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Monday 14 May 2018
Boston Man Sentenced to 27 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Dane Mitchell, 26, of Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby, to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms. Mitchell pled guilty on August 30, 2017.
According to court records, on April 8, 2017, Mitchell and another individual travelled to a Gray, Maine, where they rented firearms, purchased ammunition, and fired the weapons at a shooting range. Boston Police Department officers identified Mitchell and the shooting range from videos that were uploaded to Snapchat. Mitchell was prohibited from possessing firearms as the result of his 2016 Massachusetts felony convictions for possessing a firearm without a permit and possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number.
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.
Biddeford Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Credit Union RobberyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine. United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank, announced that Glenn Brackett, 49, of Biddeford, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge George Z. Singal to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release for robbing a credit union.
According to court records, on August 16, 2017, Brackett entered the Infinity Federal Credit Union, in Arundel, Maine, approached a teller with his hand hidden in a sock making it appear that he was armed, and ordered the teller to give him everything. The teller gave Brackett money and he absconded in a vehicle. Law enforcement officers responded to the area of the robbery and Brackett sped away when he saw a marked police cruiser. Soon thereafter, police found his vehicle abandoned behind a local business. The police tracked him into the woods behind the business and arrested him, recovering all the money Brackett stole from the bank.
This investigation was conducted by the Biddeford Police Department, the York County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.
Berkeley County woman admits to cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Martinsburg, West Virginia woman has admitted to distributing cocaine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Jessica Marie Shifflett, age 36, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Base.” Shifflett admitted to conspiring with others to distribute crack cocaine in Berkeley County from April 2015 to February 2017.
Shifflett faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher 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.
Bailey Boys Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to 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 Demetrius Black, 41, of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Felicetta, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant was an associate of the Bailey Boys Gang, a violent criminal gang which operates in an area of the City of Buffalo bounded by Winspear Avenue, the Kensington Expressway, Eggert Road and Main Street. Between 2010 and late 2011, Black allowed gang member Kenneth Pettway, Jr., and others, to sell crack cocaine and heroin from an apartment he rented on Roosevelt Avenue in Buffalo. The defendant himself also obtained and distributed significant quantities of crack cocaine to others.
On January 18, 2012, a search warrant executed at Black’s residence on Roosevelt Avenue. Law enforcement officers seized heroin, cocaine, marijuana, scales, baggies, and other drug paraphernalia. The defendant was present when the search warrant was executed and admitted that he possessed two pistols at the time.
Charges remain pending against Kenneth Pettway, Jr. who is scheduled to go to trial on May 22, 2018, also before Judge Skretny. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Black’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation into the activities of the Bailey Boys Gang and other criminal gangs that is being conducted by the United States Attorney’s office in close cooperation with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of District Attorney John J. Flynn; and in conjunction with the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood; the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the Direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 15, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.
Attorney General Sessions and U.S. Attorney recognize law enforcement service and sacrifice during national police weekRead the Press Release
WHEELING – Attorney General Sessions and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia Bill Powell recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on the occasion of National Police Week, and commented on the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report.
West Virginia lost one officer in 2017. Lieutenant Aaron Crook of the Bluefield Police Department was killed in a vehicle crash while involved in a vehicle pursuit of a suspected drunk driver last May.
In recognition of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Powell will recognize those lives lost and offer words of encouragement and gratitude at the Wheeling Police Department’s Law Enforcement Memorial Service this Wednesday, May 16 at Wheeling’s Heritage Port. The event begins at 5:30 p.m.
“One officer death is too many,” Attorney General Sessions said. “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line-of-duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”
“Every loss is significant. The men and women in law enforcement choose to put their lives on the line every day in the name of safety and security for their fellow neighbors. It is many times a thankless job involving long hours away from their loved ones. There are no words that can truly express our gratitude for their service and sacrifice,” said Powell.
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017 – a 21 percent decrease from 2016 when 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents.
Additionally, in 2017 there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts – this is a 30 percent decrease from 2016, when 66 law enforcement officer were killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts.
For the full comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the 2017 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, released this week.
In October 1962, Congress passed and President Kennedy signed a joint resolution declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.
During Police Week, which is observed from Sunday, May 13 to Saturday, May 19, 2018, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment in keeping our communities safe.
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
To access the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.
Attorney General Sessions and U.S. Attorney Hayes Recognize Law Enforcement Service and Sacrifice During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
Seattle – Attorney General Sessions and U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes for the Western District of Washington honor the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on the occasion of National Police Week, and issuance of the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report.
Kalama, Washington Police Chief Randall Scott Gibson is listed in the Roll Call of Heroes as an officer who died in the line of duty in 2017. Chief Gibson went into respiratory distress while performing a high stress arrest on January 10, 2017. He was treated at a hospital, but died later that night at his home. He had been with the Kalama Police Department for six years, following a twenty-year career with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri.
“One officer death is too many,” Attorney General Sessions said. “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line-of-duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”
“We remember and honor Chief Gibson and his service to the citizens of Kalama, and all of us in Western Washington,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. Chief Gibson will be one of the officers who will be honored for their many sacrifices at the National Peace Officer Memorial Service tomorrow in Washington D.C. Sadly, 2018 began with the line of duty death of Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel A. McCartney, 34, of Yelm, who was shot and killed while responding to a home invasion robbery. He will be honored for his ultimate sacrifice at next year’s service.”
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017 – a 21 percent decrease from 2016 when 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents.
Additionally, in 2017 there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts – this is a 30 percent decrease from 2016, when 66 law enforcement officer were killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts.
For the full comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the 2017 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, released today.
In October 1962, Congress passed and President Kennedy signed a joint resolution declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.
During Police Week, which is observed from Sunday, May 13 to Saturday, May 19, 2018, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment in keeping our communities safe.
The names of all 93 fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2018.
The Candlelight Vigil is one of many commemorative events taking place in the nation’s capital during National Police Week 2018.
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
To access the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.
Attorney General Sessions and U.S. Attorney Duncan to Recognize Law Enforcement Service and Sacrifice During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
FBI Releases 2017 Statistics on Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Attorney General Sessions and Robert M. Duncan, Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, , will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on the occasion of National Police Week and comment on the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report.
U.S. Attorney Duncan will be giving the keynote address at the Northern Kentucky Police Officers Memorial Service, at the Northern Kentucky Officers Memorial site in Covington, Kentucky, on May 16th at 7:00 p.m. Several other events are scheduled throughout the area, to include the Kentucky State Police Memorial Service, on May 21st at 6:00 p.m. in Frankfort, and the Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Service, in Richmond on May 24th at 11:00 a.m. Many local communities will also honor their fallen officers.
“One officer death is too many,” Attorney General Sessions said. “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line-of-duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”
“National Police Week offers us the opportunity to reflect about all the men and women in law enforcement who lost their lives in service to their communities, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice here, in our District,” stated U.S. Attorney Duncan. “National Police Week is also a chance for us to publicly thank our law enforcement partners in the Commonwealth of Kentucky for all they do for us. These brave men and women daily protect the public and uphold the rule of law. We support their efforts and are committed to helping them reduce violent crime and the drug epidemic. Please join me in offering thanks to law enforcement officers across the Commonwealth for their service.”
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017 – a 21 percent decrease from 2016, when 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents.
Additionally, in 2017, there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts – this is a 30 percent decrease from 2016, when 66 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts.
For the full comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the 2017 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, released today.
In October 1962, Congress passed and President Kennedy signed a joint resolution declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week, as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.
During Police Week, which is observed from Sunday, May 13 to Saturday, May 19, 2018, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment in keeping our communities safe.
The list of names of all 93 fallen officers nationwide was formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2018. For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
To access the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.
Armed Heroin and Methamphetamine Trafficker in Pulaski County Sentenced to 480 MonthsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Timothy Harris, of Louisville, Ky., was sentenced Friday evening to 40 years in federal prison, by United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.
Between 2015 and 2016, Harris imported heroin and methamphetamine into Pulaski County, Kentucky, to supply other drug dealers and users in the area. Harris used the same pipeline to transport firearms from Somerset to Louisville. Evidence in the case revealed that Harris routinely carried a firearm to protect his drug trafficking activity and also attempted and to hire a hit-man to kill local individuals. In June of 2016, law enforcement found Harris in possession of approximately three pounds of methamphetamine. Harris pled guilty in December of 2017.
Others conspiring with Harris, to transport methamphetamine, heroin, or firearms between Somerset and Louisville, have also recently been sentenced. They include Maurice Sydnor (240 months), Paul Dupree (168 months), Christopher Glover (102 months), Joseph Epperson (100 months), Cathy Jose (48 months), and Natasha Marcum (36 months).
Under federal law, Harris and his co-conspirators must serve 85 percent of their respective prison sentences; and upon release, they will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office.
“I want to commend the efforts of all the law enforcement agencies involved in this important case,” stated United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. “Because of cooperation and strong partnerships, several dangerous individuals were removed from southeastern Kentucky, and our communities have been made safer. The lengthy sentences imposed send a clear message that drug trafficking, threats of violence, or illegal possession of weapons will not be tolerated in this District.”
United States Attorney Duncan; Stuart Lowrey, Special Agent in Charge of ATF, Louisville Field Division; Richard Sanders, Kentucky State Police Commissioner; and Greg Speck, Pulaski County Sheriff, jointly made the announcement. The Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force, Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, and the Kentucky State Police Drug Enforcement Special Investigations East and West Sections also assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew H. Trimble 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 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.
Appeals Court Upholds Sex Offender Registration Requirements for Defendant Who Ran Interstate Prostitution OperationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals on May 10, 2018, affirmed the 15 ½-year prison sentence of Thurman Stanley, age 41, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, including a requirement that Stanley comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the Court ruled that Stanley, who pleaded guilty to drug and interstate prostitution charges in March 2017, waived his right to appeal the applicability of SORNA because he agreed in the plea agreement that SORNA applied to his offenses.
Stanley argued on appeal that SORNA did not apply to interstate transportation offenses where the prostitution involved consenting adults and did not involve force or coercion. The government argued that Stanley waived his right to challenge the court’s imposition of SORNA requirements when he acknowledged in the plea agreement that SORNA applied, and argued that there was sufficient evidence to show that Stanley used force, threats and coercion in his prostitution activities.
In affirming Stanley’s sentence, the Court explained that, “[a] defendant who stipulates to a point in a plea agreement cannot later make arguments taking a contrary position.”
Stanley was indicted on sex trafficking, prostitution, and drug charges by a federal grand jury in November 2016, as a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and local police from Monroe County. Stanley subsequently admitted to prostituting 11 adult females in Pennsylvania, including transporting three of the females to New York, Iowa, and North Dakota for purposes of prostitution.
Assistant United States Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case and argued the appeal for the government before a three-judge panel of the Third Circuit Court.
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Another Local Man Sent to Prison for Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 25-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Fred Aaron Corona pleaded guilty Feb. 20, 2018.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey sentenced Corona to 37 months imprisonment to be immediately followed by 2 years of supervised release.
In February 2017, officers detained Corona for violating a park curfew. While speaking with the officers, Corona appeared to be intoxicated. Corona was arrested and officers impounded his vehicle, at which time authorities discovered a loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun in the glovebox. Corona had previously been convicted in state court for numerous felonies and is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Corona was taken into federal custody in December 2017 as part of Operation City Shield, a coordinated federal, state and local law enforcement operation designed to identify violent offenders, stop gun violence and protect the community.
Corona will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be designated in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.
Alleged Member of Robbery Crew Convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a three-day trial, a federal jury has found a Memphis man guilty on one-count of felon in possession of ammunition. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the guilty verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on November 21, 2016, Tavares Clayborn, 28, was in the area of Hampton Place and South Orleans Street in South Memphis with a group of his friends when an argument ensued. Clayborn shot the friend he was arguing with, striking him once in the leg. When Memphis Police Department officers responded to the scene they found eight spent shell casings of 7.62 X 39 millimeter Tulammo ammunition, as well as a backpack containing a 50-round drum magazine.
As an armed career criminal, Clayborn faces a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence.
Clayborn has also been charged with several counts of affecting interstate commerce by robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951 and using a firearm in the commission of robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). The robbery charges stem from a string of robberies of delivery truck drivers in which cigarettes were taken over a period of 11 months in 2016 to 2017. Clayborn’s trial on these charges is set for July 2018. If convicted on the robbery charges, he faces 360 months up to life imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Violent crime reduction remains the top priority of this office and the Department of Justice. The ammunition charge is evidence of the aggressive approach by this office to removing the worst of the worst from our streets. This jury verdict finding this armed career criminal guilty demonstrates that the community is Fed Up with repeat offenders who have dedicated their lives to lawlessness and violence."
Marcus Watson, ATF Special Agent in Charge said: "This conviction is a result of the combined efforts of Memphis and Germantown Police Departments along with the community working together to reduce violent crime. ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence focused on the shooting incident from a known robbery crew that endangered the local neighborhoods."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Rogers and Marques Young are prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
Albanian National Pleads Guilty, 2nd Awaiting Trial in Store Break-in, ATM Cash and Pharmacy TheftRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An Albanian national living in Brooklyn, NY, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence to cutting his way through the roof into a Target department store in Smithfield, R.I., prying open an ATM inside the store and stealing more than $14,000, then cutting through a wall into a CVS Pharmacy located inside the store in order to steal controlled substances.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on Friday, Epirot Krasniqi, 27, pleaded guilty as charged in an indictment returned on November 7, 2017, to one count each of conspiracy to commit larceny from a financial institution, bank larceny, conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances, and burglary involving controlled substances. No plea agreement was filed in this matter.
Krasniqi’s guilty plea is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Smithfield Police Chief Richard P. St. Sauveur, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Harold H. Shaw.
According to court documents, sometime after the Target store closed on October 9, and in the early morning hours of October 10, 2017, Krasniqi and another person, Liridon Gashi, 32, an Albanian national living in Bronx, N.Y., equipped with portable two-way radios and hand tools, cut through the roof of the store and then forced open an ATM from which they stole $14,720. The pair then cut through the wall of a CVS Pharmacy inside the store, broke open a locked cabinet holding controlled substances and stole a prescription package of Oxycodone. The two men then fled to the roof of the store.
According to information presented to the Court, Smithfield police officers responded to a report of an electronic burglary alarm and began to search the premises. After discovering the hole in the roof, officers began searching approximately 30 air conditioning units located on the roof. The two men were found hiding inside separate air conditioning units. Also discovered inside the store and various air conditioning units on the roof were the tools used in the break-in of the store and the ATM, the cash stolen from the ATM, and the drugs stolen from the pharmacy.
Krasniqi and Gashi were charged and arraigned in Rhode Island state court and released on bail. Federal arrest warrants were issued for both men following the return of the federal indictment on November 7, 2017. Krasniqi was arrested by FBI agents in New York that same day. Liridon Gashi was located and arrested by FBI agents in San Francisco, CA, on March 7, 2018.
Krasniqi is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 2018. Gashi is detained and awaiting trial.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the Smithfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Rhode Island FBI Safe Streets Task Force.
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AG Sessions and USA Davis Recognize Law Enforcement Service and Sacrifice During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
BOISE – Attorney General Sessions and U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho Bart M. Davis recognized the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on the occasion of National Police Week, and commented on the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report.
Since 1995, Idaho Peace Officers Memorial Ceremonies have honored Idaho law enforcement officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. These ceremonies are a poignant, annual expression of gratitude to honor fallen friends whose end of watch occurred in service to their communities. In Idaho, we have lost 71 officers since 1883. This year, at the Idaho Peace Officers Memorial at 700 S Stratford Drive, Meridian, Idaho, a Candlelight Vigil will be held on May 16, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. and a Memorial Ceremony will be on May 17, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
“One officer death is too many,” Attorney General Sessions said. “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line-of-duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”
“As United States Attorney for the District of Idaho, I am honored to work closely with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers,” said Bart Davis. “I see firsthand how the men and women of law enforcement fulfill their sworn duty to uphold justice every day. I am grateful for the professionalism, dedication and quiet courage they continually demonstrate under demanding and often dangerous circumstances.”
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017 – a 21 percent decrease from 2016 when 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents.
Additionally, in 2017 there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts – this is a 30 percent decrease from 2016, when 66 law enforcement officer were killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts.
For the full comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury, please see the 2017 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, which is linked below.
In October 1962, Congress passed and President Kennedy signed a joint resolution declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.
National Police Week and Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15th, give us the opportunity to pause and to honor these brave public servants, to reflect on their commitment and valor, and to honor the families who grieve their loss. Consider attending one of the many events to be held throughout Idaho this week. And please join me in thanking all the wonderful women and men who put themselves in harm’s way daily.
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
To access the FBI's 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.
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Friday 11 May 2018
Whiting Women Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Sandra Santay, 73 years old, of Whiting, Indiana, was sentenced by District Court Judge Philip Simon on her plea of guilty to bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Santay was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to pay $491,169.71 in restitution.
According to documents in this case, Santay was the manager of a local credit union for over 30 years and was convicted of defrauding that credit union out of $491,169.71.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the FBI and was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane L. Berkowitz.
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Westerville Man Sentenced for Threatening CongressmanRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – E. Stanley Hoff, 69, of Westerville, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 40 months in prison for threatening to assault and murder a United States official.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and the United States Capitol Police announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
Hoff was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2017, and, according to court documents, threatened to assault and murder U.S Representative Steve Stivers and a member of Stivers’ family.
Hoff was responsible for a series of threatening voicemails from February to June 2017 left at the Representative’s office in Hilliard.
For example, in March, a portion of one of Hoff’s messages stated, “we’re going to take care of it our way” and “Leave Obamacare alone or die.”
In another message, Hoff references the June 2017 Congressional Baseball Game for Charity shooting and calls it “only the tip of the iceberg” saying maybe the “next one taken down will be” Stivers.
“Hoff threatened the Congressman and his family because the Congressman was not legislating according to Hoff’s political views,” said U.S. Attorney Glassman. “That is unacceptable in our society. Peaceful political argument or banter is one thing, but Hoff’s conduct was a far cry from that. Threatening to assault or murder a United States official on account of that official’s performance of his or her duties is a serious federal crime — regardless of political party or views. The significant prison sentence that Hoff received today is warranted by his conduct and, I hope, will make others think twice about threatening government officials.”
Hoff was arrested on June 21, when he was charged by a criminal complaint and has been held without bond. He pleaded guilty in October 2017.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the U.S. Capitol Police and Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Kelley and Noah Litton, who are prosecuting the case.
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Western Slope Sovereign Citizen Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
DENVER – Rocky Hutson, age 59, of Grand Junction, Colorado, and a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen, was sentenced to serve 70 months (nearly 6 years) in federal prison for false claims, creating fictious financial instruments and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers and Department of Education Special Agent in Charge Adam Shandeling announced. After serving his prison sentence, Hutson will then spend 3 years on supervised release. The defendant appeared at the sentencing hearing free on bond. He was ordered to report to a prison facility within 15 days of designation. On January 11, 2018 the defendant was found guilty of bank fraud and related crimes following a jury trial.
In late 2011 and early 2012, Hutson devised a scheme to frustrate or delay the legitimate collection of debts that included student loans, small business loans, car loans, and home mortgages. The defendant created various documents that appeared to be legitimate financial instruments but were in fact worthless and gave them to various acquaintances to submit in payment of debts. If a financial institution refused to accept the worthless instrument as payment, Hutson often made phone calls or sent letters to the bank or its attorneys in an effort to convince them the instruments were legitimate. In one case, he even went so far as to threaten to have a bank employee thrown in jail for refusing the payment. A few months later, in May of 2012, he began a similar course of conduct that involved submitting false claims to the Department of Agriculture in attempts not only to pay off existing debts but also to purchase new items, including seventeen Harley-Davidson motorcycles and a shopping center worth over $7 million.
Testimony at trial indicated that Hutson had a hand in submitting nearly $14.7 million worth of false claims to the Department of Agriculture and about $6.3 million worth of fictitious financial instruments to various financial institutions. Although there was ultimately no loss to the federal government, banks lost about $47,000 due to Hutson’s schemes, and various individuals suffered smaller losses as a result of his actions. According to the prosecution, Hutson’s true motivation was a sincere and abiding dislike of the government, banks, and the financial system in general as well as his affiliation with a “sovereign citizen” group known as the “Republic for the United States of America.”
The jury convicted Hutson of all fourteen counts with which he was charged, including five counts of filing false claims with the Department of Agriculture, six counts of creating fictitious financial instruments, and three counts of bank fraud.
“Americans have every right to believe whatever ideology they want,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “But they don’t have a right to hide behind any ideology to manipulate others in violation of the law and for their own personal gain. That’s what the defendant did, and he’ll be punished for it. Our prosecutors and the FBI made sure of that.”
"The FBI is committed to aggressively pursuing those who defraud our banking institutions. The creation of fictitious financial instruments to avoid debt payment is a felony,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers. “The recent sentencing of Rocky Hudson should deter others who engage in these types of fraud schemes."
Hutson was indicted in June 2016 as the result of a widespread investigation by the FBI and the Department of Education OIG into fraudulent debt elimination tactics promoted by the sovereign citizen movement on the western slope of Colorado. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Burrows and Peter Hautzinger.
CASE NUMBER: 16-CR-00186
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Visit our website http://www.justice.gov/usao/co | Follow us on Twitter @DCoNewsWestern Slope Sovereign Citizen Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Related CrimesRead the Press Release
DENVER – Rocky Hutson, age 59, of Grand Junction, Colorado, and a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen, was sentenced to serve 70 months (nearly 6 years) in federal prison for false claims, creating fictious financial instruments and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer, FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers and Department of Education Western Region Special Agent in Charge Adam Shandeling announced. After serving his prison sentence, Hutson will then spend 3 years on supervised release. The defendant appeared at the sentencing hearing free on bond. He was ordered to report to a prison facility within 15 days of designation. On January 11, 2018 the defendant was found guilty of bank fraud and related crimes following a jury trial.
In late 2011 and early 2012, Hutson devised a scheme to frustrate or delay the legitimate collection of debts that included student loans, small business loans, car loans, and home mortgages. The defendant created various documents that appeared to be legitimate financial instruments but were in fact worthless and gave them to various acquaintances to submit in payment of debts. If a financial institution refused to accept the worthless instrument as payment, Hutson often made phone calls or sent letters to the bank or its attorneys in an effort to convince them the instruments were legitimate. In one case, he even went so far as to threaten to have a bank employee thrown in jail for refusing the payment. A few months later, in May of 2012, he began a similar course of conduct that involved submitting false claims to the Department of Agriculture in attempts not only to pay off existing debts but also to purchase new items, including seventeen Harley-Davidson motorcycles and a shopping center worth over $7 million.
Testimony at trial indicated that Hutson had a hand in submitting nearly $14.7 million worth of false claims to the Department of Agriculture and about $6.3 million worth of fictitious financial instruments to various financial institutions. Although there was ultimately no loss to the federal government, banks lost about $47,000 due to Hutson’s schemes, and various individuals suffered smaller losses as a result of his actions. According to the prosecution, Hutson’s true motivation was a sincere and abiding dislike of the government, banks, and the financial system in general as well as his affiliation with a “sovereign citizen” group known as the “Republic for the United States of America.”
The jury convicted Hutson of all fourteen counts with which he was charged, including five counts of filing false claims with the Department of Agriculture, six counts of creating fictitious financial instruments, and three counts of bank fraud.
“Americans have every right to believe whatever ideology they want,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “Buth they don’t have a right to hide behind any ideology to manipulate others in violation of the law and for their own personal gain. That’s what the defendant did, and he’ll be punished for it. Our prosecutors and the FBI made sure of that.”
"The FBI is committed to aggressively pursuing those who defraud our banking institutions. The creation of fictitious financial instruments to avoid debt payment is a felony,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers. “The recent sentencing of Rocky Hudson should deter others who engage in these types of fraud schemes."
Hutson was indicted in June 2016 as the result of a widespread investigation by the FBI and the Department of Education OIG into fraudulent debt elimination tactics promoted by the sovereign citizen movement on the western slope of Colorado. The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Burrows and Peter Hautzinger.
CASE NUMBER: 16-CR-00186
Warren man sentenced for theft of government fundsRead the Press Release
A Warren man was sentenced to six months of house arrested and ordered to repay $82,428 to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
Dean Nikolaides, 64, was also fined $5,000 and placed on probation for three year. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds.
Nikolaides fraudulently received $82,428 in benefits over 14 years from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation to which he knew he was not entitled. The PBGC is a federal agency that protects the retirement incomes of American workers in private-sector defined benefit pension plans, according to court documents.
Special Agents Adelle Harris and Conrad Quarles from the PBGC conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian prosecuted the case.
Vista Man Sentenced to Almost 20 Years for Coercing Young Children into Sending Him Naked Pictures and VideosRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Sabrina Feve (619) 546-6786
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 11, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Joseph Daniel Saucedo of Vista was sentenced in federal court today to 235 months in custody and 20 years of supervised release for attempting to manipulate two children, ages 11 and 16, into sending sexually explicit photographs of themselves, and then threatening to expose them if they refused to continue.
According to the plea agreement, Saucedo posed as a teenage girl, “Amy Jennings,” and began communicating on-line with an 11-year-old Canadian boy. At first the two had normal conversations about everyday life. But then Saucedo, pretending to be “Amy,” sent naked pictures of young girls and asked the boy to communicate with her “friend,” Saucedo, in return. When the boy refused, “Amy” posted a photograph of his house, told the boy she knew where he lived, and threatened to shame him into communicating with Saucedo.
The boy ultimately relented and texted Saucedo, who then communicated with the boy using FaceTime and displayed his naked front torso. The boy hung up on Saucedo but the calls and threats continued until, finally, on January 25, 2016, the boy received a message from “Amy,” which included a video of a young boy masturbating. “Amy” threatened to leak the video and claim it was the Canadian boy if the boy did not send naked pictures of himself to Saucedo.
Additional investigation revealed that Saucedo had been in communication with other young children, successfully soliciting sexually graphic images from them. For example, in August 2015, Saucedo struck up a conversation with a 16-year-old girl in Florida through Instagram. This time, Saucedo pretended to be a modeling agent looking for “bikini and nude models” adding “obviously the pay is great.” When the Florida girl told Saucedo that she was only 16 and would have to check with her parents, he volunteered that they could just “make a portfolio” at no cost to her, and “then we can talk to your parents.” She demurred again, telling Saucedo that she had “never been comfortable in my skin.” He promised to “help with that hun if you want we can FaceTime so nothing is saved.”
She continued to refuse his overtures until Saucedo, under the guise of “Amy Jennings,” threatened to blackmail the girl. The girl turned to Saucedo for help with “Amy.” Although he initially claimed no knowledge of Amy Jennings and insisted his modeling business was legitimate, he quickly agreed to help the girl, for a price: nude pictures of herself. He even asked her to “[w]rite my name on a paper or hand so I know it’s a new one.” She acquiesced and sent him pictures of her breasts with “Joe” written across her chest.
Saucedo demanded that the girl continue sending him naked photographs, or “Amy” would post compromising pictures of the girl. The girl volunteered that she was “looking into Kik’s legal system” to handle the threatening “Amy” posts. Within seconds, Saucedo responded, “Na I’ll pay her I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Saucedo no doubt feared that alerting Kik to “Amy Jennings” could have compromised his illegal activities. Saucedo told the girl that he had paid “Amy Jennings” $2,000. As a thank you, the girl agreed to a sexually explicit FaceTime chat with Saucedo. She also sent additional photographs of herself naked with “Joe” written on her breasts and above her vagina, again at his request.
Saucedo continued to hound the girl for almost a year, from August 2015 to June 2016, requesting more naked photographs. He even sent her a photo of stacks of money to elicit more naked photographs. She sent him one more photograph in October 2015, but then stopped responding.
Through search warrants for Saucedo’s cell phones, investigators identified an additional eight minor victims whom Saucedo harassed and manipulated. His youngest victim was 13 at the time of the offense. This victim told Saucedo her age and he nonetheless continued to solicit nude photos from her, including pressuring her to take naked photos of herself while she was at school. Saucedo also directed a 14 year-old victim to sodomize herself and to penetrate herself with a hair brush and threatened her when she protested, including ignoring her warning that his requests made her contemplate suicide. Saucedo’s indifference to his victims’ apparent suffering included disregarding multiple victims’ warnings that his contacts and demands were triggering suicidal thoughts.
At the sentencing hearing, the government acknowledged and thanked the family of the 11 year-old victim. Their vigilance and willingness to report Saucedo’s conduct, coupled with the investigative follow-up efforts of the Calgary Policy Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, led Canadian authorities to refer the matter to San Diego’s Electronic Crimes Working Group, which ultimately identified and arrested Saucedo. Only following Saucedo’s arrest did law enforcement learn of his additional nine victims. Victims, family members, and friends are encouraged to report similar threats and contacts to law enforcement now and in the future.
“This case highlights the importance of strong international partnerships to target these heinous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “Thank you to our Canadian colleagues, and most especially to the brave victims everywhere who step forward to report abusive conduct. Their courage is a critical part of detecting and stopping similar abuse now and in the future.”
“Saucedo's sentencing is a another great example of our collaboration with our law enforcement partners and our commitment to keeping our children safe,” said David Shaw, Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Diego. “Dangerous child predators should not have the privilege to be a part of our communities without being held accountable and going through the criminal justice process.”
DEFENDANT Case Number: 17-CR-00095-JLS
Joseph Daniel Saucedo Age: 26 Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Counts One and Two
Attempted Receipt and Receipt of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2)
Minimum Penalty: 15 years
Maximum Penalty: 40 years
AGENCY
United States Homeland Security Investigations
United States Secret Service
Calgary Police Service
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Vermont U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
This year, May 13-19 is National Police Week. During Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment in protecting our communities. In 1962, Congress enacted a joint resolution, which President John F. Kennedy signed, declaring May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice. According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017. Additionally, in 2017, there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts. Many will travel to Washington D.C. this week for a candlelight vigil at the National Memorial to honor fallen officers.
The United States Attorney’s Office would like to take the opportunity this week – as we should every day – to recognize the outstanding work of federal, state, local, and county law enforcement officers in Vermont. We are so very fortunate to live in the Green Mountain State. Vermont is an extraordinarily attractive place to reside, and that is due, in no small part, to the tireless efforts of officers at all levels of law enforcement to keep us safe. Quietly and consistently, they put themselves in harm’s way to protect their communities. They make decisions every day to stand on the front lines of our campaigns to combat violence, unlawful firearms activity, drug trafficking, and other dangerous crime. This is a tremendous daily sacrifice – on the part of officers, to be sure – but also on the part of their families and loved ones. We must never take for granted their sacrifices and their heroic work. We are especially gifted in our small state by the consistent collaborative efforts of law enforcement. Federal, state, local, and county officers come together in Vermont every day to promote public safety and common interest. They do not ask what’s in it for them, or who gets the glory; they are focused solely on protecting Vermonters.
We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office are proud of our strong and special relationships with law enforcement at all levels – federal, state, local, and county. We are committed to ensuring that we maintain partnerships with law enforcement officers at every level, and in every corner of the state. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also appreciates our strong partnerships with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the State’s Attorneys in each of Vermont’s fourteen counties. We recognize that these relationships are of the utmost importance, and we understand that Vermonters and the police are best served when prosecutors unite in support of law enforcement’s collaborative efforts.
The recent and disturbing spate of violent crime across the state – including homicides, shootings in populous areas, drug-related violence, and armed robberies – brings the heroic work of our law enforcement officers into stark relief. They are not only the first responders to these frightening events and those tasked with apprehending dangerous offenders, they also investigate and solve these serious crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office places a premium on supporting law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in Vermont. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring violent offenders to justice. We have appointed an experienced, talented, and dedicated prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller, – a Vermonter who previously served as a Deputy State’s Attorney, – to spearhead the USAO’s antiviolence campaign in Vermont. She is developing a statewide program designed to ensure that the USAO is deploying its resources and appropriately assisting federal, state, local, and county law enforcement in cases involving violence and unlawful firearms activity. Among other things, AUSA Fuller is helping to coordinate law enforcement efforts in violent crime cases; gathering intelligence concerning violent offenders; performing USAO intake in violent crime matters; and interfacing with State’s Attorneys regarding such matters. AUSA Fuller is also crisscrossing the state with an experienced ATF Special Agent, providing trainings to state, local, and county law enforcement officers and State’s Attorneys concerning federal laws relating to firearms and violence. We are committed to ensuring that state, local, and county law enforcement officers are aware of the resources and support that federal prosecutors and agents can provide in such cases.
There is no way to overstate the USAO’s support and gratitude for our law enforcement officers in Vermont. We thank you and your families and loved ones for your dedication and your sacrifice. Your commitment and service keep Vermonters safer every day and help to bring justice to those who would imperil the safety of our innocent citizens. We look forward to continuing to join in common cause to promote public safety. And we join you, during National Police Week and always, in honoring the injured and the fallen amongst your ranks.
Valdosta Man Sentenced for Tax Fraud and Stolen Treasury ChecksRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA: Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that on May 9, 2018, United States District Court Judge Hugh Lawson sentenced Kendrick Manning, age 42, of Valdosta, GA, to 60 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Embezzle Public Monies and Possess Stolen U.S. Treasury Checks. Mr. Manning pled guilty to the offense on January 18, 2018.
In entering his pleas, Mr. Manning admitted that in 2011, he obtained identifying information for a number of individuals, including nursing home residents and state prisoners from other unnamed co-conspirators, for the purpose of filing fraudulent income tax returns. From April 2011 to mid-2012, Mr. Manning filed fraudulent tax returns with the IRS using computer-based filing methods. Mr. Manning and co-conspirators would receive the fraudulent tax refunds generated by the tax returns in the form of direct deposit in multiple bank accounts held in the name of different individuals or as debit cards which would be loaded with the tax refund amounts.
102 fraudulent returns for tax year 2010 were filed by Mr. Manning, claiming refunds totaling about $450,000, on which nearly $300,000 in refunds were paid. For tax year 2011, Mr. Manning filed approximately 432 fraudulent returns totaling more than $3.7 million, with $1,185,259 in refund issued.
In 2013, the conspiracy continued with Mr. Manning and co-conspirators presenting stolen and otherwise fraudulently obtained United States Treasury checks, including tax refund checks, through a bank account to convert the checks into cash. Mr. Manning admitted that he had received the Treasury checks knowing them to be fraudulent and stolen. The checks that were presented were mostly tax returns, but some included Thrift Savings Plan payments, Social Security payments, and other types of tax related refunds.
The intended monetary loss attributable to Mr. Manning based on the conspiracy was more than $4.7 million belonging to the United States. As a part of the sentence, more than $2 million has been ordered to be paid in restitution to the United States Department of Treasury, The Citizens Bank in Nashville, Georgia and ABA Insurance Services, Inc.
“It is disheartening that tax fraud and identity theft is so prevalent,” United States Attorney Charles Peeler said. “My office is committed to prosecuting those individuals who defraud others and the United States.”
“The sentencing of Manning is another victory in the Internal Revenue Service’s continued efforts to combat identity theft,” said Thomas J. Holloman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Even though the tax filing season is over, taxpayer’s need to remain vigilant in protecting their identifying information as the criminals commit their fraud year round.”
“This case is another example that clearly shows criminals are continuing to steal personal identifying information (PII) for the purpose of committing fraud,” said Clint Bush, Resident Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service. “In this case, United States Citizens were violated by having their PII stolen along with their legitimately issued tax refund checks. Many of these victims were counting on their tax refund to survive. Their tax refund being stolen placed a huge financial burden on their lives causing long lasting consequences. The United States Secret Service, along with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners will continue to investigate, arrest and support the successful prosecution of the criminals who choose to commit this and other types of financial fraud in our community and around the nation.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers prosecuted the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Union Officer Sentenced for Embezzlement, Aggravated ID TheftRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A former business manager and financial secretary for the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association Local 40 in Rhode Island was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for embezzling $319,795 in union and union benefit funds.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Richard D’Antuono, 42, to pay full restitution to the union funds and to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. D’Antuono pleaded guilty on January 18, 2018, to a three-count information charging him with embezzlement from a labor organization, embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, and aggravated identity theft.
The U.S. Sentencing guideline range of imprisonment in this matter is 24-30 months incarceration on the embezzlement charges, plus a consecutive mandatory sentence of 24 months incarceration on the charge of aggravated identity theft. The government recommended a term of imprisonment of 48 months.
D’Antuono’s sentence is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Jonathan Russo, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, Boston-Buffalo District Office.
At the time of his guilty plea, D’Antuono admitted to the Court that for two years, beginning in 2015, he embezzled $319,795 from a union operational account and from an apprentice fund, an employee benefit plan used to finance training programs for apprentice plasterers and masons and for the retraining or refresher training of journeymen union members.
D’Antuono admitted that he made checks out to himself substantially in excess of his salary and a stipend to which he was entitled. In some instances, he had the authorized signatories sign blank checks, which he later used to embezzle funds from the operational account. In other instances, he forged the signature of the authorized signatories on checks. D’Antuono admitted that he also embezzled funds from the Apprenticeship Fund by writing checks payable to the Local 40 operation account and then embezzling the funds in the same manner.
D’Antuono was the sole full-time officer of the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association Local 40.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards with the assistance of the Office of Inspector General Office of Investigations - Labor Racketeering & Fraud, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office remembers fallen law enforcement officers during National Police Week 2018Read the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – Members of the public join with law enforcement across the country for National Police Week – May 13 through May 19 – to honor law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind.
“One officer death is too many,” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line of duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”
“Those fallen officers honored during National Police Week represent the best of us,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “They gave their lives so our communities can be safe and secure. Our thoughts, prayers and gratitude go out to their families and friends.”
This year, the names of 93 officers killed in the line of duty in 2017 and some prior years were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 30th Annual 2018 Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13. These names include officers who were killed during 2017 and officers who died in previous years who have not been previously added to the Memorial. The fallen officers of 2017 include two members of the law enforcement community in the Western District of Louisiana:
- Justin Levi Beard, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, who died April 30, 2017; and
- Michael Paul Middlebrook, Lafayette Police Department, who died October 1, 2017.
To assist local public safety officers in the work that they do, the U.S. Attorney’s Office offers safety and survival training throughout the year. The courses are open to federal, state, local, military and tribal law enforcement officers.
For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org. So that people across the country can experience this unique and powerful ceremony, the vigil will be livestreamed beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time on May 13. To register for this free online event, visit www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.
To access the FBI’s 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.
U.S. Attorney's Office Recognizes Law Enforcement Service and Sacrifice During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers during National Police Week. During Police Week, which is observed from May 13 to 19, our nation celebrates the contributions of police officers from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment in keeping our communities safe.
“One officer death is too many,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line-of-duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”
“National Police Week is a time to recognize, honor, and thank the noble and brave men and women in blue who serve in Nevada’s law enforcement community,” said U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada. “We honor and remember officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members and friends they left behind. I want to thank every law enforcement officer for their service and sacrifice.”
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 93 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2017 – a 21 percent decrease from 2016 when 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents. Additionally, in 2017 there were 46 law enforcement officers killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts – this is a 30 percent decrease from 2016, when 66 law enforcement officer were killed in line-of-duty incidents as a result of felonious acts.
The names of all 93 fallen officers nationwide will be formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2018.
Among those to be added this year from Nevada will be:
- Charleston Vernon Hartfield, of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, was shot and killed while rescuing concert attendees during a mass shooting in Las Vegas. He was killed on October 1, 2017.
- Chad William Parque, of the North Las Vegas Police Department, was injured in a traffic accident while exiting the North Las Vegas Justice Court’s parking lot. He died of his injuries on January 7, 2017.
So that people across the country can experience this unique and powerful ceremony, the vigil will be livestreamed beginning at 8:00 p.m. EDT on May 13th. To register for this free online event, visit www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.
The Candlelight Vigil is one of many commemorative events taking place in the nation’s capital during National Police Week 2018. For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.
In October 1962, Congress passed and President Kennedy signed a joint resolution declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line-of-duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice.
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Two Mexican Nationals Charged with Assaulting Border Patrol AgentsRead the Press Release
Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 11, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Two Mexican nationals – one armed with a makeshift plastic shiv and another with a 4X4 piece of lumber - were arrested and charged in unrelated assaults on U.S. Border Patrol agents along the border this week.
According to a complaint, in the first incident, on May 9, 2018 at approximately 10:15 a.m., Pedro Damien Gonzalez Iglesias is accused of assaulting Border Patrol Agents Edmund Parra and Ramiro Lizarraga after he illegally entered the United States. Gonzalez Iglesias walked up to the agents, who were working near the San Ysidro port of entry, and tried slashing them with an object that looked like a piece of plastic shaped like a knife. The agents tried using verbal commands numerous times to get the defendant to drop his weapon. The subject got to within arm’s length of the agents before Agent Lizarraga was able to successfully deploy his Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) Spray. The agents took the subject into custody. No injuries were reported.
According to details in another complaint, the second incident occurred on May 10, 2018, at approximately 10:05 a.m. Defendant Carlos Miranda-Alonso is accused of assaulting Border Patrol Agent Raymond Gray during an attempted arrest. The defendant threw punches and elbows and ran away when Agent Gray attempted to place the subject in handcuffs. Miranda-Alonso picked up a 4x4 piece of lumber approximately 3½ feet in length and swung it at Agent Gray. Agent Gray was able to step out of range to avoid being hit. Miranda-Alonso attempted to flee westbound through the Tijuana Estuary. At 10:22 a.m. the defendant was apprehended west of the Tijuana Estuary Visitor center. No injuries reported.
“Assault on federal officers is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “Our office is committed to vigorously prosecuting these cases.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 18mj2339
Pedro Damien Gonzalez Iglesias
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Assault on a Federal Officer, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1 ll(a)(l )A
Maximum penalty: Six months in prison and a $5,000 fine
DEFENDANT Case Number 18mj2380__
Carlos Miranda-Alonso
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Assault on a Federal Officer, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1 ll(a)(l )A
Maximum penalty: Eight years in prison, $250,000 fine
AGENCY
U.S. Border Patrol
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Joplin detectives Honored for Work on Behalf of Child VictimsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Timothy Garrison (right) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller (left) present the award to Detectives Larry Roller and Charles Root.JOPLIN, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, presented the annual Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award today to two detectives in the Joplin, Mo., Police Department in recognition of their valued contributions to investigating and prosecuting those who prey upon children.
Detective Charles Root, Jr., is also an FBI task force officer and supervises a team of 10 task force officers in the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force. Detective Larry Roller, a computer forensic analyst, is also a Homeland Securities Investigation task force officer and a member of the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
“For over 24 years, these two individuals have exemplified what true champions for child victims are,” said Garrison, “hardworking, tireless, and relentless in their pursuit to ferret out child predators and pursue justice for child victims. These officers leave no stone unturned in their pursuit to catch child predators. Their dedication and persistence over the years identified and ultimately protected countless child victims. Thanks to their dedication, many dangerous sexual predators have been taken off the streets.”
The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award
This is the 14th year for the award to be presented in memory of Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp, two young women who were both fatal victims of tragic crimes. Crystal Kipper was an 18-year-old Gladstone, Mo., resident who was murdered after her car broke down on Interstate 29, just north of Platte City, on Feb. 24, 1997. Ali Kemp was a 19-year-old Blue Valley North High School graduate who was murdered on June 18, 2002, while she worked at the Foxborough neighborhood swimming pool in Leawood, Kan.
The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office each year to recognize the outstanding work of an individual or organization in recognition of a valued contribution to preventing and responding to the exploitation of children.
USA v. Perkins
When a mother located a tablet that contained images of the sexual abuse of her 11-year-old daughter, Det. Roller and Det. Root leaped into action. Within hours of receiving multiple devices, Det. Roller began his work of forensically examining each device for evidence. Det. Root met the defendant at the jail and obtained a full confession within a couple of hours. Due to the evidence that Det. Root was able to get from the defendant and the forensic evidence Det. Roller was able to recover from the devices, David Lee Perkins was indicted by a federal grand jury for the aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor to produce child pornography, and receipt and distribution of child pornography.
Perkins pleaded guilty to two counts of the federal indictment, admitting that he used the child victim to produce child pornography and that he distributed child pornography. However, facing a 30-year mandatory minimum, Perkins elected to go to trial last January on the remaining count of aggravated sexual abuse. Perkins was convicted of that charge as well, and remains in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing on June 5, 2018.
Det. Root and Det. Roller also pursued leads that led them to multiple other children who had been abused by Perkins. Their excellent work investigating this case led to the discovery of another child predator in North Carolina, Don Blankenship, who was charged and convicted of five counts of indecent liberties with a child under North Carolina state law in Catawba County, North Carolina.
Two Individuals Indicted for CarjackingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Miguel Ángel Martines-Ramos and Michael Rosa-Rodríguez for carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.
The indictment alleges that on or about April 14, 2018, in the District of Puerto Rico, Miguel Ángel Martines-Ramos and Michael Rosa-Rodríguez, while carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm, did take a motor vehicle, to wit: a black 2017 Hyundai Tucson, that had been transported, shipped and received in interstate or foreign commerce, from the presence of an adult male, by force, violence and intimidation, with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury. During the incident, both defendants traveled with the male victim in his vehicle, shot him three times, and left him for dead.
Both defendants are also charged with possession of a machinegun, a black and grey Glock pistol, Model 23, .40 caliber, one 22-round capacity Glock magazine, and 11 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. The pistol was modified to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
“These defendants planned and carried out the carjacking and shooting of a defenseless victim,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “Through the hard work of federal and state law enforcement, and our prosecutors, the defendants will be brought to justice.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora. If convicted, the defendants face up to 25 years of imprisonment for the carjacking charge (Count One), and up to life imprisonment for the firearms charge (Count Two). Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Two Associates of La Cosa Nostra Sentenced to Prison for Extortion-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Two associates of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime family were sentenced today in federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts on extortion-related charges.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling for the District of Massachusetts; Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw of the FBI’s Boston Field Division; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement.
Richard Valentini, 53, of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to serve 20 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. On Dec. 18, 2017, Valentini was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and one count of aiding in the interference with commerce by threats or violence – aiding.
Francesco Depergola, 61, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Judge Hillman to serve 38 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. In December 2017, Depergola pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and one count of aiding in the interference with commerce by threats or violence – aiding, which were charged by indictment in the District of Massachusetts, and one count of racketeering conspiracy, which was charged by indictment in the Southern District of New York.
In August 2016, Valentini and Depergola were arrested with three of their associates from the New York-based Genovese LCN crime family: Gerald Daniele, Giovanni Calabrese, and Ralph Santaniello.
Based on Depergola’s plea documents and evidence elicited at Valentini’s trial, Valentini, Depergola, and their co-defendants, engaged in various criminal activities in Springfield, Massachusetts, including loansharking and extortion from legitimate and illegitimate businesses, such as illegal gambling businesses and the collection of unlawful debts. The defendants used violence, exploited their relationship with LCN, and implied threats of murder and physical violence to instill fear in their victims.
Further, in 2013, Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini attempted to extort money from a Springfield businessman. Santaniello not only assaulted the businessman, but he and Calabrese threatened to cut off the businessman’s head and bury his body if he did not comply. Over a period of two months, in order to protect himself and his business, the businessman paid $20,000 to Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini.
In addition, based on Depergola’s plea documents, around August 2014, Santaniello and Depergola financed a $30,000 loan that New York-based LCN member Eugene O’Nofrio extended to another individual. O’Nofrio later threatened the individual if he did not make payments on the loans. O’Nofrio was charged in the Southern District of New York, has pleaded guilty, and is awaiting sentencing.
In March 2018, Daniele was sentenced to two years in prison; and in April 2018, Calabrese and Santaniello were sentenced to three years and five years in prison, respectively.
Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin O’Regan, Chief of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office and Katharine Wagner of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the cases.
Two Associates of La Cosa Nostra Sentenced on Extortion-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two associates of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime family were sentenced today in federal court in Worcester on extortion-related charges.
Richard Valentini, 53, of East Longmeadow, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 20 months in prison and two years of supervised release. On Dec. 18, 2017, Valentini was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and one count of aiding in the interference with commerce by threats or violence.
Francesco Depergola, 61, of West Springfield, was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 38 months in prison and two years of supervised release. In December 2017, Depergola pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence and one count of aiding in the interference with commerce by threats or violence, which were charged by indictment in the District of Massachusetts, and one count of racketeering conspiracy, which was charged by indictment in the Southern District of New York.
In August 2016, Valentini and Depergola were arrested with three of their associates from the New York-based Genovese LCN crime family: Gerald Daniele, Giovanni Calabrese, and Ralph Santaniello.
Valentini, Depergola, and their co-defendants, engaged in various criminal activities in Springfield, Mass., including loansharking and extortion from legitimate and illegitimate businesses, such as illegal gambling businesses, and the collection of unlawful debts. The defendants used violence, exploited their relationship with LCN, and implied threats of murder and physical violence to instill fear in their victims.
In 2013, Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini attempted to extort money from a Springfield businessman. Santaniello not only assaulted the businessman, but he and Calabrese threatened to cut off the business man’s head and bury his body if he did not comply. Over a period of two months, in order to protect himself and his business, the businessman paid $20,000 to Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini.
In addition, around August 2014, Santaniello and Depergola financed a $30,000 loan that New York-based LCN member Eugene O’Nofrio extended to another individual. O’Nofrio later threatened the individual if he did not make payments on the loans. O’Nofrio was charged in the Southern District of New York, has pleaded guilty, and is awaiting sentencing.
In March 2018, Daniele was sentenced to two years in prison; and in April 2018, Calabrese and Santaniello were sentenced to three years and five years in prison, respectively.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Regan, Chief of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office; Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Wagner of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the cases.
Three Charged with Conspiring to Distribute More Than 100 Grams of Carfentanil in the BronxRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division (“DEA”), Angel M. Melendez, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), George P. Beach II, the Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the arrests and unsealing of Complaints charging MIGUEL ESCANO, EMANUELLI RIVERA, and PEDRO DISLA ROJAS with conspiring to distribute heroin and more than 100 grams of carfentanil, a controlled substance analogue of fentanyl. ESCANO, RIVERA, and ROJAS were presented yesterday before Magistrate Judge James L. Cott in Manhattan federal court.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “These defendants are alleged to have been engaged in the production and distribution of large quantities of carfentanil. Carfentanil is a potentially lethal drug 100 times more potent than fentanyl. As little as .00002 grams can kill. A substance meant as an elephant tranquilizer should not be hitting the streets as a recreational drug. Thanks to our law enforcement partners for their efforts to stem the tide of lethal opioids.”
DEA Special Agent-In-Charge James J. Hunt said: “This investigation is about more than just arrests and seizures, it is a public health warning. Carfentanil is death, and drug dealers are packaging it for sale on the streets of New York City. Law enforcement is battling the opioid suppliers on the front lines and this drug has the potential to double or triple overdose rates if we don’t get it off the streets quickly and warn users of its extreme danger.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez said: “The individuals charged today are alleged to have introduced a drug that is one hundred times more potent than fentanyl to our Bronx neighborhoods. Law enforcement is paying close attention to those who are profiting in this nefarious drug game to ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and face prosecution.”
NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “Anyone who continues to peddle this poison on the streets of New York City should be prepared for the full weight of our nation’s best investigators to bear down on them. I commend everyone involved in this case, particularly the members of the New York Drug Enforcement Strike Force, as they have proven again just how effective our law enforcement partnerships really are.”
State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said: “The work of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force stopped these dangerous and potentially deadly drugs before they could reach the streets of New York. We have no tolerance for those who allegedly continue to traffic narcotics with no regard to the damage they inflict in our communities, and anyone who does can expect to end up in prison. We will continue to work with our federal and local partners to prevent the flow of these illegal drugs from reaching our neighborhoods.”
According to the allegations in the Complaints[1]:
On three separate occasions between January and March 2018, ESCANO sold an individual acting at the direction of law enforcement a substance containing carfentanil in transactions that involved 50 grams, 70 grams, and 70 grams, respectively. RIVERA assisted with the January 2018 sale. Carfentanil is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other mammals, is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, and can be lethal in doses of as little as 20 micrograms depending on the way it is administered and other factors.
As law enforcement officers prepared to execute a search warrant on a Bronx apartment on May 9, 2018, RIVERA exited the apartment and was arrested. Law enforcement seized approximately 100 grams of suspected narcotics in connection with the arrest of RIVERA, which have not yet been tested because the substance needs to be examined in a laboratory environment in light of the potentially lethal nature of carfentanil. Following the arrest of RIVERA, law enforcement officers searched the apartment and found ROJAS inside. During the search, law enforcement officers seized, among other things, suspected narcotics and materials commonly used in the production and distribution of narcotics, such as respirator masks, grinders, strainers, glassine bags stamped with the names “Sweet Dreams” and “Nasty Boyz,” a wooden press, and a stamp with the words “My Angel.” Law enforcement arrested ROJAS in connection with the search of the apartment.
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RIVERA, 32, of the Bronx, and Rojas, 38, of the Bronx, were each charged with one count of conspiring to distribute carfentanil and heroin, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
ESCANO, 30, of the Bronx, was charged with one count of conspiring to distribute carfentanil, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, which comprises agents and officers of the DEA, the New York City Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the New York State Police, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, the Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department, and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Longyear and Nicolas Roos are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaints and the description of the Complaints set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
The Justice Department and USCIS Formalize Partnership to Protect U.S. Workers from Discrimination and Combat FraudRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that expands their collaboration to better detect and eliminate fraud, abuse, and discrimination by employers bringing foreign visa workers to the United States. This new effort improves the way the agencies share information, collaborate on cases, and train each other’s investigators.
The MOU will increase the ability of the agencies to share information and help identify, investigate, and prosecute employers who may be discriminating against U.S. workers and/or violating immigration laws. In 2010, USCIS and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division entered into an ongoing partnership to share information about E-Verify misuse and combat employment discrimination, and today’s MOU expands upon the two agencies’ existing partnership.
In 2017, the Civil Rights Division launched the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, which is aimed at targeting, investigating, and taking enforcement actions against companies that discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of foreign visa workers. Under this Initiative, the Civil Rights Division has opened dozens of investigations, filed one lawsuit, and reached settlement agreements with two employers. Since the Initiative’s inception, employers have agreed to pay or have distributed over $200,000 in back pay to affected U.S. workers. The Division has also increased its collaboration with other federal agencies to combat discrimination and abuse by employers using foreign visa workers.
USCIS administers the nation’s immigration system and adjudicates requests for immigration benefits, including employment-based petitions. To advance the goals of the Buy American and Hire American Executive Order and promote the economic interests of U.S. workers, USCIS is taking concrete steps to ensure the integrity of the employment-based immigration programs and improve its ability to detect and prevent fraud. Among other things, USCIS has created dedicated tip lines for reporting H-1B and H-2B visa fraud and abuse and expanded its site visit programs. USCIS has also worked with other government agencies that have a role in immigration, such as DOJ, to ensure that they efficiently share and appropriately act upon information regarding potential fraud and abuse of immigration programs. For more information, visit the USCIS Buy American and Hire American page.
“In the spirit of President Trump’s Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American, today’s partnership adds to the Civil Rights Division’s tools to stop employers from discriminating against U.S. workers by favoring foreign visa workers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Division looks forward to expanding its partnerships with USCIS to hold accountable employers that discriminate against U.S. workers based on their citizenship status.”
“Protecting and maintaining the integrity of our immigration system remains a key priority for me, and underpins the exceptional work of the professionals at USCIS,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. “This agreement enhances the level of coordination among investigators who often work on the same issues at different agencies. Breaking down silos and working with our federal partners to combat employment discrimination will help ensure that U.S. workers have the advocate they need at the highest level.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation. An employer that prefers to hire temporary foreign visa workers over available, qualified U.S. workers may be discriminating in violation of this law.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected](link sends e-mail); or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to retaliation; different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook(/uscis).
Statement of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman on the Conviction of Former State Assembly Speaker Sheldon SilverRead the Press Release
Sheldon Silver, the former New York State Assembly Speaker, took an oath to act in the best interests of the people of New York State. As a unanimous jury found, he sold his public office for private greed.
I commend the career prosecutors of our Office’s Public Corruption Unit, whose determination in securing this important conviction fittingly underscores the importance of pursuing cases against corrupt politicians, no matter the difficulty. One of the most worthy endeavors of this Office is combatting public corruption. We will continue to do so with the independence and resolve the Southern District is known for and the citizens of New York so rightly deserve.
St. Thomas Boat Captain Arrested on Charges of Smuggling Illegal Aliens from Dominican Republic and Others Arrested for Illegal Reentry by Aggravated Felons into the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – On May 10, 2018, Shawn A. Callwood, 36, of St. Thomas, Glenys Gruz-Calcano, 28, Anyi Paola Calcano, 19, Luis Alberto Pimentel Gautier, 42, and Rafael Morales-Osoria, 35, all of Dominican Republic, made their initial appearances before U.S. District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez, after being charged in criminal complaints with alien smuggling and illegal reentry into the United States, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Judge Gomez detained all five defendants pending further proceedings.
According to the complaint, on May 9, 2018, the Marine Interdiction Agents (MIA) of the Air and Marine Operations (AMO) intercepted Callwood’s vessel in the U.S. territorial waters near St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Callwood failed to yield to both lights and sirens directing him to stop, and a warning shot was fired across the bow of Callwood’s vessel. Five undocumented illegal aliens, including Glenys Gruz-Calcano, Anyi Paola Calcano, Luis Alberto Pimentel Gautier, and Rafael Morales-Osoria, were discovered on board when the vessel came to a stop. Luis Alberto Pimentel Gautier and Rafael Morales-Osoria both have been previously deported from the United States pursuant to felony convictions.
Callwood is facing up to 10 years in prison for smuggling illegal aliens into the United States. Luis Alberto Pimentel Gautier and Rafael Morales-Osoria both face up to 20 years in prison for illegal reentry by an aggravated felon.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO), the USCG and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anna A. Vlasova.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that a complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
St. Croix Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery of St. Thomas Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – On May 10, 2018, District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Robert Brown, 28, to 4 years imprisonment and three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Judge Gomez also ordered Brown to perform 400 hours of community service and pay a special assessment of $100.
On January 4, 2018, Brown pleaded guilty to a one-count Information, charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.
On October 20, 2017, Brown was charged in a one-count Information, which was a result of an investigation into Hobbs Act robbery of Gems and Gold Corner Jewelry Store on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands on September 16, 2013. According to the Information, Brown and other individuals conspired to rob this jewelry store and brandished weapons to threaten and intimidate the storeowner.
This case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virgin Islands Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anna A. Vlasova and Kim L. Chisholm.
Sharon Woman Arrested for Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Sharon woman was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston with stealing Social Security benefits intended for her children.
Stacey Orlando, 59, was indicted on two counts of theft of public funds. She is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal today at 2:15PM.
According to the indictment that was unsealed today, from May 2011 through October 2013, Orlando stole approximately $35,716 in Social Security benefits that were paid to her on behalf of her two children.
The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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 Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Salvadoran National Charged with Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Manuel Erazo-Posada, 37, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Law enforcement in Boston encountered Erazo-Posada on April 30, 2018, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. Erazo-Posada was previously deported on June 28, 2010.
Erazo-Posada faces a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, one year 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 Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Richardson Tax Preparer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Rene Barrera, Sr, of Del Rio, Texas, who was one of several tax preparers at Tax Genius in Richardson, Texas, appeared in federal court Tuesday, May 8, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez and pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Sentencing is set for December 14, 2018, before Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn. Barrera faces a statutory maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and a $100,000 fine. He may also be ordered to pay restitution.
On September 21, 2016, Barrera and co-defendants Jimmy Luis Briseno, Mike Cano and Christopher Lee DeLeon were charged with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and other charges related to the filing of false tax returns. According to the factual resume filed in the case, from January 2011 through April 2011, Barrera prepared and electronically filed taxes at Tax Genius in Richardson, Texas. In his plea papers, Barrera admitted that he and other employees prepared and caused to be electronically filed with the IRS individual income tax returns that contained one or more of the following falsely inflated or fictitious items: false Forms Schedule C; false and fabricated Education Credits, and false items used to inflate and maximize the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) on the tax return. During this period, Barrera and other Tax Genius employees engaged in a fraudulent scheme in which false and fraudulent information and documents were submitted to the IRS with the intent to defraud the IRS by causing the IRS to pay fraudulent refunds based on this false tax information.
Barrera caused the filing of eight false tax returns resulting in a tax loss of $67,100 due to false refunds claimed.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis is in charge of the prosecution.
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Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jason D. Boudreau, 43, of Woonsocket, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to federal child pornography charges.
Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Boudreau pleaded guilty to access with intent to view child pornography and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh and Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates.
According to information presented to the Court, in November 2015, as part of an ongoing investigation, members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations agents and members of the Woonsocket Police Department executed a court authorized search of Boudreau’s residence, and seized several digital media storage devices, including a cellular telephone.
A forensic examination of the devices revealed 750 images of child pornography. The images depict nude prepubescent females, including infants and toddlers engaged in sexual acts with adult males, bondage, and the graphic and lascivious exhibition of their genitals.
According to court records, Boudreau was convicted in Rhode Island state court in March 2012 for 2nd degree child molestation and in January 2014 for possession of child pornography. At the time of his sentencing for possession of child pornography in state court, Boudreau was ordered to register as a sex offender.
Boudreau, who has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on December 29, 2015, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on August 21, 2018.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise M. Barton and Richard W. Rose.
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Randolph County Resident Sentenced to 15 Years for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On May 11, 2018, Jason M. Stoker, 35, of Chester, Illinois, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for a methamphetamine offense, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Stoker previously pleaded guilty on January 26, 2018, to a one-count superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
As part of his guilty plea, Stoker admitted his involvement with others in the distribution of ice in Southern Illinois. "Ice" is a substance containing methamphetamine of at least 80% purity. Stoker obtained dealer amounts of ice and supplied it to others. On August 24, 2016, Stoker sold ice to a confidential source working for law enforcement. He admitted that he should be held responsible for distributing between 150 and 500 grams of ice.
On October 28, 2016, Officer James I. Brockmeyer of the Chester, Illinois Police Department attempted to perform a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Stoker. Because he had ice in his car, Stoker refused to pull over and instead fled from law enforcement at a high rate of speed. During the ensuing pursuit, Officer Brockmeyer lost control of his vehicle and was killed as a result of the crash. Officer Brockmeyer was 22 years old and also served as a volunteer firefighter in Chester.
At sentencing, Officer Brockmeyer’s mother, Dixie, and Chief Ryan Coffey of the Chester Police Department spoke in open court about the impact of his death. Stoker received an enhanced sentence for recklessly creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury in the course of fleeing from a law enforcement officer.
The investigation was conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Chester Police Department, Illinois State Police, Cape Girardeau, Missouri Police Department, Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department, United States
Marshals Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Randolph County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation. The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda A. Robertson and Adam E. Hanna for prosecution.
Pittsfield Man Indicted on Drug, Firearms and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Pittsfield man was charged in federal court in Springfield yesterday with distributing marijuana, illegally possessing 10 guns and money laundering.
Matthew Murray, 40, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of marijuana, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of money laundering.
As alleged in the indictment, Murray possessed and distributed more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, possessed 10 firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking, and concealed the proceeds of his drug trafficking.
The drug charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 40 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The firearms charge provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering transaction. The United States will also seek to forfeit Murray’s interest in his residence on Southbrook Lane in Pittsfield, at least $799,259 in drug proceeds, an Audi A6, a Ducati Motorcycle and the firearms and ammunition used in furtherance of the crimes.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Albert Angelucci, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pimps Sentenced to Prison for Sex Trafficking Three MinorsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two Hyattsville, Maryland men were each sentenced today to 26 years in prison for sex trafficking three minors throughout the East Coast from September through November 2016.
According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, Dennis Davis Jr. aka Dee, 26, and Ivan Williams aka Lucci, 28, sex trafficked three underage girls while working with their convicted co-conspirators, Chelsea Canterbury aka Katt, 26, and Rebecca Hamilton aka Becca, 22, also of Hyattsville. Davis, Williams, and their co-conspirators recruited the three underage girls, whom they trafficked in numerous locations, including Northern Virginia, Richmond, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, Georgia. They worked together to post online advertisements of the victims offering them for commercial sex with men throughout the region, reserved hotel rooms at which they and the victims would stay when traveling to engage in commercial sex acts, drove the victims to the hotels and other locations where the commercial sex acts occurred, and collected the money given to the victims by the commercial sex customers. The evidence further showed that when two of the minors tried to leave the group, Davis and Williams resorted to violence, including physical force and brandishing firearms. Davis and Williams used the money earned by the victims to create rap music where they bragged about exploiting females, and to fund their day-to-day living expenses.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, John P. Cronan, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, and Humberto I. Cardounel Jr., Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen C. Cain of the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case with substantial assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department and the Henrico County Police Department.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 1:17-cr-196.
Pimps Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Three Minor Victims Throughout East CoastRead the Press Release
Two Hyattsville, Maryland men were both sentenced today to 26 years in prison for sex trafficking three minors throughout the East Coast from September through November 2016.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Fairfax County Chief of Police Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr. and Chief Humberto I. Cardounel Jr. of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement.
Dennis Davis Jr. aka Dee, 26, and Ivan Williams aka Lucci, 28, were sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Judge Ellis ordered Davis and Williams to serve 10 years of supervised release following their 312-month prison sentence. Both defendants were ordered to register as sex offenders. Davis and Williams were each found guilty by a federal jury on Jan. 10, 2018, of three counts of sex trafficking and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.
According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, Davis and Williams sex trafficked three underage girls while working with their convicted co-conspirators, Chelsea Canterbury aka Katt, 26, and Rebecca Hamilton aka Becca, 22, also of Hyattsville, Maryland. Davis, Williams and their co-conspirators recruited the three underage girls, whom they trafficked in numerous locations, including Northern Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; Maryland; Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia. They worked together to post online advertisements of the victims on websites such as Backpage.com offering them for commercial sex with men throughout the region; reserved hotel rooms at which they and the victims would stay when traveling to engage in commercial sex acts; drove the victims to the hotels and other locations where the commercial sex acts occurred; and collected the money given to the victims by the commercial sex customers. The evidence further showed that when two of the minors tried to leave the group, Davis and Williams resorted to violence, including physical force and brandishing firearms. Davis and Williams used the money earned by the victims to create rap music where they bragged about exploiting females, and to fund their day-to-day living expenses.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case with substantial assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department and the Henrico County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen C. Cain of the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Novato Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO - David Andrew Nielsen was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for possessing child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge, following the entry of a guilty plea on February 2, 2018.
According to his guilty plea, Nielsen, 54, of Novato, Calif., admitted to possessing over 600 images and videos of child pornography, including images of minors younger than 12 years old and portrayals of the sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler. Further, in determining the applicable calculation under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, Judge Illston found that an enhancement should be imposed because the defendant engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor.
On August 31, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Nielsen with possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B).
In addition to the prison term, Judge Illston ordered Nielsen to serve a 7-year period of supervised release following his custodial sentence. As part of his release conditions, Nielsen must register as a sex offender and participate in sex offender-specific treatment. Nielsen has been in custody since his arrest in August 2017, and he will begin serving the sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sailaja M. Paidipaty and Christina McCall are prosecuting the case with assistance from Marina Ponomarchuk and Michelle Alter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ICE, the Novato Police Department, the Concord Police Department, and the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
North Carolina Podiatrist and His Son Face Wire Fraud Charges in Connection with Unemployment Insurance Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A North Carolina podiatrist and his son are facing federal charges in connection with an unemployment insurance benefits scheme, announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A criminal bill of information was filed in U.S. District Court in Asheville today, charging Dr. Jerry Gross, 72, and his son, Jason Lee Gross, 51, both of Rutherfordton, N.C., with wire fraud.
Nick S. Annan, Special Agent in Charge of ICE/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and the Carolinas; Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; and Rafiq Ahmad, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General, join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, Dr. Jerry Gross owned and operated the Foot & Ankle Center of the Carolinas, P.A. (Foot & Ankle Center), located in Forest City, N.C. Dr. Jerry Gross’s son, Jason Lee Gross, also worked at the Foot & Ankle Center, managing the practice’s business operations, including payroll and personnel decisions. Filed documents show that, from September 2009 to March 2013, Dr. Jerry Gross and Jason Lee Gross carried out a scheme to defraud the State of North Carolina by placing employees of the Foot & Ankle Center on Unemployment Insurance Benefits (“UI Benefits”) while those employees continued to work at the business in excess of what was permitted by the program eligibility requirements. According to court records, the scheme enabled Foot & Ankle Center to survive the economic downturn during those years by creating a free labor force.
According to filed court documents, during the relevant time period, Jason Lee Gross laid off, at various times, employees of the Foot & Ankle Center, including himself and Dr. Jerry Gross. Court records show that Jason Lee Gross made UI Benefits claims on behalf of the laid off employees, including himself and his father. Jason Lee Gross certified the initial eligibility for UI Benefits of each of the employees, and continued to certify their eligibility on a weekly basis for the UI Benefits they received. Jason Lee Gross did so despite knowing that at least four of the employees regularly failed to comply with the program eligibility requirements, including by regularly working in excess of the hours allowed by the program.
Court records show that Dr. Jerry Gross did not file any such certifications, but knew that Jason Lee Gross had placed the employees on unemployment, and was aware that at least four of those employees continued to work on a full-time or near-full-time basis, while the practice continued to generate revenue. Court documents further show that Dr. Jerry Gross also collected considerable UI Benefits himself, despite deliberately turning a blind eye to whether or not he was complying with the eligibility requirements for the program, when in fact he was not complying. Court records show that the scheme caused the State of North Carolina to pay out at least $149,970 in UI Benefits to laid-off Foot & Ankle center employees that did not meet the eligibility requirements.
The maximum penalty for the wire fraud charge is 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Signed plea agreements were also filed today. Plea hearings have not been set.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Murray thanked HSI, SBI, and the Department of Labor for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bradley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is in charge of the prosecution.
New Bedford Man Sentenced for Distributing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a heroin and fentanyl trafficking organization that operated in Taunton and Boston.
David Tejeda, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2017, Tejeda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. In February 2017, Tejeda and 22 co-defendants were arrested in connection with the conspiracy.
From mid-2016 through February 2017, federal law enforcement investigated a heroin and fentanyl trafficking organization led by Jose Antonio Lugo-Guerrero. Lugo-Guerrero allegedly operated his organization in Fall River and Boston and sold to numerous customers, including Tejeda. On Feb. 14, 2017, agents arrested Tejeda and seized from his New Bedford residence 119 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin and 117 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and cocaine.
Lugo-Guerrero has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Albert Angelucci, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Fall River Police Chief Daniel S. Racine; New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro; Taunton Police Chief Edward James Walsh; Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans; and Bristol Country District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Heinrich of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Missouri Man Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fayetteville, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Eliseo Alvarez Sr. age 52, of Pineville, Missouri, was sentenced yesterday to 210 months in federal prison, to run partially concurrent with a sentence previously ordered against him in the Eastern District of Arkansas, followed by five years of supervised release. Alvarez Sr. was also ordered to pay a $4,900.00 fine on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court records, in May 2017, during the course of an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in the Western District of Arkansas, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA) identified Alvarez Sr. as a methamphetamine source of supply for local distributors of methamphetamine. During the investigation, agents observed Alvarez Sr. meeting with a known methamphetamine distributor and drop off a green colored bag. After the meeting, agents arrested the known distributor for an outstanding warrant. During a search of the vehicle, agents located 433.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine that was located in the green bag. The suspected methamphetamine was sent the DEA South Central Lab for testing. The results confirmed that the substance was in fact a mixture of substance that contained actual methamphetamine.
Alvarez was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2017 and pled guilty in January 2018.
This case was investigated by HSI and the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Brice White prosecuted the case for the United States.
Midland Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
In Midland, United States District Judge David Counts sentenced 27-year-old Kenneth James Barfield yesterday to 30 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash; Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Kyle Williamson; and, Midland Interim Police Chief Seth Herman.
On January 10, 2018, Barfield pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court records, Barfield was responsible for distributing more than 12 kilograms of methamphetamine throughout the Permian Basin from April 2017 to November 2017.
Barfield has remained in custody since being arrested by Midland Police on November 17, 2017.
The Midland Police Department together with the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Brandi Young prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – James Stewart Maxheimer, 46, of Meridian was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 72 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.
According to the plea agreement, between May and June of 2016, detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force downloaded images of child pornography from the defendant’s computer using a peer to peer network. On July 13, 2016, ICAC detectives served a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Boise. They discovered an external hard drive hidden in an “Asteroids” video game console, and two laptop computers. The defendant admitted downloading images of child pornography using the peer to peer network on his computer, and to storing the images on the external hard drive. In all, detectives discovered 10,172 images and 378 videos depicting child pornography, including images of infants, toddlers, and children subjected to sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Maxheimer to pay $5,100 in special assessments and forfeit the external hard drive and two laptop computers used in the commission of the charged offense. As a result of his conviction, Maxheimer will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Menands Man Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kenneth J. Monahan, age 43, of Menands, New York, made his appearance yesterday in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Janelle M. Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The criminal complaint filed against Monahan alleges that he possessed child pornography on his home computer and downloaded child pornography through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program.
If convicted, Monahan faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a mandatory term of supervised release of 5 years and up to life, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and a maximum $250,000 fine. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The charge in the complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia G. Suarez.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Mail carrier from Broadview Heights locked up for three months for stealing packages containing marijuanaRead the Press Release
A mail carrier from Broadview Heights was sentenced to three months of incarceration for stealing packages containing marijuana.
Thomas N. Schaefer, 44, previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail.
Schaefer was assigned to the Newburg Post Office, zip code 44127 in Cleveland, when he stole two parcels in 2017 which contained more than 10 pounds of marijuana, according to court documents.
On March 22, 2017, Schaefer took a parcel addressed to a house on Dolloff Road in Cleveland. He suspected it contained marijuana. He opened it and found four vacuum-sealed one-pound bags of marijuana, according to court documents.
Schaefer took a parcel addressed to an address on Melgrove Avenue in Garfield Heights on Aug. 4 and kept it for himself. The parcel contained 6.7 pounds of marijuana, according to court documents.
U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely, Eastern Area Field Office, said: “The jail sentence in this case should send a message to those postal employees who decide to go into the drug dealing business for themselves by stealing drug parcels from the mail. When they are caught by Special Agents with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and Postal Inspectors, they lose their career, benefits, retirement, and, in this case, their freedom. They also put their fellow employees at risk. This investigation was initiated when Schaefer’s supervisor was assaulted by drug dealers looking for a drug parcel Schaefer may very well have stolen. Postal employees should be advised that USPS OIG special agents make these types of investigations a top priority. To report criminal activity or serious misconduct committed by postal employees, contact USPS OIG special agents at www.uspsoig.gov or 888-USPS-OIG.”
Assistant United States Attorney Elliot Morrison prosecuted the case following an investigation by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service.