an “advance fee” of $190,000 to her company to cover interest for the loan. In truth, as Allison knew, the agreements were a ploy to obtain money from the victim, who received nothing in return. To induce the victim to pay the advance fee, Allison falsely represented that she and her company had obtained similar financing in the past for others and that funding would be available shortly after payment of the advance fee.
On March 31, 2016, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama indicted Allison on eight counts of wire fraud. On February 26, 2018, Allison pleaded guilty before Judge Granade to one count of wire fraud.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sinan Kalayoglu prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Federal Heroin and Methamphetamine Trafficking Conviction in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jesus Gerardo Prieto, Jr., 39, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on heroin and methamphetamine trafficking charges.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Prieto in Oct. 2017, on heroin and methamphetamine trafficking offenses in Dona Ana County, N.M. Prieto was arrested at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Las Cruces after the agents seized approximately 432 grams of methamphetamine and 117 grams of heroin that were concealed inside Prieto’s vehicle.
Prieto subsequently was charged in a five-count indictment on Jan. 17, 2018, with distributing methamphetamine on Aug. 29, 2017, in Dona Ana County; distributing methamphetamine and heroin on Oct. 6, 2017, in Luna County, N.M.; and possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute on Oct. 19, 2017, in Dona Ana County. On Feb. 26, 2018, Prieto pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce of Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock E. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Tax Return FraudRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Henry Flerijean, 28, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced Thursday to 48 months in federal prison after pleading guilty on March 23, 2018, to theft of government money, possession of 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identify theft. Flerijean was also ordered to pay $558,075.00 in restitution. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In February 2012, Flerijean was pulled over for speeding. The deputy smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle. The deputy searched the car and found a book bag with 7.5 grams of marijuana in it and approximately $21,427 in U.S. currency. Inside the carpet lining of the trunk, the deputy recovered two separate stacks of debit cards in other people’s names. He also discovered 31 counterfeit debit cards, two computers, and a notebook with names, social security numbers, and dates of birth, of individuals. The names from the notebook matched some of the names found on the debit cards in the vehicle. The computers contained evidence of fraudulently submitted tax returns.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Harwin prosecuted the case.
The U.S. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LAPRESE GOLLMAN, 43, of Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charge stems from a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into a drug trafficking organization with ties to Connecticut and Massachusetts.
On May 30, 2018, GOLLMAN was arrested in New Haven as he was attempting to purchase four kilograms of cocaine. Investigators seized $100,000 from GOLLMAN.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. However, because GOLLMAN has a prior conviction for a felony drug offense, he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
GOLLMAN has been detained since his arrest. Judge Bolden scheduled sentencing for October 15, 2018.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Regional Office and the New Haven and Hamden Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
Schuylkill County Man Indicted for Threatening the President and OthersRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Shawn Christy, age 27, of McAdoo, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 10, 2018, for threatening to harm President Donald J. Trump, and law enforcement officers.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Christy posted the threats on Facebook between June 3 and 12, 2018. It is alleged that Christy posted that he was going to shoot President Trump in the head, and that he was going to use “lethal force” on any law enforcement officer that attempts to detain him as a result of a bench warrant that was issued for him. The indictment alleges that Christy also threatened to injure another person by posting “Your a dead man….Lets play.”
The threat to President Trump is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, and the other threats are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each offense is five years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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San Joaquin County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for International Drug-Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb sentenced Francisco Felix, 45, of Mountain House, to 20 years in prison for his role in leading a large, multi-defendant drug-trafficking conspiracy that moved significant quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico into California and throughout the United States, and that controlled at least three large marijuana grows in the Central Valley of California, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
U.S. Attorney Scott stated: “This defendant coordinated the smuggling of vast amounts of methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States and facilitated their distribution throughout the Central Valley. Through hard work and coordination with our many law enforcement partners, we were able to bring Felix to justice. We are committed to continuing the fight against large-scale drug trafficking enterprises and will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
On August 7, 2017, a federal jury convicted Felix of one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, one count of conspiring to manufacture and distribute marijuana, and three counts of using a cellphone to facilitate a drug trafficking crime.
On February 13, 2014, Felix and 13 other defendants were charged with a number of drug-trafficking crimes. Felix is the only defendant to go to trial; 10 co-defendants pleaded guilty and three are fugitives.
This case arose from a year-long investigation that revealed a drug-trafficking organization with connections to the state of Sinaloa in Mexico. The organization was based in the Central Valley of California, and actively imported large amounts of methamphetamine into the United States. Evidence at trial established that Felix and his network were capable of importing 50 pounds of methamphetamine (with a wholesale value of approximately $200,000) into the United States every eight days.
In addition, the evidence at trial established that the organization was cultivating substantial quantities of marijuana at many properties in both Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.
Over nine months, investigators acquired over 80 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 20 pounds of marijuana, and six firearms, including three assault rifles and a “Desert Eagle” .50-caliber handgun, from members of the organization. Finally, on the day of Felix’s arrest, investigators seized over 2,100 marijuana plants at properties under Felix’s control.
This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Justice’s Mountain and Valley Marijuana Investigation Team (MAVMIT), under the auspices of the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Placer County District Attorney’s Office; the Placer County Special Investigations Unit (SIU); the Sheriff’s Departments from Placer, El Dorado and Sacramento Counties; the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the California National Guard, Counterdrug Task Force; and the Yolo Narcotic Enforcement Team (YONET). In addition, at the conclusion of the investigation, hundreds of law enforcement officers from several states took part in a 28-location takedown.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Lee and Michael Beckwith prosecuted the case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Russian National Charged in Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of the Russian Federation Within the United StatesRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging a Russian national with conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation within the United States without prior notification to the Attorney General.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Maria Butina, 29, a Russian citizen residing in Washington D.C., was arrested on July 15, 2018, in Washington, D.C., and made her initial appearance this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was ordered held pending a hearing set for July 18, 2018.
According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, from as early as 2015 and continuing through at least February 2017, Butina worked at the direction of a high-level official in the Russian government who was previously a member of the legislature of the Russian Federation and later became a top official at the Russian Central Bank. This Russian official was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control in April 2018.
The court filings detail the Russian official’s and Butina’s efforts for Butina to act as an agent of Russia inside the United States by developing relationships with U.S. persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in American politics, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation. The filings also describe certain actions taken by Butina to further this effort during multiple visits from Russia and, later, when she entered and resided in the United States on a student visa. The filings allege that she undertook her activities without officially disclosing the fact that she was acting as an agent of Russian government, as required by law.
The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Russian National Charged in Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of the Russian Federation Within the United StatesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging a Russian national with conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation within the United States without prior notification to the Attorney General.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie K. Liu, and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Mariia Butina, 29, a Russian citizen residing in Washington D.C., was arrested on July 15, 2018, in Washington, D.C., and made her initial appearance this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was ordered held pending a hearing set for July 18, 2018.
According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, from as early as 2015 and continuing through at least February 2017, Butina worked at the direction of a high-level official in the Russian government who was previously a member of the legislature of the Russian Federation and later became a top official at the Russian Central Bank. This Russian official was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control in April 2018.
The court filings detail the Russian official’s and Butina’s efforts for Butina to act as an agent of Russia inside the United States by developing relationships with U.S. persons and infiltrating organizations having influence in American politics, for the purpose of advancing the interests of the Russian Federation. The filings also describe certain actions taken by Butina to further this effort during multiple visits from Russia and, later, when she entered and resided in the United States on a student visa. The filings allege that she undertook her activities without officially disclosing the fact that she was acting as an agent of Russian government, as required by law.
The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Randallstown Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Anthony Renard Wynn, age 48, of Randallstown, Maryland, today to 13 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant of the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) Baltimore; Colonel Woodrow Jones of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to Wynn’s plea agreement, in connection with an investigation into drug trafficking and the laundering of drug proceeds through Maryland-based casinos, HSI investigators discovered that Wynn had placed into, and cashed out, in excess of one million dollars at those casinos from 2016 to 2017, although he only reported earnings of $30,000 in 2016.
HSI investigators were able to identify the places where Wynn received, transported, and stored drugs and other contraband. Specifically, Wynn received packages containing drugs from an animal hospital in Pikesville, Maryland and transported the drugs to the Southeast region of Washington, D.C. Wynn stored the drugs and/or other contraband in a storage unit in Windsor Mill, his home in Randallstown, and in a Pikesville barbershop. Wynn also shipped several packages to a co-conspirator in California, including one which contained $244,040 in drug proceeds.
On June 9, 2017, an HSI investigator observed Wynn talking on a cell phone while driving and informed a Baltimore County patrol officer who conducted a traffic stop of Wynn’s vehicle. During that traffic stop, a Maryland Transportation Authority Police officer conducted a canine scan of Wynn’s vehicle and recovered a one-kilogram heroin brick and $11,620 in cash that was separated into rubber-banded bundles. After he was arrested, law enforcement searched Wynn and recovered a digital scale and two $500 casino chips.
HSI investigators obtained search warrants for Wynn’s residence, the storage unit, and the barbershop. Investigators recovered approximately 1 kilogram of fentanyl, 3 kilograms of heroin, and an electronic money counter from the storage unit. Gift cards totaling $5,575, $16,602 in cash bundled in small denominations, and an “owe sheet” were among the items that the HSI investigators recovered from Wynn’s residence. Investigators recovered $951 in cash and a digital scale from the barbershop.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the Baltimore County Police Department. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samika N. Boyd and Christopher J. Romano, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
Palm Beach, Florida Home Health Care Company and Its Owner Agree to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for $1.5 MillionRead the Press Release
Healthquest, Inc. and its owners, Frank Jaramillo and Ruth Jaramillo, have agreed to pay $1.5 million to the United States to settle allegations that Healthquest paid kickbacks to marketers in order to induce patient referrals, the United States Attorney’s Office announced today. Healthquest is a home health care company located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The defendants also entered into a five-year Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General that includes, among other things, an Arrangements Review including a systems review and a transaction review to be conducted by an Independent Review Organization.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), made the announcement.
The United States alleged that from December 2013 to May 2017, Healthquest paid kickbacks to its marketers in order to induce them to refer patients to Healthquest for home health services.
The lawsuit was filed by a former marketer for Healthquest. She filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties, known as relators, to sue on behalf of the government and receive a share of any recovery. The act also authorizes the government to intervene in and assume primary responsibility for litigating the lawsuit, as the government has done in this case. The relator in this case will receive $300,000.
“Kickback schemes drive up the cost of health care and lead to medical services that are often unnecessary and not in the best interests of patients,” said United States Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold health care companies and their owners responsible for using kickbacks to line their pockets at the expense of taxpayers and federal health care beneficiaries.”
“Referrals resulting from kickbacks that are designed to increase profits rather than improve the health of patients will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Richmond. “OIG Special Agents are tireless in their efforts to uproot such schemes and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal health care programs.”
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and HHS-OIG. The case was investigated and the settlement negotiated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Torres. The integrity agreement was negotiated by OIG Senior Counsel Nancy Brown.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Perez v. Healthquest, Inc. et al., No. 16-81147-Civ-Rosenberg (S.D. Fla.). The claims asserted against Healthquest, Inc., Frank Jaramillo, and Ruth Jaramillo are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Palm Beach County Resident Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
On July 13, 2018, a federal jury in West Palm Beach, Florida, convicted Charles Edward Smith of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Sarah J. Mooney, Chief of Police, West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD), made the announcement.
On or about March 13, 2018, members of the WPBPD discovered a 14-year old minor, identified as a missing person, in a West Palm Beach residence controlled by Smith. The defendant and other co-conspirators, including Michael Joseph Clark, operated a prostitution operation out of the residence. Smith had the minor work as a prostitute, setting up her sexual encounters, giving her drugs and requiring her to use her prostitution earnings to stay at the house.
Smith was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591 and 594. The defendant was acquitted of the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Smith’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 20, 2018, before United States District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. Smith faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison on the charge of conviction.
On June 20, 2018, co-defendant Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children and two substantive counts of sex trafficking of children. Clark is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Middlebrooks on August 27, 2018. Clark faces a mandatory minimum statutory sentence of ten years in prison and maximum sentence of life.
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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and the WPBPD. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lothrop Morris and Ellen Cohen.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Oregon Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for Detonating Explosive Device in Fred Meyer StoreRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Monte Robin Kaija, Jr., 47, of Portland, was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for detonating a small explosive device at a Fred Meyer store in Southeast Portland, and later possessing a homemade metal pipe bomb.
According to court documents, on May 21, 2016, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) received a report of an individual placing a small pipe bomb made of PVC in an aisle of a Fred Meyer store on SE 82nd Avenue in Portland. Portland Fire & Rescue were dispatched to assist PPB with their response. Kaija detonated the device shortly before police arrived on scene, causing damage to a single aisle. Nobody was injured in the explosion, and Kaija fled. While processing the scene, PPB officers identified several fragments of white plastic PVC pipe, pieces of white plastic PVC end caps, electrical tape, and a granular, power-like substance.
After analyzing the materials collected on scene, the Oregon State Police Lab notified PPB that a DNA profile had been collected from a small piece of electrical tape. The DNA profile was matched to Kaija. On August 31, 2016, PPB officers arrested Kaija in a motorhome on SE 96th Avenue in Portland, and discovered a homemade metal pipe bomb in his motorhome. A certified bomb technician assigned to the Portland Metropolitan Explosive Disposal Unit responded to the scene and rendered the device safe. As a convicted felon, he was not allowed to possess the destructive devices.
Kaija previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 5841, 5861(d), and 5871 on December 12, 2016. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Kaija will be on supervised release for three years.
The PPB and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Hannah Horsley and Paul T. Maloney, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced today that Lucas J. Lacy, 32, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender. The Honorable Laurie Smith Camp, Chief Judge, sentenced Lacy to 18 months’ imprisonment. After his release from prison, Lacy will be under a 10-year term of supervised release.
In February 2009, Lacy was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment for receiving and distributing child pornography. After his release from prison, he began a five-year term of supervised release. During the course of supervision, his release was revoked and he was sent back to prison for nine months.
On November 7, 2017, Lacy was arrested in Omaha, Nebraska. He had failed to register his address with the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry.
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 Attorney’s 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sex Offender Registry violations are investigated by the United States Marshal Service.
O.C. Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Investment Scam that Defrauded Local Businessman out of Nearly $650,000Read the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man who was convicted at trial of defrauding a local businessman through a fraudulent investment scheme was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge David O. Carter to 41 months in federal prison.
Aiman Alexander Ataba, 52, of Irvine, was found guilty on March 20, 2018, of eight counts of mail fraud and three counts of money laundering. The jury’s verdicts followed a two-day trial in the United States District Court in Orange County.
The jury found that Ataba defrauded a Riverside County man out of $648,070 by convincing him to invest in Ataba’s Fountain Valley business, Innovation Validation and Design Technologies. Ataba falsely claimed that the investments would be used to manufacture and sell a device that would be used in hospitals for stem cell research.
Ataba claimed that his company was on the verge of being acquired, and he told the investor that stock in the company could be obtained at a discounted price if he invested quickly. Based on Ataba’s false representations, the victim invested $648,070 in Ataba’s company over the course of 4½ years.
According to court records, after receiving the victim’s money, Ataba immediately spent the money on personal expenses. The money was not invested in any company for the development of a device involving stem cell research. Instead, Ataba simply misappropriated and converted all of the victim’s money to his own personal uses, using the money to pay for rent, living expenses, dining out, and gambling, as well as overseas wire transfers.
Ataba diverted funds from his business account to his personal account and made approximately $350,000 in cash withdrawals. Many of the withdrawals were made at casinos in Las Vegas and on local Indian reservations. Some of the victim’s money was spent to purchase a new Toyota vehicle, which was seized in 2016 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In addition to imposition of the prison term, Judge Carter today ordered Ataba to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $648,070.
The investigation into Ataba was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. Keenan and Gina J. Kong of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Nine people indicted for firearms crimesRead the Press Release
Nine people were indicted in federal court for firearms crimes.
Indicted are: Elijah Frink, 26, of Akron; Darnell Ingram, 23, of Cleveland; Timothy Hughart, 28, of Ashtabula; John L. Brooks, 40, of Akron; Jesse J. Kinder, 35, of Rittman; Vernon T. Coleman, 31, of Sandusky; Victor Henry Austin, 29, of Lima, Richard Rowald, 70, of Findlay, and Steven J. Robison, 35, of Findlay.
Frink was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Frink on May 10 had nine rounds of ammunition despite a prior conviction for robbery, according to the indictment.
Ingram was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. He had a Glock .40-caliber firearm and ammunition on May 23 despite a prior conviction for aggravated robbery, according to the indictment.
Hughart is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He possessed a Taurus 9 mm pistol and ammunition on March 23, despite a previous conviction for burglary, according to the indictment.
Brooks is charged with providing false information in the acquisition of firearms. Brooks purchased a dozen firearms from three sellers at an Akron-area gun show by knowingly making false and fictitious written statements, which statements were intended and likely to deceive the sellers, in that he represented that he was the actual buyer of the firearms when in fact he was not. This took place on March 18 and 19, 2017, according to the indictment.
Kinder is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of methamphetamine. Kinder on Feb. 21 possessed a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol and ammunition despite multiple previous convictions for heroin trafficking and other crimes. Kinder also distributed methamphetamine on at least three occasions, according to the indictment.
Coleman is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He possessed a Taurus .380-caliber pistol, a Davis .32-caliber pistol and a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol on March 30 despite previous convicitions for attempted felonious assault and other crimes, according to the indictment.
Austin is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He possessed a Taurus 9 mm pistol on April 10 despite previous convictions for robbery, drug trafficking and other crimes, according to the indictment.
Rowold was charged with making a false statement during the acquisition of firearms and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and Robison was charged with making a false statement during the acquisition of firearms.
Robison on Feb. 12 falsely stated he was the purchaser of 50 AM-15 lower receivers, when, in fact, Rowold was the actual purchaser. Rowold was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, according to the indictment.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a gun violence reduction program administered by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio. The program targets armed criminals for federal prosecution.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ 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.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, the Sandusky Police Department, the Lima Police Department
They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark S. Bennett, Danielle Angeli, David M. Toepfer, Teresa Riley, Thomas P. Weldon and Matthew Simko.
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.
Nebraska Man Sentenced to Prison tor Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
An Omaha man was sentenced to 180 months in prison today for distribution of child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joe Kelly of the District of Nebraska.
Lawrence R. Quignon, 51, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography on April 23. U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp of the District of Nebraska sentenced Quignon to 15 years in prison and also ordered him to serve 10 years of supervised release.
Quignon was identified via an investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol into a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline report regarding an individual uploading child pornography onto an online chat service. During the execution of a search warrant at his home, Quignon admitted to uploading images of child pornography through the online chat service. Quignon was previously convicted of first degree sexual assault in the State of Nebraska, and is required by Nebraska law to register as a sexual offender for life.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force and Nebraska State Patrol. Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Norris of the District of Nebraska prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.
Milwaukee Man Indicted for Firearm Offense in Village of Fox CrossingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced that on July 10, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against a man allegedly involved in a firearms offense in the Village of Fox Crossing in Winnebago County. The indictment named Nicholas O. Nelson (age: 35) of Milwaukee. The indictment charged Nelson with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 922(g) (1). If convicted, Nelson faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
According to the indictment, on or about February 26, 2017, while at a location in the Village of Fox Crossing, Nelson possessed a 40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Nelson was prohibited from possession of firearms at the time of the incident.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhood initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
The Fox Crossing Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, 414-297-1700
Memphis Man sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on August 4, 2017, Memphis Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by defendant Ladarius Porter, 27. When the vehicle stopped, Porter exited and ran from officers through a residential area. After the foot chase that lasted several minutes, officers eventually caught up to and detained Porter.
Officers retraced the path that Porter had run and located a loaded firearm he discarded during his flight. Porter pled guilty to possessing the firearm as a convicted felon. In 2009, the defendant had been previously convicted of several counts of aggravated and especially aggravated robbery.
On July 13, 2018, U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Porter to 15 years in federal prison as an armed career criminal.
This case was 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.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Our PSN reinvigoration efforts provide targeted prosecution of the worst of the worst violent offenders in order to enhance public safety in Memphis. This significant sentence removes an armed career criminal from the community, and sends a strong message that we will no longer tolerate this lawless behavior. We are FED UP with gun crime in Memphis, and will continue to aggressively prosecute prohibited and dangerous offenders with firearms. Gun Crime is Max Time."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Marion man indicted on fentanyl chargesRead the Press Release
A Marion man was indicted in federal court for having fentanyl.
Shiloh Jackson, 29, was indicted on one count of distribution of fentanyl. He had approximately 21 grams of fentanyl on March 10, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing 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 and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agencies in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Marmet Drug Task Force. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Freeman and Thomas P. Weldon.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Man sentenced to federal prison for hiring someone to kill his ex-wifeRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Michael McEarchern has been sentenced for attempting to hire someone to kill his ex-wife, promising $10,000 and two Atlanta Hawks basketball tickets as payment for the murder.
“McEarchern was serious about having his ex-wife killed and provided $800 as a down payment for her murder,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “The defendant has been brought to justice and his lengthy prison sentence will provide him with an opportunity to reflect on his egregious crime.”
“Had the FBI not been notified by a concerned citizen, McEarchern more than likely would have found someone to carry out the murder of his ex-wife,” said J.C. Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “It is a great example of how law enforcement, working with the public, can prevent crime, and in this case the murder of an innocent woman.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: McEarchern was an inmate at the jail in Bartow County, Georgia, having been arrested on drug-related charges in October 2017. While incarcerated, McEarchern reached out to several individuals trying to find someone who could arrange for the murder of his ex-wife, who lived in Cobb County. One individual told a friend of McEarchern’s desire to kill his ex-wife, and that person reported the crime to the FBI. To ensure that McEarchern was serious about seeking someone to carry out the murder, the FBI waited for McEarchern to reach out to the informant, which he did.
Believing that he was arranging the killing of his ex-wife, McEarchern agreed to pay $10,000 in cash and two tickets to an Atlanta Hawks basketball game as payment. Additionally, to show that he was serious, he had $800 in cash mailed to the purported assassin. Jail recordings captured McEarchern providing the address to the person who he asked to mail the money for him. The FBI retrieved an envelope containing the $800 with a return address of the person who sent the money on McEarchern’s instruction. The defendant also provided an address where the assassin could find the ex-wife.
Michael McEarchern, 29, of Acworth, Georgia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Harold L. Murphy on July 13, 2018, to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. McEarchern was convicted of murder-for-hire on April 24, 2018, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bartow County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim S. Dammers, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Section, prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Man Charged with Unlawful Transportation of Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office announces that Francisco Ramirez-Espinosa, 29, a citizen of Mexico, appeared Friday in United States District Court in Burlington on a charge that he transported four illegal aliens within the United States. U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy ordered that Ramirez-Espinosa be temporarily detained.
According to the criminal complaint, on the evening of July 12, 2018, Agents from the Swanton Border Patrol Station encountered Ramirez-Espinosa driving a car with New Jersey license plates near the Highgate Springs Port of Entry. The four passengers in the vehicle and the defendant are citizens of Mexico who have no immigration status in the United States.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the complaint is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
Ramirez-Espinosa is represented by David McColgin of the Office of the Federal Public Defender. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail Averbach.MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty to RICO Conspiracy and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to RICO conspiracy and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien.
Manuel Landaverde, a/k/a “Scooby,” 26, a Salvadoran national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO or racketeering conspiracy, and being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Oct. 11, 2018.
The investigation revealed that Landaverde was a member of MS-13 and conspired with other MS-13 members to commit acts of violence, including murder and attempted murder, in Massachusetts. Landaverde, who was unlawfully present in the United States, also possessed and sold a firearm and ammunition knowing it would be used in connection with the racketeering conspiracy.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Embezzlement from His EmployerRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Thomas Scott Taylor, 38, of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison by United States Senior District Court Judge Joseph M. Hood for exceeding authorized access of a protected computer, a felony under federal criminal statutes. Judge Hood also ordered Taylor to pay restitution in the amount of $492,689.59.
Taylor previously admitted to unlawfully abusing his authority to access certain protected databases of his employer, IntelliSurvey Inc., for personal gain. He further admitted that he knew that IntelliSurvey purchased and maintained a set of Amazon.com gift cards for use in rewarding IntelliSurvey’s survey participants and that some survey participants failed to redeem their Amazon.com gift cards. Taylor identified those unredeemed gift cards and used them to credit his personal Amazon account. In total, from December 16, 2011 until August 8, 2017, Taylor admitted he unlawfully stole $492,689.59 in Amazon.com gift cards from IntelliSurvey and used them to make 3,300 purchases at Amazon.com, ordering items that are easily resalable or for personal use.
Under federal law, Taylor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 3 years.
Robert M. Duncan, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jon Oldham, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police for the Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement today after the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn Anderson.
Kingsmen Motorcyle Club Member Pleads Guilty to Rico 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 Glen Stacharczyck, 53, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy, before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Tripi and Brendan T. Cullinane, who are handling the case, stated that the defendant was a member of the North Tonawanda Chapter and the South Buffalo Chapter of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club (KMC).
KMC members and associates used and distributed marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances at the North Tonawanda and South Buffalo KMC Chapter Clubhouses. KMC members were also involved in firearm sales. The defendant also possessed firearms.
Stacharczyck is one of 20 KMC members and associates charged in this case. To date, 16 have been convicted, including National President David Pirk, who was recently convicted following a four-month jury trial. Charges remain pending against five other defendants. The fact that the defendants have been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert. Assisting in the investigation were the following: the FBI Knoxville, TN, and Jacksonville, FL Field Offices; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office; the Buffalo Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the New York State Police; the Olean Police Department; the Lancaster Police Department; the Amherst Police Department; the City of North Tonawanda Police Department; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police; the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department; and the Hamburg Police Department.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Kewa Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Fabian Louis Bailon, 39, an enrolled member of Kewa Pueblo, N.M., who resides in Santa Fe, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assaulting a federal officer.
Bailon was arrested on Jan. 12, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer. According to the criminal complaint, Bailon was arrested on tribal charges on Nov. 26, 2017, after he assaulted a law enforcement officer of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Bailon committed the assault on San Felipe Pueblo in Sandoval County, N.M., by punching the officer in the face while the officer was conducting a traffic stop.
During today’s proceedings, Bailon pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assaulting a federal officer. In entering the guilty plea, Bailon admitted that on Nov. 26, 2017, he assaulted a BIA officer by punching the officer while the officer was conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Bailon was a passenger.
At sentencing, Bailon faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Southern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Texas Man of Hate Crime in the Burning of Victoria, Texas, MosqueRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that a federal jury in Victoria, Texas, has returned guilty verdicts on all counts as charged related to the 2017 burning of a local mosque. Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick, Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI made the announcement.
The jury found Marq Vincent Perez, 26, of Victoria, guilty for a hate crime in the burning of the Victoria Islamic Center on Jan. 28, 2017, and for use of a fire to commit a felony. In addition, they found he possessed an unregistered destructive device for an incident that occurred on Jan. 15, 2017.
“All people are entitled to live free from violence and fear, regardless of their religion or place of worship,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Perez’s actions were criminal, unlawful, and dangerous. This Justice Department is committed to holding hate crimes perpetrators accountable under the law.”
“This case represents the great coordination and cooperation of many federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the religious liberty of all people and their ability to practice their faith without being the target of this kind of dangerous activity.”
“Houses of worship are scared places in America,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski. “We are pleased in the outcome of this investigation, and ATF will continue to aggressively investigate all House of worship fires.”
“Hate crimes are not only an attack on a specific victim, they threaten the cornerstone of diversity that America was built upon,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner. “Perpetrators of hate crimes, like Perez, aim to chip away at our nation’s foundations by instilling fear into entire communities with violence.”
The jury heard from a total of 19 government witnesses, including law enforcement officers, experts, and others who testified about communications with Perez, one of whom detailed how Perez called Muslims “towelheads.” An FBI agent took the stand and described hate-filled messages found on Perez’s Facebook account.
Testimony in court detailed how Perez planned the event and revealed how he had done “recon” of the mosque in the days leading up to the fire. A witness who was with Perez on the night of the fire described how excited Perez was upon seeing the mosque in flames, explaining that he was “jumping up and down like a little kid.”
Additional evidence presented in court revealed that items taken during two burglaries at the mosque were found at his home, and also an improvised bomb similar to what was used in an attempted car-bombing approximately two weeks prior to the fire.
The jury also heard from an arson expert who concluded the fire was the result of an “intentional application of an open flame.”
The jury found Perez guilty on all counts as charged and deliberated for approximately three hours following a five-day trial.
Perez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the hate crime and up to 10 years for possessing an unregistered destructive device. For use of a fire to commit a felony, the penalty is a consecutive and mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. All of the counts also carry a potential $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for October 2.
ATF and FBI conducted the investigation along with the City of Victoria Fire Marshal’s Office, Victoria Fire Department, Victoria Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division and Texas Rangers with assistance of Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office and sheriff’s offices in Victoria and Nueces Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Khandelwal and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Saeed Mody of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Jury Convicts Perez of Hate Crime in Burning of Victoria MosqueRead the Press Release
VICTORIA, Texas – A federal jury in Victoria has returned guilty verdicts on all counts as charged related to the 2017 burning of the local mosque.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick made the announcement along with Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI and various state and local law enforcement agencies.
“This case represents the great coordination and cooperation of many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies,” said Patrick. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the religious liberty of all people and their ability to practice their faith without being the target of this kind of dangerous activity.”
“All people are entitled to live free from violence and fear, regardless of their religion or place of worship,” said Gore. “Perez’s actions were criminal, unlawful and dangerous. This Justice Department is committed to holding hate crimes perpetrators accountable under the law.”
The jury found Marq Vincent Perez, 26, of Victoria, was responsible for a hate crime in the burning of the Victoria Islamic Center Jan. 28, 2017, and for use of a fire to commit a felony. In addition, they found he possessed an unregistered destructive device for an incident that occurred on Jan. 15, 2017.
“Houses of worship are scared places in America,” said Milanowski. “We are pleased in the outcome of this investigation, and ATF will continue to aggressively investigate all House of worship fires.”
“Hate crimes are not only an attack on a specific victim, they threaten the cornerstone of diversity that America was built upon,” said Turner. “Perpetrators of hate crimes, like Perez, aim to chip away at our nation’s foundations by instilling fear into entire communities with violence.”
In his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Sharad S. Khandelwal outlined the case against Perez, his hatred for Muslims and what transpired on several occasions in January 2018, leading up to the fire. “This is a simple, straightforward case of hate,” he said.
The jury heard from a total of 19 government witnesses, to include law enforcement officers, experts and others who testified about communications with Perez, one of whom detailed how Perez called Muslims “towelheads.” An FBI agent took the stand and described hate-filled messages found on Perez’s Facebook account.
Testimony in court detailed how Perez had planned the event and talked about how he had done “recon” of the mosque in the days leading up to the fire. A witness who was with Perez on the night of the fire described how excited Perez was upon seeing the mosque in flames, explaining that he was “jumping up and down like a little kid.”
Additional evidence also revealed that items taken during two burglaries at the mosque were found at his home as was an improvised bomb similar to what was used in an attempted car-bombing approximately two weeks prior to the fire.
The jury also heard from an arson expert who concluded the fire was the result of an “intentional application of an open flame.”
The defense attempted to shift the blame to a juvenile cooperator and tried to challenge the validity of the evidence and expert testimony. He also tried to establish an alibi. The jury was not convinced of any of the claims and found him guilty on all counts as charged following the five-day trial and approximately three hours of deliberation.
Perez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the hate crime and up to 10 years for possessing an unregistered destructive device. For use of a fire to commit a felony, the penalty is a consecutive and mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. All of the counts also carry a potential $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for Oct. 2, 2018.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
ATF and FBI conducted the investigation along with the City of Victoria Fire Marshal’s Office, Victoria Fire Department, Victoria Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division and Texas Rangers with assistance of Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office and sheriff’s offices in Victoria and Nueces Counties.
AUSAs Khandelwal and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Saeed Mody of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
Honey Creek Man Sentenced to Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – On July 13, 2018, Jack Douglas Sprouse, age 67, of Honey Creek, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger to 15 months in prison for Bank Fraud, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Sprouse was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay restitution in an amount of $236,023.54.
According to the plea agreement, Sprouse was the owner of Business Security Software Systems. Beginning at least as early as January 2013, until May of 2016, Sprouse, on behalf of the company, submitted false information to First National Bank of Omaha to ensure the continued distribution of money from a business loan to the company.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Heroin Supplier for Trenton Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Trenton woman today admitted her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed hundreds of grams of heroin in Trenton and the surrounding area, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ileana Sanchez, a/k/a “Lilly,” a/k/a “Mami,” 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to Count One of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
In December 2016, Sanchez and nine other members of a drug trafficking organization operating in Trenton were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin. The complaint referred to the drug trafficking organization as the “Abdullah DTO,” after its leader, Ishmael Abdullah. Sanchez is the last of the 10 defendants to plead guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2015 through December 2016, Sanchez and others participated in a drug trafficking organization that operated in the area of Spring Street and Passaic Street in Trenton.
Through the authorized interception of telephone calls and text messages, controlled purchases of heroin, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative means, law enforcement learned that Ishmael Abdullah was a leader of the Abdullah DTO and was responsible for obtaining significant quantities of heroin from multiple suppliers, including Sanchez and Jose Joaquin Torres-Mezquita.
Ishmael Abdullah and Keith Hunter coordinated the organization’s distribution of heroin through themselves and other conspirators. Members of the Abdullah DTO used temporary prepaid phones, stash houses and cars, and spoke in code to avoid detection by law enforcement.
The conspiracy charge to which Sanchez pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential sentence of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 24, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited the Greater Trenton Safe Streets Task Force, including special agents of the FBI Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Satellite Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the direction of Acting Director Pedro Medina; officers of the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John P. Stemler III; and detectives of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, with the investigation.
He also thanked special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian A. Michael, Newark Field Office; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John A. Kemler, for their assistance in the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Brendan Day of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
Defense counsel: John M. Holliday Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey