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Wednesday 30 May 2018
Martinsburg man admits to heroin distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Martinsburg, West Virginia man has admitted to distributing heroin, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Steven Jonathan Blunt, age 43, pled guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute more than 100 grams of Heroin.” Blunt admitted to distributing heroin in September 2017 in Berkeley County.
Blunt is facing up to 40 years incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. 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.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.Louisiana Woman Sentenced in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –A resident of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for her involvement in a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Jackie Chaney, also known as Jackie Scott, pleaded guilty on Dec. 28, 2016 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit theft of public money, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, members of the conspiracy obtained the names and Social Security numbers of individuals for use in filing false tax returns. Chaney and her co-conspirators used this stolen information to prepare false tax returns seeking bogus refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The IRS issued the refunds in the form of checks or on to prepaid debit cards and Chaney further conspired with others to convert the proceeds into cash.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan ordered Chaney to serve two years of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $809,605.
Chaney’s co-conspirator, Alicia Washington, previously plead guilty in Feb. 2017 and was sentenced earlier this month to 42 months in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Evans commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden Brockett and Tax Division Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Louisiana Woman Sentenced in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A resident of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for her involvement in a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Jackie Chaney, also known as Jackie Scott, pleaded guilty on Dec. 28, 2016 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit theft of public money, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, members of the conspiracy obtained the names and Social Security numbers of individuals for use in filing false tax returns. Chaney and her co-conspirators used this stolen information to prepare false tax returns seeking bogus refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The IRS issued the refunds in the form of checks or on to prepaid debit cards and Chaney further conspired with others to convert the proceeds into cash.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan ordered Chaney to serve two years of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $809,605.00.
Chaney’s co-conspirator, Alicia Washington, previously plead guilty in Feb. 2017 and was sentenced earlier this month to 42 months in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Evans commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden Brockett and Tax Division Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Louisiana Contractor Pleads Guilty to Filing A False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
The owner of general contracting business pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to court documents, Wade Ybarzabal, of Mandeville, Louisiana, owned a general contracting business, Ybarzabal Contractors LLC. On his 2012 tax return, Ybarzabal underreported his business’s gross receipts by more than $475,000, resulting in an additional tax liability of more than $160,000. Ybarzabal also underreported his business’ gross receipts on his 2013 and 2014 tax returns. The total tax loss resulting from Ybarzabal’s fraudulent conduct for is less than $250,000.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 29, 2018. Ybarzabal faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison. He also faces a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans commended special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera and Tax Division Trial Attorney Grace E. Albinson, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
LaGrange Farmer Sentenced for Crop Insurance Fraud, Fraudulent Federal Crop Disaster Claims, Aggravated Identity Theft and Conspiracy to Commit Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court today, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced JAMES TRUMAN WIGGINS, JR.¸68, of LaGrange, North Carolina to 25 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. In addition the court ordered WIGGINS to pay restitution in the amount of $5,669,891.00 and he is excluded from participating in any federal crop insurance programs for 5 years. The court also ordered forfeiture in the amount of $5,600,433.00.
WIGGINS previously pleaded guilty to a Criminal Information charging him with conspiracy to commit various offenses against the United States, false statements to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, material false statements to the Farm Service Agency, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the Criminal Information, WIGGINS and other persons worked together to defraud the United States of America, through the filing of false federal crop insurance claims and false federal crop disaster relief claims, to structure transactions to evade reporting requirements, and to engage in various financial transactions to conceal the fraud. The conspirators owned and rented farmland in Lenoir, Wayne, and Greene Counties, and produced, among other crops, tobacco, corn, wheat, and soybeans. The conspirators hid some or all of their tobacco and/or grain productions by selling it in nominee names or for cash to a co-conspiring tobacco warehouseman and grain dealers. The conspirators profited under the scheme because they were paid twice for each pound of tobacco or bushel of grain: once through the false crop insurance claim, and also through the sale of the hidden crop. WIGGINS used nominee names, as well as a stolen identity, to conceal the sale of the crops. WIGGINS also submitted the false production data in connection with his federal crop disaster claim, thereby getting disaster relief monies to which he was not entitled. At one point, WIGGINS created a fictitious entity, fabricated sale bills, and submitted those records to his insurance company in order to obtain better coverage for his crops.
Between 2007 and 2011, WIGGINS and his conspirators collectively filed false claims in excess of $5.6 million. The conspirators, among other things, paid farming expenses and outstanding loan balances with the proceeds from their criminal conduct.
Mr. Higdon commented: “Put very simply, this defendant stole more than $5 million from the taxpayers of this State and this Country. This type of crime is what undermines the solvency of our federal programs and deprives those who need the funds of that support. I want to commend the investigators who have pursued these cases for so long. Their effort to protect the public’s money is key to the success of programs like the Federal Crop Insurance Program.”
"Today's sentencing is a direct result of the excellent partnership the IRS, USDA and the U.S. Attorney’s office has in combating violations of Federal law. With both law enforcement and financial investigation expertise, our agents are uniquely qualified to investigate not only tax crimes but all other related financial crimes. The sentence Wiggin’s received is a testament to the investigative team’s hard work and commitment and should serve as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar fraudulent actions," said Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office.
The charges in this case stem from the on-going, multi-target crop insurance fraud investigation in the Eastern District of North Carolina. To date, the office has prosecuted 48 other farmers, agents, and/or adjusters for similar criminal conduct.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations; the United States Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Investigations; and the United States Department of Agriculture - Risk Management Agency, Special Investigations Branch. Assistant United States Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan is handling the prosecution on behalf to the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Keyser man admits to cocaine distributionRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Keyser, West Virginia man has admitted to distributing cocaine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Emilio Regueno pled guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine.” Regueno admitted to distributing cocaine in May 2016 in Hampshire County.
Regueno is facing up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn M. Adkins and Lara K. Omps-Botteicher are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.Key Lieutenant of “Thief-In-Law” Razdhen Shulaya Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ZURAB DZHANASHVILI, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Katherine B. Forrest to the charge of conspiring to commit racketeering offenses in furtherance of the illicit activities of the Shulaya Enterprise, a violent and prolific criminal organization dismantled in June 2017 upon the arrests of DZHANASHVILI, Razhden Shulaya, and over 25 other members and associates of the Enterprise.
As part of his guilty plea, DZHANASHVILI acknowledged his leadership role within the Shulaya Enterprise and his participation in numerous criminal acts undertaken in furtherance of the Enterprise, including: a plot to seduce, subdue, and extort individuals lured by a female co-conspirator acting at DZHANASHVILI’s direction; a scheme to operate a profitable underground gambling business that recovered debts through extortion and physical violence; a scheme to steal cargo from victim trucking companies, including the theft of approximately 10,000 pounds of chocolate peanut butter confections; and a nationwide scheme to defraud businesses and banks through the use of false identification documents and forged checks.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Zurab Dzhanashvili today admitted to leading a criminal enterprise engaged in schemes that could easily be mistaken for a Hollywood thriller. Among other crimes, the enterprise engaged in bribery of local law enforcement, use of a female member to seduce, drug, and extort their victims, and theft of over 10,000 pounds of chocolate. This script ends with Dzhanashvili pleading guilty to his crimes and facing serious time in prison.”
According to the charging documents filed in the case, as well as statements made during the plea proceedings and earlier court appearances:
The Shulaya Enterprise was an organized criminal group operating under the direction and protection of Razhden Shulaya, a/k/a “Brother,” a/k/a “Roma,” a “vor v zakonei” or “vor,” which are Russian phrases translated roughly as “Thief-in-Law” or “Thief,” and which refer to an order of elite criminals from the former Soviet Union who receive tribute from other criminals, offer protection, and use their recognized status as vor to adjudicate disputes among lower-level criminals. As a vor, Shulaya had substantial influence in the criminal underworld and offered assistance to and protection of the members and associates of the Shulaya Enterprise. Those members and associates, and Shulaya himself, engaged in widespread criminal activities, including acts of violence, extortion, the operation of illegal gambling businesses, fraud on various casinos, identity theft, credit card frauds, and trafficking in large quantities of stolen goods.
The Shulaya Enterprise operated through groups of individuals, often with overlapping members or associates, dedicated to particular criminal tasks. While many of these crews were based in New York City, the Shulaya Enterprise had operations in various locations throughout the United States (including in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Nevada) and abroad. Most members and associates of the Shulaya Enterprise were born in the former Soviet Union and many maintained substantial ties to Georgia, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation, including regular travel to those countries, communication with associates in those countries, and the transfer of criminal proceeds to individuals in those countries.
The Shulaya Enterprise was led principally by Shulaya and DZHANASHVILI, the principal lieutenant within the Enterprise. The Enterprise’s nefarious activities included:
- The operation of illicit poker businesses in Brighton Beach;
- The extortion of gamblers who became indebted to the Shulaya Enterprise;
- Attempts to extort local business owners;
- Efforts to defraud casinos in Atlantic City and Philadelphia by using electronic devices and computer servers to predict and exploit the behavior of electronic slot machines;
- The theft of cargo shipments, including a shipment containing approximately hundreds of thousands of dollars of electronic equipment, lighting equipment, agricultural products, and approximately 10,000 pounds of chocolate confections;
- DZHANASHVILI’s use of a female member of the Shulaya Enterprise to seduce men, incapacitate them with chloroform, and then rob or blackmail them;
- Attempts to create an after-hours nightclub that would host, among other things, the sale of narcotics;
- The transportation and sale of numerous cases of untaxed cigarettes;
- Plans to pay bribes to local law enforcement;
- Assaults of debtors, offending underlings, rivals, and even innocent civilians whom Shulaya perceived as having insulted or undermined his authority; and
- Creation and use of forged identification documents, checks, and invoices.
DZHANASHVILI’s guilty plea does not fully resolve the case against the Shulaya Enterprise. Shulaya himself, along with key enforcer and former middleweight boxing titleholder Avtandil Khurtsidze, are scheduled for trial before Judge Forrest beginning June 4, 2018.
DZHANASHVILI faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. DZHANASHVILI is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Forrest on November 30, 2018.
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Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the New York Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and the Atlantic City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami offices; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and the New York City Police Department for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Adams, Andrew Thomas, and Andrew Chan are in charge of the case.
Keshena Men Indicted for Firearm Offenses on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced that on May 15, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against two men allegedly involved in firearms offenses on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The indictment charges Jeremy Fish (age: 33) and Bobby Joe Sanapaw (age: 32), both from Keshena. Count One charges Fish with Felon in Possession of Firearms in violation of Title 18, United States Code 922(g). Count Two charges Fish and Sanapaw with Possession of a Short-Barreled Shotgun in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5681. As to each count, the defendants face 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 July 12, 2017, Fish and Sanapaw possessed firearms, one of which was a short-barreled shotgun. The incident occurred at a residence in Keshena.
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 Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig at 414 297-1700
Jury Convicts Leader of Hampton Roads Heroin Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Portsmouth man today for his role in leading a heroin trafficking conspiracy that distributed in excess of 100 kilograms of heroin over a 10-year period in Hampton Roads from 2007 through 2017.
“Those who choose to pump poison into our communities will be held accountable for their actions,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Let this case be an example of how this will end for those who choose to destroy families by trafficking opioids. I want to thank our trial team and our investigative partners for their extraordinary effort and dedication to this important case. This is a textbook example of the power of true federal, state, and local collaboration.”
According to court documents and testimony, the FBI began investigating Leroy Perdue, 45, of Portsmouth, and his associates after the arrests of other heroin dealers he supplied, including the Alonzo Outten Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) in 2015, and the 2016 arrest of Carlos Brown, who was ultimately convicted in EDVA and sentenced to 30 years for Distribution of Heroin Resulting in Death. Over the last decade more than a dozen drug dealers in Hampton Roads were supplied wholesale quantities of heroin by Perdue.
“My team and I have been working hand-in-hand with our federal and local partners to interrupt the supply of heroin and fentanyl into Hampton Roads,” said Attorney General Mark R. Herring. “Operation Hardest Hit and other multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional operations like it are putting dangerous suppliers behind bars while we continue to educate the public on the dangers of opioids and pursue a comprehensive community based response to this crisis. I appreciate all the hard work and cooperation of local, state, and federal law enforcement and prosecutors who brought this defendant and his co-conspirators to justice.”
On June 22, 2017, the FBI, in partnership with the Chesapeake Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Unit and the Virginia State Police, executed an interdiction operation and arrest, which resulted in the recovery of over 800 grams of heroin with a street value in excess of $50,000.
“Today’s successful conviction was a team effort by our investigative partners and prosecutors who worked side by side to systematically crush this dangerous distribution network and protect Hampton Roads from predators who profit from poisoning our community,” said Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division. “The heroin epidemic is one of the most devastating threats to the community we have seen in a generation and the FBI is dedicated holding traffickers and criminal organizations accountable for their part in proliferating this crisis.”
Less than two months later, in the early morning hours of Aug. 14, 2017, over 300 law enforcement agents made arrests and executed nearly a dozen search warrants in Virginia, Georgia, and New York. The takedown was the result of a multi-year, multi-jurisdictional, and multi-agency Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation designated Operation Hardest Hit.
“Through Operation Hardest Hit, HSI and its law enforcement partners struck back against one of Hampton Roads’ most notorious heroin dealers and his associates,” said Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of HSI Norfolk. “Heroin is a deadly drug that has absolutely no place in our communities.”
At trial, the United States presented video evidence of Perdue selling heroin during an undercover operation. On the day of Perdue’s arrest, the FBI also recovered a notebook next to Perdue’s bed with lyrics to a song in which he proclaimed himself the “Dogfood King” – dogfood being a common coded reference to heroin.
Perdue was convicted of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. He faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison when sentenced on September 19. Twelve of his co-conspirators have already been sentenced to a combined total of over 173 years’ in prison. See table below for additional details.
Name, Age
Hometown
Guilty Plea
Sentence
Abraham Atkins, 35
Portsmouth
Sept. 5, 2017
20 Years
Eddie L. Tyson, 46
Portsmouth
Sept. 5, 2017
15 Years
Edward Muckle, 32
Portsmouth
Sept. 5, 2017
9 years
Jamars Cooper, 26
Portsmouth
Sept. 5, 2017
11 years
Victoria Waller, 42
Portsmouth
Sept. 6, 2017
10 years, 6 months
Dominic Diablo Mosley, 35
Portsmouth
Sept. 6, 2017
15 years
Nicholas Godwin, 37
Portsmouth
Sept. 6, 2017
12 years, 4 months
Kevin Lawrence, 37
Portsmouth
Sept. 7, 2017
13 years
Tywon McKelvy, 42
New York
Oct. 3, 2017
19 years, 6 months
Darion Perdue, 24
Portsmouth
Oct. 17, 2017
19 years
Christina James
New York
Oct. 18, 2017
5 years
Rhadu Schoolfield, 33
Portsmouth
Oct. 18, 2017
24 years
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of HSI Norfolk, and Kelvin L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the verdict.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Tidewater Violent Crime Task Force, in partnership with HSI’s Norfolk Field Office, Chesapeake Police Department, and the Virginia State Police. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Bosse and William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Hardest Hit. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-116.
Judge Sentences Verona Man to Six Years in Prison for Robbing Edgewood BankRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Verona, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to a term of imprisonment of 72 months to be followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction of bank robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Christopher Gregg, 46, formerly Verona, Pennsylvania.
According to the information presented to the court, on February 22, 2016, Christopher Gregg walked into First Commonwealth Bank in Edgewood and passed the teller a note, which stated, "no dye packs, hand over the money". Gregg kept his hand in the left pocket of his jacket and acted as though he had a gun in his waist area. He took $4,799 from the teller along with the note. Gregg was identified after surveillance video was shown on the news. He confessed to robbing the bank and stated that he spent all of the money on drugs.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Allegheny County Police and Edgewood Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Jamaican national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Anthony Durrant, 51, a Jamaican national residing in Dorchester, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Sept. 13, 2018.
On Nov. 28, 2017, law enforcement officers in Boston encountered Durrant and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. Durrant was previously deported on July 26, 2012.
Durrant faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Thomas P. Brophy, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Jacksonville Man Who Sold Firearms and Crack Cocaine to Undercover Agent Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Darrick “Block” Stafford (41, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to distributing 28 grams or more of crack cocaine and to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 50 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Stafford participated in a series of transactions involving the sale of firearms (including assault-style rifles) to an undercover agent and a confidential informant working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Stafford also sold the undercover agent powder cocaine and crack cocaine. When Stafford was arrested by detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, they recovered a .45 caliber pistol that had been hidden under the hood of the car that he was driving. Due to his prior felony convictions, including robbery and firearms offenses, Stafford is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sex Abuse Videos over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Pryce Elijah Demars (25, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on November 15, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Demars’s residence in connection with a child exploitation investigation involving online users of a particular file-sharing program. FBI agents had determined that between August 2016 and April 2017, Demars distributed videos online depicting young children being sexually abused. During an interview, he admitted, among other things, that he had searched for child pornography on the internet, downloaded it, and then distributed it to another individual in exchange for video games and other items of value.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Humboldt Man Sentenced for Meth Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A former federal inmate who distributed approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine while on federal supervised release was sentenced on May 29, 2018, to more than 14 years in federal prison.
Zachary Tew, 25, from Humboldt, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 13, 2017, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at sentencing showed that in July 2015, Tew was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Upon his release from prison, Tew began a term of supervised release and almost immediately began violating the mandatory terms and conditions. Then, in August 2016, after having been on supervised release for approximately six months, Tew failed to appear for a revocation proceeding and ceased all communication with his probation officer. On November 7, 2016, approximately three months later, law enforcement apprehended Tew after a short pursuit and seized approximately 13 ounces of methamphetamine; $17,856; a handgun with loaded magazines; and boxes of ammunition. Tew later admitted to having distributed approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine while on supervised release, possessing stolen firearms, and arranging to find a stash house that would store up to 150 pounds of methamphetamine.
Tew was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Tew was sentenced to 170 months’ imprisonment. This sentence must run partially consecutive to the 60 months’ imprisonment imposed for his violations while on supervised release. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Tew is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander and investigated by DEA Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-3004-MWB.
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Guatemala National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that PEDRO BRITO-MARCOS, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged yesterday in a one-count bill of information with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the bill of information, PEDRO BRITO-MARCOS reentered the United States on or about March 8, 2018, after having been previously removed therefrom on or about January 19, 2018.
If convicted, PEDRO BRITO-MARCOS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, one year supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution.
Great Falls Man Sentenced for Counterfeiting in Great FallsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that 42-year old Bobby Lamere of Great Falls, Montana, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Additionally, Lamere was ordered to pay $4,335.00 in restitution. U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the hearing.
Beginning in March of 2017, numerous businesses in Great Falls began to report to the police department that customers were presenting counterfeit bills on a frequent basis. The Great Falls Police Department responded to the complaints, seized the counterfeit bills, and looked for suspects.
During early May of 2017, law enforcement attempted to locate the defendant, Bobby Lamere, concerning an outstanding warrant. On May 15, 2017, law enforcement found Lamere sleeping in the backseat of a car parked in a business parking lot. When the driver of Lamere’s car came out of the store, the driver told officers that they would find narcotics, counterfeit money, and a handgun inside the car. The driver also alluded that Lamere was making counterfeit money.
Officers subsequently searched the car and found numerous counterfeit $20, $10 and $5 bills consisting of varying serial numbers. These counterfeit bills had a resemblance to genuine United States currency. In addition, detectives found two laptop computers, printing paper, printing ink, software programs, and four sheets of $20 and $100 counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, as well as a firearm on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat.
Following this search, police continued to receive reports of counterfeit activity in Great Falls. In late May of 2017, the Secret Service completed processing a large number of counterfeit bills. This analysis showed an extensive amount of counterfeit currency all originating from Great Falls. The Secret Service also conducted an analysis of the counterfeit serial numbers found in Lamere’s car, and determined counterfeit bills with these same serial numbers had been passed throughout Great Falls.
Detectives subsequently interviewed Lamere. He explained that he manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes in $20, $50 and $100 denominations. Lamere stated that he only provided the bills to people for narcotics and that he did not actually pass the bills himself. Lamere learned to wash the bills, flatten them out, and then place them on a printer to make a template. He then would make several sheets of counterfeit bills and cut the sheets with a paper cutter. Following that process, Lamere used gel pens to enhance the bills. At some point, Lamere became addicted to heroin and started manufacturing more bills to trade for the drug. Lamere believed he had manufactured approximately $6000-$7000 worth of counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes since December of 2016.
The Secret Service subsequently examined the counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes passed in Great Falls and observed much of this counterfeit consisted of the same type of paper, pen and ink known to be used by Lamere in his counterfeiting activities. On September 8, 2017, law enforcement again came into contact with Lamere and found him in possession of 16 counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes consisting of $20 and $50 bills.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley and investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Great Falls Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Georgia Man Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison for Role in Identity Theft and Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK N.J. – A Georgia man was sentenced today to 26 months in prison for using a fake driver’s license in order to obtain a check issued in response to false statements and representations, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Temilade Adekunle, 32, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Adekunle was a member of a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain money, including by committing identity theft, impersonating account holders and obtaining money from their accounts. On Aug. 8, 2017, a member of the conspiracy contacted an entity where an individual (Victim 2) had an account. The caller impersonated Victim 2 and asked to withdraw approximately $85,000 from the account. In response, the entity sent a check through a mail carrier to the account holder’s address.
A member of the conspiracy caused the mail carrier to hold the package containing the check for Victim 2 at one of its branch locations. On Aug. 14, 2017, Adekunle entered the branch and, using a driver’s license with Adekunle’s picture and Victim 2’s name and address, obtained the package containing the check. Sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2018.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Adekunle to three years of supervised release, including 10 months of home confinement.U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Mikulka in New York, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, Utah, under the direction of Sheriff Rosie Rivera, for its role in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Jean Barrett Esq., Montclair, New Jersey
Franconia Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Jeffrey Bacon, 27, of Franconia, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2017, law enforcement officers from the Franconia, Sugar Hill, and Littleton, New Hampshire police departments executed a search warrant for the defendant's apartment in Franconia, New Hampshire. In that apartment, officers found approximately 48 grams of fentanyl.
Bacon is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2018.
“Fentanyl continues to pose a very serious threat to the health and safety of the citizens New Hampshire,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners throughout the Granite State to identify and prosecute those who are distributing this deadly drug. This case shows that this dangerous drug can be found in all parts of our state.”
This matter was investigated by the Franconia Police Department, with assistance by the Sugar Hill and Littleton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek.
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Four Anchorage Residents Charged with Attempting to Smuggle Drugs into Prison for DistributionRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that four Anchorage residents have been charged for attempting to smuggle drugs into the State of Alaska Department of Corrections (“DOC”) Anchorage Correctional Complex (“ACC”).
Steven Cao, 32, a federal inmate at the time of the offense, Brandon Beltz, 26, Jennifer Delossantos, 33, and Allyson Moore, 20, all of Anchorage, were named in the indictment charging each of them with drug conspiracy and attempt to obtain a prohibited object by a prison inmate. The indictment also charges Cao and Delossantos with use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and Beltz and Moore with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the indictment, between Nov. 13, 2017, and continuing to Dec. 7, 2017, Cao, Beltz, Delossantos, and Moore allegedly attempted to obtain buprenorphine, also known as “subutext,” a narcotic drug, for Cao while he was in federal pre-trial custody at ACC. It is further alleged that they conspired to distribute these drugs to other inmates being held ACC.
Specifically, the plan was to recruit an individual who was subject to State of Alaska pre-trial supervision to whom the conspirators would deliver the drugs. The individual would then internally smuggle the drugs into the correctional institution by intentionally violating his conditions of release so that the state would remand him back into prison custody for 72 hours. During this short period of re-incarceration, the smuggler was to deliver the drugs to Cao, who would then distribute the drugs to other inmates. Cao and Delossantos allegedly gave a firearm to Beltz and Moore as payment in furtherance of executing the plan to smuggle drugs into ACC.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and the Anchorage Police Department (“APD”) conducted the investigation, with assistance from DOC, which led to the charges in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephan Collins.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Paterson Municipal Utilities Authority Commissioner Admits Accepting KickbacksRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former commissioner with the now-defunct Paterson Municipal Utilities Authority (PMUA) today admitted his role in two schemes to steal funds from the authority, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Erik Lowe, 50, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit extortion under color of official right and one count of extortion under color of official right.
According to documents filed in this and other cases and statements made in court:
Lowe was a commissioner of the PMUA from February 2009 through May 2015 and exercised control over the authority’s finances. The PMUA was created to manage the hydroelectric plant on the Passaic River in Paterson and to care for and manage certain surrounding properties.
Lowe and Carnell Baskerville, a self-employed contractor, entered into an agreement whereby Lowe would approve payments from the PMUA to Baskerville’s company for services. Both men knew Baskerville had not performed and would not perform any services. Between December 2014 and May 2015, Lowe wrote $146,500 in checks from the PMUA to Baskerville’s company. Lowe directed Baskerville to deposit these checks into Baskerville’s bank account and to kick back to Lowe a significant percentage of this amount in cash to reward Lowe and a fellow MUA commissioner for their official assistance in carrying out the scheme. Baskerville pleaded guilty in February 2018 to his role in the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 6, 2018.
From August 2012 through November of 2014, Lowe engaged in a similar scheme with a second contractor whose company installed and repaired fences for residential homes and commercial business. Lowe admitted that initially he inflated the checks paid to this contractor substantially above the value of the jobs the contractor performed so that the contractor could kick back thousands of dollars to Lowe. Near the end of the scheme, Lowe was issuing checks worth thousands of dollars to the contractor knowing that no job had been or would be performed. Lowe issued checks totaling $141,700 to the contractor and accepted tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks.
The two counts to which Lowe pleaded guilty each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Linda Foster Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Former Niagara Falls Police Officer, Co-Defendant Sentenced for Their Roles in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that former Niagara Falls, NY, Police Officer Stephanie A. Costanzo, 29, who was convicted of managing a drug involved premises, was sentenced to time served and three years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. In addition, co-defendant Lindsay Carrier, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to serve 70 months in federal prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between July 28, 2016, and November 8, 2016, co-defendant Raymond Hopson made several sales of crack cocaine to an undercover (UC) officer posing as a drug customer. During that time, Hopson was living with Stephanie Costanzo, at her residence on Grand Avenue in Niagara Falls. Hopson would store some of his cocaine, along with paraphernalia used to weigh and distribute the cocaine, at the residence.
On November 9, 2016, Special Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with the Niagara Falls Police Department executed a search warrant at Costanzo’s residence. Agents and officers recovered approximately 5.6 grams of cocaine, a digital scale used for weighing and distributing the cocaine, and drug paraphernalia used to package and distribute the cocaine. Although she did not participate in the distribution of the controlled substances, Costanzo was aware that Hopson stored his cocaine and paraphernalia at her residence.
Lindsay Carrier conspired with Raymond Hopson to distribute crack cocaine. On five occasions between July 28, 2016, and November 8, 2016, Hopson obtained crack cocaine from Carrier and then sold it to an undercover officer. A search warrant executed at the Willow Avenue residence of Carrier’s mother, resulted in the seizure of quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine.
Raymond Hopson was previously convicted and will be sentenced at a later date.
“When a person turns a blind eye to criminal conduct, they become complicit in it,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “Today’s sentencings make clear that in our community there will be no refuge granted to drug dealers or to those who assist drug dealers.”
The sentencings are the result of an investigation by the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Bryan Dalporto, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.Former Navy Sailor Sentenced for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A former U.S. Navy sailor, formerly of Norfolk, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Dustin Lee Sharbono, 29, of Kalispell, Montana, downloaded hundreds of images and videos of child pornography prior to a deployment. Sharbono’s criminal activity was revealed when a fellow Sailor discovered Sharbono’s cellular phone misplaced in a common area aboard the ship. The Sailor attempted to identify the phone’s owner, and stumbled upon images of child pornography within the “Kik Messenger” application. NCIS’ investigation of Sharbono, who was by then at sea, discovered a laptop computer and tablet device in Sharbono’s possession, both containing additional child pornography.
Sharbono attempted to conceal his activity by using an application known as “Hide It Pro,” which stores files in a seemingly benign folder on one’s digital media devices, and disguises itself as an audio manager application. Metadata associated with the Kik application, and other child pornography media in Sharbono’s possession confirmed that he downloaded the images in the weeks leading up to his deployment while his ship was in port in Norfolk.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Cliff Everton, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Layne prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-121.
Former Cox Communications vice president sentenced for embezzling millions of dollarsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Janet West, a former vice president at Cox Communications, was sentenced to two years, one month in federal prison for her part in an embezzlement scheme that cost the company millions of dollars.
“This greedy defendant misused her high-ranking position to deceive and steal millions of dollars from her employer,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “She then used the money to fund her own lifestyle, including paying for two houses she owned. Whether the defendant is in the public or the private sector, unauthorized use of funds belonging to others for personal gain is a crime.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: West was in charge of a nationwide field marketing plan to bring gigabit speed connections to markets throughout the U.S. Beginning in 2011, West directed her assistant to make payments, on the assistant’s corporate credit card, to a third-party company for supposed marketing services. In reality, a significant portion of the marketing services never occurred and the majority of the payments for the services were covertly transferred back to the defendant. The defendant caused Cox Communications to make payments to the third party, totaling $2.4 million.
West repeatedly falsified conflict of interest certifications with Cox Communications, failing to disclose the payments she made to herself. The defendant used the embezzled funds for her own personal benefit, including making payments on two houses she owned in Arizona.
Janet West, 49, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was sentenced two years, one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. West was also ordered to forfeit her interest in the two properties and to pay full restitution to the victim.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Thomas J. Krepp, Chief of the Data Analytics Unit – Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S Attorney Kelly K. Connors 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.
Former Connecticut Attorney Admits to Stealing over $1.3 Million from Clients, Friends and Family MembersRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THOMAS M. MURTHA, 62, of Birmingham, Michigan and formerly of Newtown, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of wire fraud related to his theft of more than $1.3 million from victims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, MURTHA operated a law practice under the name Maher & Murtha LLC in Bridgeport. Beginning in approximately November 2011, MURTHA stole at least $1.3 million from more than 20 individuals, including law clients, friends and family members. More than $516,000 of the stolen funds were for the benefit of an individual with mental health issues. As part of the scheme, MURTHA submitted false or forged documents to victims. He also incurred charges on credit cards in the names of others without their knowledge or permission.
The investigation revealed that MURTHA used some of the stolen funds in connection with the purchase of a $725,000 house in Birmingham, Michigan.
In September 2016, MURTHA resigned from the bar after three grievance complaints were filed against him. He was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on April 5, 2017, and a grand jury returned a multi-count indictment against him on August 16, 2017.
MURTHA is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on September 11, 2018, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
MURTHA has agreed to pay total restitution of at least $1,364,119.15, and to forfeit his interests in the house in Michigan and a 2.11 carat diamond engagement ring that the government has seized.
MURTHA is released on a $10,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Greenwich Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Laraia and David T. Huang.
Former Carlisle Diner Owner Sentenced to One Year and One Day Imprisonment for Income Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Atef Hussein, age 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, former owner/operator of the Fairground Diner in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to one year and one day imprisonment by United States District Court Judge John E. Jones III, for income tax evasion.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Hussein understated income and taxes due, resulting in false income tax returns for tax years 2011 through 2015 causing a tax loss of approximately $139,293.
Judge Jones ordered Hussein to pay $139,293 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
“Crimes such as tax evasion directly impact our shared obligation as citizens to support vital government services,” said United States Attorney Freed. “I commend our partners at IRS Criminal Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Clancy for their diligence in pursuing this case.”
“Taxpayers thinking about participating in fraudulent tax schemes, including failing to report all forms of income, should stop in their tracks and simply look at the consequences of taking the next step,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “Those consequences include going to prison, being branded a convicted felon for the rest of their lives, and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest.”
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney James T. Clancy prosecuted the case.
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Former CEO of Detroit-Based Technology Company Pleads Guilty to BriberyRead the Press Release
The former chief executive officer of FutureNet Group Inc., an information technology company, pleaded guilty today for his role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe an official from the City of Detroit to obtain benefits for FutureNet, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Parimal D. Mehta, 54, of Northville, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery before U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland of the Eastern District of Michigan. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 27.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea, from 2009 through August 2016, Mehta hand-delivered more than $6,500 to Charles L. Dodd, the former Director of Detroit’s Office of Departmental Technology Services, including two cash bribes paid in the restroom of a Detroit-area restaurant in 2016. Dodd previously pleaded guilty to bribery on Sept. 27, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Mehta sought preferential treatment for FutureNet in exchange for the bribes he paid to Dodd. Among other things, Mehta asked Dodd to cause FutureNet to be selected to fill open positions for contract personnel and to implement particular technological projects in various city departments. Mehta also asked Dodd to supply him with confidential information regarding Detroit’s internal operations, including information regarding Detroit’s internal budgets for particular technology projects and personnel, which would benefit FutureNet in its dealings with Detroit.
The FBI’s Detroit Division investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Robert J. Heberle and James I. Pearce of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
Former Associates of New Jersey Clinical Laboratory Sentenced to 21-Month Prison Terms for Roles in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two former associates of Parsippany, New Jersey-based Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services LLC (BLS) were each sentenced today to 21 months in prison for their roles in a test referral bribery scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Cliff Antell, 43, of Rumson, New Jersey, and Craig Nordman, 39, of Whippany, New Jersey, had previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to informations charging each with one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Federal Travel Act and one count of money laundering. Judge Chesler imposed the sentences today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Nordman was a BLS employee and the CEO of Advantech Sales LLC – an entity used by BLS to make illegal payments. Antell was an associate who used an entity – Brown’s Dock Consulting – to disguise the bribe payments to doctors.
The investigation has resulted in 53 convictions – 38 of them doctors – in connection with the bribery scheme, which its organizers have admitted involved millions of dollars in bribes and resulted in more than $100 million in payments to BLS from Medicare and various private insurance companies. It is believed to be the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a bribery case. The investigation has recovered more than $15 million through forfeiture. On June 28, 2016, BLS, which is no longer operational, pleaded guilty and was required to forfeit all of its assets.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Chesler sentenced Antell to three years of supervised release and fined him $10,000. Nordman was sentenced to one year of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Judy Ramos; IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert, with the ongoing investigation.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Joseph N. Minish; Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman, Co-Chief of the Public Protection Unit; Jacob T. Elberg, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark; and Senior Litigation Counsel Barbara Ward of the office’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit.
Defense counsel:
Nordman: Timothy R. Anderson Esq., Red Bank, New Jersey
Antell: Robert A. Weir Esq., Red BankFive Pennsylvania Men Charged with Conspiring to Defraud the United States and Violate the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Gavin Rexer, age 29, Dennis Paulhamus, age 39, Timothy Sweitzer, age 41, all of Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, Joseph Powell, age 31, of Hickory, Pennsylvania, and John Joseph, age 38, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, were charged in a criminal information on May 25, 2018, with conspiring to impede the lawful functions of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT), and to violate the Clean Air Act.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Rexer, Powell and Joseph were employees of Rockwater Northeast LLC, a company that serviced the fracking industry. In the course of their employment, Rexer, Powell, and Joseph conspired to modify the emissions systems on approximately 30 Rockwater heavy-duty diesel trucks by using “defeat devices.” The defeat devices were obtained from Paulhamus and Sweitzer and their purchases were concealed in Rockwater’s books and records by mislabeling them as exhaust systems. The conspirators also are accused of taking the modified commercial motor vehicles to state approved inspection stations, including Sweitzer’s Garage, to pass federally regulated commercial motor vehicle inspections falsely.
“We take seriously our job of protecting the environment in Pennsylvania, and we won’t hesitate to prosecute individuals committing environmental crimes,” said United States Attorney Freed.
“For years, the defendants engaged in a broad-based criminal conspiracy to manipulate vehicle emission components as a cost savings measure,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “EPA and its law enforcement partners are committed to holding responsible those who violate environmental laws for competitive advantage.”
“This investigation demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the safe and efficient travel of commercial motor vehicles,” said Douglas Shoemaker, regional Special Agent-in-Charge of the DOT Office of Inspector General. “Working with our Federal, State, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues, we will continue to protect the public’s safety from those that would seek to circumvent DOT-related laws and regulations.”
The matter was investigated by the EPA’s Criminal Investigations Division and the DOT’s Office of the Inspector General, with the assistance of the Pennsylvania State Police and other law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Sean Camoni, and by Special Assistant United States Attorney Patricia C. Miller.
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 this offense is five years of 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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Federal Jury Convicts Three Sampson County Members of a Violent Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that, ANTONIO KEVIN MCKOY, 31, of Garland, NC, TONY CHEVALLIER, 31, of Turkey, NC, and JABARR RYEHEINE RUDOLPH, 38, of Clinton, NC were convicted in Federal Court following a seven day jury trial before Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III. The jury found all three men guilty of Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute significant quantities of multiple controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine, and "Molly". Additional convictions were sustained for the distribution of various controlled substances and multiple firearm related charges.
The investigation giving rise to the charges faced at trial began in 2013. Multiple and extensive investigative techniques were utilized throughout this case. The evidence presented at trial detailed a significant drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) that was built and lead by ANTONIO MCKOY. The DTO maintained contacts with individuals throughout the Southeastern United States who supplied the drugs sold primarily within Eastern North Carolina. In addition to trafficking drugs, the DTO maintained a sophisticated apparatus that was used to launder the proceeds derived from drug sales. The evidence presented at trial showed a trucking company that MCKOY started in early 2016 was used to conceal the money collected in the drug business.
The case is a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matter being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Probation Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Departments of Revenue and Emergency Management. Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Knott and Toby Lathan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Federal Jury Convicts Ohio Man in eBay ScamRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa - After deliberating one hour, a federal jury found Atticus Sliter-Matias guilty of two counts of mail fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Sliter-Matias, 29, of Euclid, Ohio was tried before visiting United States District Judge Bill Wilson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Shardul Desai and Colin Callahan, who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that from around June 2015 to on or about July 5, 2016, Sliter-Matias advertised electronic devices for sale on 161 eBay accounts. However, Sliter-Matias mailed empty packages through the United States Postal Service to the purchasers instead of the purchased merchandise. Sliter-Matias often used the proceeds from these fraudulent sales to purchase gold or silver bars and coins.
Judge Wilson scheduled sentencing for October 1, 2018. The law provides for a total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $500,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Slither-Matias be continued on bond.
The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Sliter-Matias.
Federal Jury Convicts Armed Bank RobberRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Late yesterday, a federal jury in the Western District of North Carolina convicted Anthony Lamont Caldwell, 48, of Charlotte, of armed bank robbery and firearms charges, announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. presided over the trial.
U.S. Attorney Murray is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
According to filed court documents and evidence presented at trial, Caldwell planned the bank robbery, recruited two teenagers to rob the bank, and served as the getaway car driver. Court records show that on December 9, 2016, Caldwell’s co-conspirators entered a Wells Fargo Bank branch located at 10210 Couloak Drive in Charlotte. Both were armed, and as they approached the teller area of the bank they pointed the firearms at the tellers behind the counter and demanded money. The tellers complied with the bank robbers’ demands and handed Caldwell’s co-conspirators $5,791.60 in cash. The two men fled the bank in a car driven by Caldwell. Shortly after the robbery, law enforcement located Caldwell hiding in a wooded area near a bag which contained $5,614 in cash and a GPS tracker from the bank. They also located the vehicle Caldwell was driving nearby.
According to court documents, Caldwell told law enforcement that he had been carjacked while picking up a pizza, and claimed that he had been forced out of his vehicle at gunpoint by two males and into the backseat of the car. Witness testimony and trial evidence established that Caldwell had not been carjacked. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered from clothing and other items in Caldwell’s vehicle along with the two revolvers used to perpetrate the robbery.
The jury convicted Caldwell of bank robbery conspiracy, bank robbery, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court records, Caldwell has two previous federal convictions for bank robbery in 1997, and attempted bank robbery in 2004. Caldwell’s co-conspirators are facing state charges.
Caldwell will remain in custody until his sentencing date, which has not been set. The bank robbery conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of five years; the armed bank robbery charge carries a maximum prison term of 25 years; the charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence offense carries maximum prison term of five years and the possession of a firearm by a felon charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years.
The FBI and CMPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Stetzer and William Bozin are in charge of the prosecution.
Federal Charge Filed in Topeka Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A man who is in jail in Vermont was indicted today on a charge that he robbed a Topeka bank, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
A grand jury indictment alleges that on April 26, 2018, Mark Triolo, 46, robbed the Alliance Bank at 3001 Southwest Wanamaker in Topeka.
Triolo was arrested May 4, 2018, in Vermont.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Topeka Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Dwayne M. McCoy, 28, who is in custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 19, 2018, in Shawnee County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
Timothy Hoggan, 32, who is in custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 19, 2018, in Shawnee County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Doctor Employed by FDNY at World Trade Center Monitoring Clinics Charged with Stealing $156,757 in Unearned SalaryRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a complaint was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Michael Poyin Chang, a medical doctor, with engaging in a scheme to steal wages in connection with his employment by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) at World Trade Center Monitoring Clinics in Orange County, New York, and Queens, New York. Dr. Chang was arrested today and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Mark G. Peters, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the arrest.
“Dr. Chang allegedly stole taxpayer money designated for the medical care of FDNY first responders who put their lives and health at risk in order to save others endangered by the World Trade Center terrorist attack,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This Office will continue to root out fraud such as this, to ensure that these funds are spent on addressing the health needs of those who answered the call without hesitation on 9/11.”
“Physicians take an oath to do no harm, but this Fire Department physician violated that code by collecting more than $150,000 in public funds for nearly a year's worth of work he didn't perform, according to the charges,” stated DOI Commissioner Peters. “Instead of providing care to FDNY first responders involved in World Trade Center rescue and recovery efforts, this defendant allegedly manipulated City timekeeping records, including taking undocumented vacation days. Stealing time is fraud, and DOI will continue to pursue City employees who alter these payroll records for their own personal gain.”
According to the complaint, from June 2010 through December 16, 2016, Dr. Chang was a part-time employee of the FDNY. Dr. Chang’s duties included performing physical examinations of active FDNY members and retirees, as well as follow-up treatments including the prescribing of medication to patients. Dr. Chang was paid based upon the entries he made reporting his work hours in the CityTime electronic database. Dr. Chang falsely represented that he had worked 81 days between January 2011 and October 2016, when he was scheduled to be on vacation and the World Trade Center Orange County Annex was closed. Dr. Chang’s travel records, obtained from the United States Customs and Border Protection Service, show that he was travelling outside the United States on at least 34 of those 81 days. Dr. Chang reported via CityTime that he had worked an additional 220 days when his prearranged work schedules maintained by the FDNY Deputy Chief Medical Officer showed that he was neither scheduled to work nor see patients. In total, Dr. Chang received $156,757 for work that he did not perform. The World Trade Center Monitoring Clinic and its annexes were partially funded by the federal Center for Disease Control in each of the years Dr. Chang was employed by the FDNY.
The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Dr. Chang faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Michael H. Warren is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MICHAEL POYIN CHANG
Age: 59
Residence: Paramus, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-MJ-470
District Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delonta Phillips, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to five years in prison on a federal charge stemming from a police pursuit that led to the recovery of a loaded firearm and a significant quantity of marijuana from the vehicle he had been driving.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Phillips pled guilty in March 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 11, 2017, at approximately 2:15 p.m., ATF agents and a MPD Task Force Officer conducted surveillance in the 3400 block of 24th Street SE for Phillips, who was the subject of pending warrants.
Upon seeing Phillips, law enforcement attempted to arrest him. Phillips quickly entered the driver’s side door of a burgundy Cadillac DeVille and fled from law enforcement. Agents immediately followed Phillips’s vehicle and put out a vehicle description over the radio. Agents observed the vehicle turn left onto Southern Avenue SE, right onto Naylor Road at Suitland Parkway, left onto eastbound Suitland Parkway, exit onto the Suitland Road off ramp, make a left onto Suitland Road, and finally come to a stop in the 3700 block of Regency Parkway, in Suitland, Md. Agents observed Phillips exit the front driver’s side door of the vehicle and flee on foot into the woods. An ATF agent pursued Phillips into the woods, while another agent remained with the vehicle and coordinated the response of multiple law enforcement officers in setting up a perimeter around the ravine to prevent Phillips’s escape.
While securing the vehicle, agents observed a back pack on the driver’s side floor of the back seat. Inside the back pack, agents subsequently recovered a Glock 26, 9mm-caliber firearm, with an extended magazine containing 28 rounds of ammunition, and a jar and full gallon Ziploc bag of marijuana. At approximately 3:15 p.m., Phillips was discovered hiding underneath a ledge in the ravine, while submerged in water. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the recovered firearm had been reported stolen to the Anne Arundel County, Md., Police Department
At the time of his arrest, Phillips was on supervised release following an earlier guilty plea to a firearms offense in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He now could face formal revocation of his supervised release in that case.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Teesha Tobias.
District Court Issues Order to Prevent California Individual from Distributing Adulterated Fish or Fishery ProductsRead the Press Release
A federal court enjoined Michel G. Blanchet of Los Angeles, California, from preparing, processing, and distributing adulterated fish or fishery products without first taking required remedial action, the Department of Justice announced today.
The injunction ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California requires Blanchet to implement various consumer safety measures before resuming the preparation, processing or distribution of fish or fishery products. The injunction stems from a complaint the Department filed on Oct. 3, 2017, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Blanchet was the owner and President of a business in Los Angeles, California, that processed and distributed fish or fishery products, including salmon, trout, and sturgeon.
Blanchet agreed to settle the litigation and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. As part of the settlement, Blanchet represented that he is not engaged in receiving, preparing, processing, holding or distributing fish or fishery products. Under the permanent injunction, if Blanchet intends to resume such activity, he must notify FDA in writing in advance, comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the injunction, and allow his facility to be subject to FDA inspection.
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that processors and distributors of seafood products comply with laws designed to protect consumers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice continues to work with the FDA to ensure that consumers are protected from potentially unsafe food.”
According to the complaint, FDA inspected Blanchet’s business on numerous occasions, including two times in 2016. The complaint alleged that Blanchet failed to comply with federal regulations by failing to adequately control the risk of Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) and Clostridium botulinum (C bot.) toxin formation in vacuum-packed fish or fishery products. The regulations require every fish and fishery product processor to conduct, or have conducted for it, a hazard analysis to determine whether there are food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur during the processing of each kind of fish or fishery product that it processes.
According to the complaint, FDA’s analysis of environmental samples collected during its January-February 2016 inspection revealed the presence of L. mono contamination in multiple locations throughout Blanchet’s business. The complaint also alleged that FDA’s analysis of environmental samples collected during its subsequent inspection in July-August 2016 also revealed the presence of L. mono contamination in multiple locations throughout the business.
The government is represented by Trial Attorney Monica Groat of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Associate General Counsel for Enforcement Roselle Oberstein of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel’s Food and Drug Division.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Defendants sentenced for illegally purchasing 36 guns and smuggling them from Georgia to Trinidad and TobagoRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Errol Alfred, a/k/a “Major,” and Kerry Fernandez, a/k/a “Trini,” have been sentenced for their respective roles in illegally purchasing and trafficking at least 36 firearms from Georgia to Trinidad and Tobago during a one-year period. Jordan Dunham, a co-defendant in the case, has also been sentenced for illegally purchasing some of the shipped firearms for the two men.
“Our office is committed to identifying and stopping the flow of firearms into the illegal black market,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “These individuals had no regard for the safety of the citizens here or abroad when they smuggled their illegally purchased firearms for personal gain.”
“The unlawful acquisition and trafficking of firearms is a serious crime that feeds and intensifies the violence that plagues so many communities here and abroad,” said Special Agent in Charge Arthur Peralta. “This investigation illustrates the collective resolve of ATF and its law enforcement partners to stem the flow of illegal firearms within the U. S. or anywhere these criminals choose to operate.”
“In this case, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, Atlanta Resident Office worked closely with the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and ATF to disrupt a smuggling scheme to illegally export firearms,” said Robert Luzzi, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Export Enforcement. “We will continue to aggressively pursue arrests and convictions that, as in this case, ultimately shut down such illegal export schemes.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: Between August 2013 and September 2014, Alfred and Fernandez purchased at least 36 firearms from a local firearms licensee for the purpose of shipping the firearms to Trinidad and Tobago for resale. To avoid detection by law enforcement, Alfred and Fernandez used “straw purchasers” to buy many of the firearms on their behalf. Alfred subsequently hid the illegally purchased guns in shipping barrels (unbeknownst to the shipping company), and Alfred and Fernandez then smuggled the weapons to Trinidad, where an unknown associate sold the firearms for profit.
The defendants were sentenced for the following offenses:
●Errol Alfred, a/k/a “Major,” 40, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced to five years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release on May 30, 2018. Alfred pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle firearms out of the U.S., submitting false or misleading export information, delivery of firearms to a common carrier for international shipment without written notice, fifteen counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and two counts of access device fraud on February 6, 2018.
●Kerry Fernandez, a/k/a “Trini,” 34, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release on April 19, 2018. Fernandez pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle firearms out of the U.S, and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm on June 22, 2017.
●Jordan Dunham, 26 of Norcross, Georgia was sentenced to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release on April 19, 2018. Dunham pleaded guilty to two counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm on August 17, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Skye Davis 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.
Corbin Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Devising Murder-for-Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — William Timothy Sutton, 55, of Corbin, Ky., was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison, by United States District Court Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, on four counts of interstate murder-for-hire and one count of possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Sutton was found guilty by a federal jury in January of this year. The evidence at trial established that, in March of 2017, while incarcerated in the Whitley County Detention Center, Sutton offered to pay a fellow inmate to murder the Whitley County Attorney, the Whitley/McCreary County Commonwealth’s Attorney, and two ex-girlfriends. The evidence further established that Sutton mailed a letter to a relative from jail, asking the relative to provide the would-be hitman with one of Sutton’s own firearms to further the scheme. Law enforcement became aware of the plan, interceded, and ultimately arrested Sutton.
“The sentence imposed illustrates the seriousness of the offense,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Through his abhorrent actions, the defendant victimized four people and attempted to undermine the sanctity of the judicial process and the rule of law.” “Protecting the public from violence and ensuring the integrity of our system of justice are core principles of the Department of Justice and central priorities of our Office. In our efforts to make our community safer, we will continue to confront and prosecute criminal conduct that undermines these principles.”
“I want to commend the work of our valued law enforcement partners, whose efforts made this prosecution possible. Their work on this investigation thwarted a significant threat to the victims’ safety and to the integrity of our judicial system.”
“ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect citizens from those who threaten public safety through violent criminal behavior,” stated Stuart L. Lowrey, Special Agent In-charge, ATF Louisville Division. Defendant Sutton is a convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm and threatened the lives of public servants committed to keeping our communities safe. We support today’s lengthy sentence as a deterrent to this criminal behavior.”
Under federal law, Sutton must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
United States Attorney Duncan; Stuart L. Lowrey, Special Agent In-Charge, ATF; and Commissioner Rick Sanders of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The ATF, the Kentucky State Police, and the Whitley County Detention Center conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney W. Samuel Dotson represented the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General 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, local strategies to reduce violent crime.
Convicted Felon Admits to Being in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A 25-year-old New Bedford, MA, man previously convicted and incarcerated for possessing a loaded firearm without a permit pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea of Angel Pizarro to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to information presented to the Court, an investigation by ATF agents determined that on May 10, 2017, Pizarro visited a Tiverton, R.I., shooting range where he handled and discharged a variety of firearms. Surveillance video at the firing range depicted Pizarro handling, loading and firing three firearms.
According to Court records, Pizarro was convicted in Massachusetts state court in 2012 of possessing a loaded firearm without a permit and sentenced to 18 months of incarceration.
Pizarro is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on September 21, 2018.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zechariah Chafee.
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Citizen of Ukraine Pleads Guilty to Participating in Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Yuriy Khalabuda, 37, a citizen of Ukraine, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Khalabuda and another person used scanned images of Best Buy gifts cards on their cell phones to buy Apple products from the Best Buy store in Salem, New Hampshire, in April and May 2017. On May 13, 2017, an employee of the Salem store observed Khalabuda use scanned images of gift cards to buy merchandise worth more than $2,200 and notified the Salem Police Department. Later that day, Khalabuda was arrested by the Salem Police Department for driving without a driver’s license. While investigating Khalabuda’s use of the gift cards, the Salem Police Department obtained a warrant to search a cell phone he possessed at the time of his arrest. During the search, investigators found text messages showing that Khalabuda knew that the gift cards he used at the Salem store had been obtained fraudulently.
Khalabuda will be sentenced on September 12, 2018.
“Unfortunately advances in technology provide more opportunities for fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Prosecuting individuals who fraudulently obtain money and property is an important priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The prosecutors in this office will continue to work diligently with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute fraudulent conduct in its many forms.”
"Individuals like Mr. Khalabuda who defraud local businesses drive up prices for all consumers,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division. “This case should serve as a warning to others that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate those who commit financial fraud and take advantage of others through their criminal behavior."
The case was investigated by the Salem Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella.
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Canaan Woman Sentenced to 70 Months for Distributing Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine and CrackRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Toni Juliano, 30, of Canaan, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, commonly known as “crack.” The defendant pled guilty on December 11, 2017.
According to court records, on September 6, 2017, officers seized about 173 grams of heroin, 60 grams of crack and 113 grams of cocaine from the defendant’s hotel room. On September 27, 2017, officers seized about 100 grams of heroin, 91 grams of fentanyl, 88 grams of cocaine, and $38,222 from a second hotel room used by the defendant. At the time of the two seizures, the defendant was on bail and awaiting sentencing on a state charge of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Woodcock described Juliano as “major drug dealer in Central Maine” who was responsible for distributing a “staggering” amount of controlled drugs.
The case was investigated by the Waterville Police Department with assistance provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Attorney General’s Office, and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.
Bronx Man Sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment Following Alien Smuggling TrialRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Denny Reyes, 28, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced on May 29, 2018, in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve concurrent terms of thirty-six and ten months in federal prison after his conviction at trial for Aiding and Abetting Alien Smuggling for Financial Gain and the Unlawful Transportation of Illegal Aliens within the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Reyes to serve a two-year period of supervised release following his prison term, and to pay a $200 special assessment.
According to court records and proceedings, on February 6, 2015, federal and state law enforcement agents surveilled Reyes as he drove from New York City to Highgate Springs, Vermont. Shortly after midnight on February 7, law enforcement followed Reyes as he drove to the top of Highgate Springs, on a road that ends at the border between the U.S. and Canada. There, waiting law enforcement agents watched as Reyes sat in his parked car, poised to act as the paid get-away driver for three illegal aliens whom law enforcement had just observed walking across the border from Canada and into the U.S. with the help of a foot guide. As soon as the three illegal aliens ran for Reyes’ car, law enforcement announced their presence and attempted to make apprehensions. The foot guide evaded law enforcement and absconded back to Canada on foot. Reyes and the three illegal aliens were arrested shortly after they also attempted to flee the area, in Reyes’ car. Reyes thereafter exercised his right to proceed to trial. On December 21, 2017, a jury returned a verdict of guilty as to both of the crimes charged against him.
United States Attorney Christina Nolan commended the efforts of the Border Patrol and its state and federal partners for their cooperation and success in maintaining the integrity of our northern border.
“Swanton Sector appreciates the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Burlington in their diligent prosecution of this case. When criminals face a real consequence, it acts as a deterrent to those who would break the law,” said U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector Acting Deputy Chief Patrol Agent Bradley Curtis, “This case is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when using the whole-of-government approach.”
The United States was represented in this matter by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Doyle, Criminal Chief Eugenia Cowles, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail Averbach. Denny Reyes was represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. The case was jointly investigated by members of the U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection; Vermont State Police; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man who was arrested in Warren County on Christmas Eve in 2014 was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for his role in an international drug trafficking organization, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Vionel Rondon Cortorreal, 29, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute heroin. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In December 2014, Cortorreal and Dany Francisco-Valerio, 44, of Bronx, New York, conspired with members of the drug trafficking organization to transport and distribute kilogram quantities of heroin. On Dec. 24, 2014, Cortorreal and Francisco-Valerio were arrested in Warren County, New Jersey while transporting 15 kilograms of heroin contained in a hidden compartment in a vehicle they were operating. Francisco-Valerio was previously sentenced to 51 months in prison by Judge Sheridan.
Three other members of the conspiracy, Harry Madrid, 26, of Anaheim, California, his brother, Wilson Madrid, 32, of Norcross, Georgia, and Henry Zamora, 38, of DeKalb, Illinois, previously entered guilty pleas for their roles on behalf of the organization. Harry Madrid has been sentenced to 46 months in prison while Wilson Madrid and Zamora both received seven-year prison sentences from Judge Sheridan.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Cortorreal to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito praised special agents of the DEA, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson, officers from the N.J. State Police under the direction of Acting Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, and officers from the DeKalb (Illinois) Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gene Lowrey, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office OC/Gangs Unit in Newark and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamari Buxton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Brian J. Neary Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Brink’s Armored Truck Robber Sentenced to 27 Years ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison for committing armed robberies effecting interstate commerce. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on April 29, 2016, two armed men robbed two Brink’s Armored Truck Services employees outside of Regions Bank located at 3535 Austin Peay Highway. One of the Brink’s employees was in the process of loading two cash cassettes, containing $192,000, into the ATM, when one of the robbers approached the employee at gunpoint, while the second robber remained parked nearby in a truck. The second employee, who remained in the Brink’s truck, rammed the robbers’ truck knocking to the ground the robber standing outside the truck. The robber in the truck sped off leaving the second robber on the ground with a broken leg. Law enforcement arrested 49-year-old Cornelius Richmond on the scene. The other alleged robber, Roderick Herron, 52, is currently awaiting trial.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Armed robberies are brazen and disturbing acts of violence that terrorize our businesses and community, and must be met with significant sentences such as this one. These dangerous offenders have sown violence and greed, and will now reap the full measure of consequences for their criminal conduct."
Richmond’s 27-year prison sentence was also based on his participation in the April 26, 2016, "smash and grab" robbery of Circle K located at 1205 N. Germantown Parkway in Cordova, TN. Richmond and allegedly Herron drove a stolen GMC Truck through the front window of the store, and once inside, they took the store’s ATM and bill pay machines by dragging the machines out of the store.
On May 23, 2018, U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Richmond to 324 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin P. Whitmore is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
Brandon Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Credit Card Takeover and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Junior Jean-Noel (21, Brandon) to five years and one month in federal prison for credit card fraud and identity theft. The court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $292,291.05, which constitute the proceeds of the fraud.
He pleaded guilty on February 23, 2018.
According to court documents, between March and October 2017, Jean-Noel, a.k.a. Jay Mulla, alone and with others, obtained stolen Capital One credit card account information. Jean-Noel then called Capital One, posing as the true account holders, and requested that replacement credit cards be sent to addresses under his control. Once he received the replacement cards, he and others acting at his direction used them to purchase gift cards and merchandise. In total, Jean-Noel engaged in the takeover and unauthorized use of 13 different Capital One credit card accounts, all without the knowledge or permission of the account holders’, many of whom were elderly. As part of the account takeover and as an attempt to defeat the bank’s fraud detection efforts, Jean-Noel called Capital One from “spoofed” telephone numbers that made it appear as if the true account holders were calling. He also made fabricated payments to the accounts in order to increase the credit limits and his access to the funds. Jean-Noel and others working at his direction made purchases with these unauthorized credit cards totaling $292,291.05. They attempted an additional $52,307.58 worth of transactions that were declined.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Boston Man Sentenced to 6½ Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Keon Shine, 28, of Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to 6½ years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms. Shine pled guilty on November 29, 2017.
According to court records, on April 8, 2017, Shine and co-defendant, Dane Mitchell, drove to a shooting range in Gray, Maine, where they rented firearms, purchased ammunition, and fired the weapons. Boston Police Department officers identified Shine, Mitchell and the shooting range from videos that were uploaded to Snapchat. Shine was prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his 2011 Massachusetts felony convictions for receiving a stolen motor vehicle and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
On May 14, 2018, Mitchell, who was also prohibited from possessing firearms, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Boston Police Department’s Youth Violence Strike Force and prosecuted as 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.
Boone Woman Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who distributed approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced on May 29, 2018, to more than 5 years in federal prison.
Angela Kaye Olson, 49, from Boone, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 15, 2017, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at sentencing showed that Olson had three different sources of methamphetamine and sold approximately twenty pounds in total within a six-month period. Olson, who is a felon, admitted to unlawfully possessing firearms and on one occasion, trading a firearm for methamphetamine.
Olson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Olson was sentenced to 68 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Olson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Alexander and investigated by DEA Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-3050-MWB.
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Bloomfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Season Smith, 41, of Bloomfield, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge.
Smith and co-defendant Jeffrey Kline, 45, of Farmington, N.M., were charged on in a two-count indictment filed on April 11, 2017, with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleged that the defendants committed the offenses on Feb. 10, 2017, in San Juan County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Smith pled guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Smith admitted that on Feb. 10, 2017, law enforcement officers stopped Kline and her while they were traveling from Arizona to New Mexico after they picked up methamphetamine from a source of supply. Smith further admitted that the officers seized approximately 511.7 grams of methamphetamine, 13.6 grams of heroin and drug paraphernalia when they executed a lawful search of her purse.
At sentencing, Smith faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Kline previously pled guilty on July 26, 2017, to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and was sentenced on April 9, 2018, to 120 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Farmington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez is prosecuting the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target for federal prosecution violent or repeat offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Billings Man Sentenced to Statutory Maximum for Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS—Jimmy Mark Walker, a 36-year old resident of Billings, was sentenced on Friday, May 25, 2018 to 120 months of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Susan P. Watters issued the sentence.
On August 24, 2016, law enforcement officers arrested Walker’s co-defendant, Huston Curran, after finding him in possession of a small quantity of methamphetamine and a short-barreled shotgun. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were able to determine through investigation that Curran was being supplied with methamphetamine by Walker. On the evening of August 24, 2016, agents went to Walker’s residence along with members of the Montana Department of Probation and Parole, since Walker was under the supervision of the State of Montana at the time for a felony offense. When agents attempted to make contact with Walker, he retreated into his garage and a standoff ensued for the next four hours. Finally, members of the Billings SWAT team were able to convince Walker to surrender without incident.
When executing a search warrant of Walker’s garage, they discovered 12 firearms, including assault rifles capable of carrying large capacity magazines, stolen firearms, one firearm with an obliterated serial number, a ballistic vest, and drug paraphernalia. At sentencing, the district court determined that Walker possessed the firearms in connection with methamphetamine trafficking. The sentence imposed was the statutory maximum for Walker’s offense of conviction.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and 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.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Timothy Allen McNeal, age 31, of Baltimore, Maryland today to 19 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for armed robbery, conspiracy, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. McNeal had been convicted on these charges by a federal jury on February 26, 2018.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Varisco of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Gary L. Gardner of the Howard County Police Department.
According to evidence presented at trial, on August 4, 2016, McNeal and his brother, Markus Fields, age 28, of Baltimore, robbed the Howard County Education Federal Credit Union (HCEFCU) in Ellicott City, Maryland at gunpoint. Surveillance video captured the robbery, during which both Fields and McNeal entered the credit union wearing ski masks to cover their faces. Fields entered first, carrying a black backpack. McNeal entered after, carrying a rifle-style long gun with a large magazine visible on the top. McNeal pointed the gun at a bank teller and a customer, forcing the victims to the ground. Fields opened the teller drawer and began rifling through it. McNeal pointed the gun toward the supervisor’s office, forcing the employee inside to exit the office and, ultimately, open the credit union’s safe. After opening the safe, the employee was ordered to the ground, where she remained while McNeal and Fields removed the cash inside.
McNeal and Fields then used zip ties that they had stored in their backpack to tie and restrain the credit union customer and employees. McNeal and Fields then left the HCEFCU by climbing out of a back window.
McNeal, Fields, and their mother, an employee of the Howard County School District, were all account holders at the HCEFCU. On August 4, 2016, a few hours after the robbery, McNeal and Fields went to Wal-Mart and purchased two large televisions. On August 6, 2016, two days after the robbery, Fields purchased a maroon Lexus with cash. On August 8, 2016, McNeal posted a photograph of a maroon Lexus with the caption “we working.” On August 17, 2016, overdue rent was paid on Fields’ and McNeal’s residence.
During execution of a search warrant, law enforcement recovered black ski masks, clothing matching the clothing worn by McNeal during the bank robbery, banded cash, and cell phones from Fields and McNeal’s residence.
Co-defendant Fields pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery on February 9, 2018, and on May 8, 2018, was sentenced by Judge Blake to ten years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, the ATF, the Howard County Police Department, and the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work on the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Perry and Burden Walker, who prosecuted the case.
Tuesday 29 May 2018
Waterbury Man Involved in Credit Card "Bust-Out" Scheme is SentencedRead the Press Release
John H, Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JANZAYB KHAN, 29, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Alker Meyer in New Haven to five years of probation for his involvement in a credit card “bust-out” scheme that defrauded more than a dozen financial institutions, and for attempting to cover up his role during a bankruptcy proceeding.
According to the court documents and statements made in court, KHAN provided his personal information to a co-conspirator so that the co-conspirator could obtain credit cards in KHAN’s name. In total, the co-conspirator obtained 31 credit cards in KHAN’s name from more than a dozen financial institutions. In many cases, the credit card applications contained false statements about KHAN’s income, assets, address and employment history. Then, within a short period in January 2013, nearly all of the available credit on the cards were rapidly utilized or “busted out.” More than $59,000 was spent on cash advances, gift cards and precious metals. Some of the proceeds from the cash advances were deposited and/or transferred to bank accounts in the name of KHAN’s co-conspirator and/or the co-conspirator’s relatives.
In addition, almost $70,000 was charged in sham transactions at three merchants, who then issued checks from the proceeds that were later deposited into bank accounts in the name of the co-conspirator and/or the co-conspirator’s relatives.
The co-conspirator paid KHAN approximately $10,000 in cash for his role in the scheme.
After the bust-out, there was more than $165,954 in accumulated debt on the 31 cards in KHAN’s name. In June 2013, KHAN filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court and attempted to discharge all of his credit card debt. In his bankruptcy court filings, KHAN falsely stated that the majority of his debt was due to gambling losses as casinos. KHAN also made a number of other false statements under oath during an examination by the U.S. Trustee in his bankruptcy case. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court later denied the discharge of KHAN’s debts.
KHAN was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on April 4, 2017. On December 11, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of making a false oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.