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Thursday 26 April 2018
Federal grand jury indicts two for stealing $536,000 from children’s meal programRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a federal grand jury returned charges against two Shreveport individuals who ran a nonprofit corporation for stealing more than $536,000 from a program meant to supply meals to children during the summer.
Lynn D. Cawthorne, 51, and Belena C. Turner, 46, both of Shreveport, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and seven counts of wire fraud. According to the indictment, the Food and Nutrition Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the Child Nutrition Programs. The Child Nutrition Programs include the Summer Feeding Service Program (SFSP), which was established to ensure that children in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session during the summer.
United Citizens and Neighborhoods (UCAN) is a non-profit corporation that participated as a sponsor in the SFSP. Cawthorne is the president of UCAN, and Turner is the director, representing herself to be its executive director. Cawthorne Catering and Harvest Catering Inc. are businesses that allegedly provided catering services for UCAN. Beginning sometime in early 2011 and continuing until sometime in December 2015, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $536,000 from the SFSP by engaging in numerous activities to defraud, included filing claims for reimbursement that greatly inflated the number of eligible meals provided, thus claiming more children were fed at UCAN sites than were actually fed. Also money was transferred to the catering companies and other entities so that the defendants could improperly use funds that were entrusted to UCAN for the SFSP.
The defendants face 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine for each count.
The Louisiana State Inspector General, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Weapon ChargeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution at Beckley pled guilty to possession of a weapon at the prison. Stuart praised the efforts of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
“My Office takes these offenses very seriously and works closely with BOP investigators to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Richard Ray Guerrero, 33, admitted that on June 30, 2017, he possessed a weapon which he made. It consisted of a belt attached to two combination locks. The weapon was seized from him by a Federal Bureau of Prisons staff member. Guerrero faces up to five years in prison, consecutive to the sentence he is now serving, when he is sentenced on August 8, 2018.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided at the plea hearing. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John File.
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Federal Grand Jury IndictmentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that a Federal Grand Jury in Florence, South Carolina, returned Indictments against the following:
Horry County Man Indicted for Illegal Re-entry into the United States After Deportation. Domingo Alvarado-Gomez of Horry County, South Carolina, was charged in a single-count indictment with illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). The maximum penalty Alvarado-Gomez could receive is two years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.00.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement Removal Operations. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney A. Bradley Parham of the Florence office for prosecution.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in these Indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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FBI Wiretap Results in Five-Year Sentence for Wilmington Drug DealerRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, United States Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Preston Stewart, a/k/a “Pusha,” 35, of Wilmington, was sentenced to five years’ incarceration by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark following convictions for two counts of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to filings in the case and statements made in open court, Stewart purchased one kilogram of cocaine from a co-defendant in the fall of 2016. When the cocaine weighed less than expected, Stewart called back and complained. Search warrants executed later in the investigation found over 500 grams of cocaine in a residence tied to Stewart.
This case is the result of an investigation led by the FBI Delaware Violent Crime Safe Streets Task Force with assistance from the Wilmington Police Department and the Delaware Attorney General’s Office. The FBI Delaware Violent Crime Safe Streets Taskforce is a part of the New Castle County HIDTA. The Task Force is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Delaware State Police, Delaware Department Probation Parole, New Castle County Police Department, University of Delaware Police Department, and Wilmington Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Mackler.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to Hold 15th Prescription Drug Take-Back Day This SaturdayRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee will join the Drug Enforcement Administration on April 28, 2018 for its 15th Annual Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The biannual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at thousands of collection sites around the country, including here at Kroger, 7615 Highway 70 Bartlett, TN. This one-day event will make it convenient for the public to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Last October Americans turned in 456 tons (912,305 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take-Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 8.1 million pounds, more than 4,508 tons of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Addressing the opioid crisis in our communities requires a comprehensive approach which includes prevention, education, treatment, and enforcement. The DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back event allows everyone to participate in prevention and education that promotes public safety, and I encourage all West Tennesseans to turn in your unused, unwanted, and expired medications. Together, we can prevent addiction, injury and death, and educate the public about the dangers of prescription drug abuse."
Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
James Catalano, DEA, Memphis Resident Agent in Charge said, "DEA is committed to making our communities safer by raising public awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. The Prescription Drug Take-Back program will allow Americans to properly and safely dispose of their prescription medication that could otherwise be abused for non-medical purposes. Simply turn in your unused and unneeded medication at any of the numerous designated locations throughout West Tennessee. This is just one example of how DEA is working hand-in-hand with its law enforcement and community partners in an effort to stem the tide of prescription opioid abuse."
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go to the DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov where you can search by zip code, city or state.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Attacking Owner of Northwest Washington Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Michael Jones, 45, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for attacking and attempting to rob the owner of a market in Northwest Washington, while armed with a box-cutter, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Jones was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of a charge of assault with intent to commit robbery while armed. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Todd E. Edelman to a 15-year term of incarceration, with all but seven years suspended on the condition that he successfully complete two years of supervised probation upon his release from prison.
According to the government’s evidence, the crime took place on Oct. 14, 2017, at approximately 10 p.m., at a convenience store in the 5500 block of Illinois Avenue NW. Jones came into the market and walked up to the store owner. He brandished a box-cutter, ejected a rusty blade, and demanded money. Fearing for the safety of himself and his pregnant fiancée who was in the store at the time, the owner pushed Jones. Jones then turned toward the store owner’s pregnant fiancée, who ran out of the store. Jones followed outside.
Witnesses followed Jones from a distance as they called 911. Soon after that, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) stopped Jones, recovered a box-cutter, and arrested him. Jones has been in custody since his arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica Sanchez and Kacie Weston; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Lynda Randolph; Paralegal Specialists Allison Daniels and Tierra Nanches, and Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Kahn and Emile Thompson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Offense for 2016 Attack on Postal Carrier in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerome A. Proctor, Jr., 24, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to discharging a firearm during an armed robbery of a United States Postal Service (USPS) Letter Carrier who was delivering mail in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Proctor pled guilty before the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. Because the firearm was discharged during the commission of the offense, Proctor faces a mandatory 10 years of incarceration, which must run consecutive to any other sentence. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Cooper on July 17, 2018.
The government’s evidence established that on Nov. 26, 2016, at approximately 6 p.m., Proctor and an associate attacked the victim in the 2300 block of 2nd Street NE. The victim was completing mail deliveries on his route and Proctor brandished a black semi-automatic handgun and pointed it towards the letter carrier’s head. Proctor then kicked and pistol-whipped the victim while he was on the ground and his associate went through the victim’s pockets, taking the victim’s cell phone, personal keys, and wallet, containing identification and debit cards. Property of the U.S. Postal Service was also taken, including a mail satchel and scanner.
A vehicle drove up during the assault and robbery, at which point Proctor fired a single shot into the air in an attempt to scare off the driver of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle heard the gunshot, and fearing for her safety, sped away, with the letter carrier chasing after the vehicle. Shortly after the assault and robbery, Proctor and his associate could be seen together on video footage from the Fashion Centre mall at Pentagon City in Arlington, Va., where Proctor’s associate attempted to use a debit card stolen from the letter carrier at the food court.
Proctor was arrested in December 2016 in Prince George’s County, Md. and he has been in custody ever since. He was indicted in this case in May 2017.
During the assault on the letter carrier, Proctor commented that the victim got “blood on his new Timberlands.” During the course of the investigation, the victim’s blood was identified on a stain on a pair of jeans recovered from the residence where Proctor was arrested.
At the time of his arrest in Maryland, Proctor was on probation in Maryland for a firearms conviction. Proctor’s probation was revoked by Maryland and he was re-sentenced to serve the three-year sentence that had previously been suspended. That sentence must run consecutive to the sentence in this case.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Inspector in Charge Wemyss, and Chief Newsham commended the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and MPD officers in the Fifth District in quickly investigating and arresting Proctor. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Crane of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, Paralegal Specialist Rommel Pachoca, and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton.
Defendants Apprehended in International Waters Plead Guilty to Intent to Distribute 720 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – All four defendants charged in a narcotics conspiracy case after being captured in international waters near the Galapagos Islands have pleaded guilty. The co-conspirators were transported to Columbus in September 2017 for federal prosecution after being apprehended with approximately 720 kilograms of cocaine.
The more than 1,584 pounds of cocaine has an approximate street value of $25 million in total.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Adm. Paul Zukunft announced the pleas.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint in this case, Ecuadorian nationals Hernan Emilio Caldas-Estupinan, Oscar Alipio Chila-Mendez, Carlos Alfredo Escobar-Estupinan and Mexican national Jesus Antonio Ramos-Chirino were detected in a dual engine speed boat on August 18 northwest of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The United States Coast Guard cutter James was dispatched to interdict the vessel in international waters and conduct a Right of Visit boarding. The watercraft had no flag flown, no registration documents, no registration number, homeport or name on the hull of the vessel, no identification of a sailing master and no claim of nationality for the vessel.
As part of its interdiction efforts, the James launched a helicopter and two patrol craft to approach the boat. When the defendants detected the helicopter and patrol craft, they began to jettison numerous packages from the vessel while attempting to flee from the helicopter.
The Coast Guard helicopter fired warning shots in an attempt to halt the flight, and when those warning shots went unheeded, the helicopter employed disabling fire. Once the vessel had been disabled, one of the patrol craft launched from the James took control of the vessel.
Coast Guard personnel collected the 25 packages that had been thrown from the boat and discovered that they contained approximately 720 kilograms of cocaine.
Each of the four defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms of more of cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, a crime punishable by 10 years to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the DEA and United States Coast Guard, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David DeVillers and Jonathan Grey, who are prosecuting the case.
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David A. Hickman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Using Fire and Explosives to Damage and Destroy Buildings Used in Interstate CommerceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. District Judge Judith C. Herrera today sentenced David A. Hickman, 29, of Albuquerque, N.M., to 20 years of imprisonment for his conviction on five arson charges, which he pled guilty to under an agreement in which he also acknowledged committing or attempting to commit four additional arsons. Hickman will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence. Hickman also was ordered to pay $406,348 in restitution to Starbucks, one of the businesses that was a victim of Hickman’s criminal conduct. The Judge will enter orders of restitution as to the other victims at a later date.
Hickman’s sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, Special Agent in Charge John J. Durastanti of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Chief Michael Geier of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), and Chief Paul Dow of the Albuquerque Fire Department.
“Today a dangerous individual who terrorized the residents of Albuquerque in November of 2016 through a series of deliberate and premeditated violent acts that targeted innocent victims was sentenced for the devastating damage and destruction he maliciously caused,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson. “I commend the Albuquerque Fire and Police Departments for their heroic efforts to apprehend David Hickman and bring him to justice without the loss of human life, and the FBI and ATF for their steadfast commitment to working with their local partners to safeguard the Albuquerque community.”
“For several days in November 2016, when Albuquerque residents should have been enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday and time with their families, our city was hit by a wave of arsons that put a lot of people on edge,” said Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division. “Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies quickly sprang into action, working together to do what we do best: Protect the American people, and catch those who would do harm. The FBI is proud to have been a part of a team that didn't rest until the person responsible for these malicious fires was brought to justice.”
“I want to commend the efforts of the ATF agents and members of the ATF National Response Team who worked so tirelessly in bringing justice to the people of Albuquerque,” said Special Agent in Charge John J. Durastanti of the Phoenix Field Division of the ATF. “I hope today’s sentence brings resolution not only to the victims but to the business owners that were equally affected.”
Chief Michael Geier of the Albuquerque Police Department added, “The cooperation between all partners in this case epitomizes our vision of ‘One Albuquerque,’ in which we all work together to make communities safe.”
“The arrest, prosecution, and sentencing was yet another example of a successful collaboration between our local, state, and federal agencies working together to protect our citizens and great city,” said Chief Paul Dow of the Albuquerque Fire Department.”
Hickman was arrested on Nov. 28, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously damaging and destroying, and attempting to damage and destroy, by means of fire, a building, an Old Navy store located in Albuquerque, used in interstate commerce on Nov. 26, 2016. APD officers arrested Hickman in the early hours of Nov. 26, 2016, and later transferred him into the custody of the FBI. Hickman was arrested shortly after an APD officer responded to the Pavilions at San Mateo shopping center after hearing “small explosions” coming from the area. When the officer arrived at the shopping center, he observed Hickman running into and out of the Old Navy store located in the shopping center, which was on fire. Hickman was indicted on one count of maliciously damaging a building, the Old Navy store, by fire on Dec. 20, 2016.
Hickman pled guilty on Oct. 11, 2017, to five counts of damaging and destroying buildings used in interstate commerce by fire or explosive. Although Hickman pled guilty to five arson counts, in his plea agreement, Hickman acknowledged igniting arson fires that damaged or destroyed nine businesses engaged in interstate commerce in Albuquerque between Nov. 16, 2016 and Nov. 26, 2106. In entering the guilty plea, Hickman admitted that, between Nov. 16, 2016 and Nov. 26, 2016, he ignited and attempted to ignite nine separate fires at the following businesses in Albuquerque:
- Starbucks Coffee Shop, located at 800 Broadway Blvd. NE;
- Project Defending Life, located at 625 San Mateo Blvd. NE;
- Carlisle Condominiums, located at 3600 Central Ave. SE;
- Starbucks Coffee Shop, located at 5301 Gibson Blvd. SE;
- Starbucks Coffee Shop, located at 4407 Lomas Blvd. NE;
- Starbucks Coffee Shop, located at 3400 Central Ave. SE;
- Barnes & Noble Bookstore, located at the Coronado Mall at 6600 Menaul Blvd. NE;
- Shred-it, located at 1415 Broadway Blvd. NE; and
- Old Navy, located at 4900 Cutler Ave. NE.
However, Hickman entered guilty pleas to committing five arsons that damaged and destroyed the following businesses:
- Igniting the fire at the Carlisle Condominiums located at 3600 Central Ave. SE, on Nov. 23, 2016, by using glass Mason jars filled with ignitable liquid. The Carlisle Condominiums were under construction and approximately 80% complete when Hickman broke into the construction site and ignited the fire. The damages caused by the fire exceeded $8 million.
- Setting the fire at the Starbucks Coffee Shop located at 5301 Gibson Blvd. SE, on Nov. 25, 2016, by firing a gun into a glass door so he could enter the shop, and throwing glass Mason jar devices into the building together with firecrackers and a kerosene container that would ignite and fuel the fire.
- Setting the fire at the Shred-it building located at 1415 Broadway Blvd NE, on Nov. 26, 2016, by firing a gun into a glass door so he could enter the building and use glass Mason jar devices and road flares to ignite fires in the building.
- Setting the fire at the Barnes & Noble bookstore building located at the Coronado Mall at 6600 Menaul Blvd. NE, on Nov. 26, 2016, by firing a gun into a glass door so he could enter the building and use glass Mason jar devices and a road flare to ignite fires in the store. The damages caused by the fire exceeded $800,000.
- Setting the fire at the Old Navy store located in Albuquerque on Nov. 26, 2016, by shooting several rounds from an assault rifle into the windows of the store so he could enter the store and ignite several fires inside the store using glass Mason jar devices with a road flare. The damages caused by the fire exceeded $690,000.
APD arrested Hickman shortly after he departed the Old Navy store. At the time of arrest, Hickman was wearing a holster with a handgun and had a flare in his belt. In Hickman’s vehicle, APD officers found an assault rifle, glass Mason jar devices, tape, ammunition, kerosene, tannerite, and motor oil. While executing a search warrant at Hickman’s residence, officers found similar materials.
Hickman has been in federal custody since his arrest.The Albuquerque Division of the FBI, the Albuquerque office of the ATF, ATF’s National Response Team, the Albuquerque Police Department, and the Albuquerque Fire Department conducted the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred J. Federici prosecuted the case.
DEA Prepares for Prescription Drug Takeback DayRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. encourages the public to participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Takeback Day. The biannual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2018, at thousands of collection sites around the country, including over 50 here in the Northern District of Iowa. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
United States Attorney Deegan stated, “Our country is in the midst of an opioid and prescription drug abuse epidemic. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50.” Deegan added, “Our communities can help combat this epidemic by taking time to get rid of outdated unused prescription drugs. The DEA’s National Takeback Initiative provides an anonymous and free opportunity to get rid of these unneeded pills.”
Last October, Americans turned in 456 tons (912,305 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 9 million pounds—more than 4,500 tons—of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
Collection sites will be set up throughout communities nationwide. To locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Office of Diversion Control website at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback where you can search by zip code, city, or state. The service is free and anonymous.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Crescent Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Cyberstalking Public School TeacherRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – TROY ALLEN MARTIN, 46, of Crescent, has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for cyberstalking, announced Robert J. Troester, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On October 3, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Martin on two counts of cyberstalking. He pleaded guilty to one of those counts on November 28, 2017, before United States District Judge Stephen P. Friot.
According to court records, Martin met an Oklahoma public school teacher (who did not live in Crescent) through a dating website. After a brief romantic relationship, he acquired nude photographs of her, which he used to extort money from her. His texts included: "So how much is it worth not to send [the] pictures?" The teacher responded: "Please don’t do this to me." Martin wrote: "No u hurt me so now I want something for it." The teacher asked Martin what he wanted, and he texted back: "Money." At first, he demanded $100,000; he ultimately extorted $50,000 from her. Martin threatened to send the nude pictures to the teacher’s school and family. He also threatened to post them on YouTube and Facebook and to send them to her realtor and to otherwise thwart the sale of her home.
In addition to threatening to disseminate nude pictures of the teacher, Martin repeatedly harassed her through constant phone calls and text messages, sometimes using spoofed phone numbers. He threatened repeatedly to call her family members during the night on an untraceable number. He also threatened physical harm to her family through text messages, such as: "I will hire someone if u know what I mean[.] I have money."
In a statement to the court, the teacher stated that her life began to be consumed by trying to placate Martin so he would not disseminate her nude photos and ruin her career and reputation. She said she felt like his puppet and was "petrified."
On April 24, 2018, Judge Friot sentenced Martin to 33 months’ imprisonment. At the sentencing hearing, the court took into consideration Martin’s having engaged in similar conduct with other women. In adjudging his sentence, Judge Friot stated society must know that this type of criminal behavior can result in imprisonment.
In addition to the 33-month sentence, Judge Friot ordered Martin to pay $50,000 in restitution to the victim, to pay a $5,000 fine, and to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for further information.
Corpus Christi Doctor Admits to Keeping False Prescription RecordsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 51-year-old Corpus Christi physician has admitted he furnished false information in a record of dispensed controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Dr. Michael Jerome Pendleton pleaded guilty today. At the hearing, the court also heard that in February 2017, the Texas Medical Board found Pendleton was operating an unregistered pain clinic and that he had surrendered his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration license.
According to Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, a registered individual practitioner is required to keep records of controlled substances listed in Schedules II, II, IV and V if the practitioner regularly engages in the dispensing or administrating of controlled substances.
Starting in September 2013, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Pendleton’s practice based on his prescription writing practices that included a high number of proscriptions for controlled substances. Law enforcement conducted eight undercover visits to Pendleton’s office. During seven of those occasions, Pendleton prescribed hydrocodone - a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substance Act.
In November 2016, agents executed a search warrant on Pendleton’s office and seized several documents. The investigation revealed Pendleton had omitted from his records information he was required to provide including the hydrocodone he had distributed to the undercover agents.
Sentencing has been set before Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey on July17, 2018. At that time, Pendleton faces up to four years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The DEA, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Corpus Christi Police Department and the Texas Medical Board conducted the investigation as part of a joint task force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez is prosecuting the case.
Colorado Man Faces Federal Charges after Allegedly Driving 15-Year-Old Girl Through Multiple States and Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A previously convicted sex offender from Colorado has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a series of child exploitation charges after allegedly meeting a 15-year-old girl in Colorado, taking her on a 3½-month road trip that ended in Southern California, and producing child pornography that depicted sexual acts with the victim.
Kenneth Wayne Fisher, 42, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was named in an eight-count indictment filed late Wednesday.
Fisher allegedly took the victim through multiple states on a trip that ended on November 16, 2015 after a high-speed police chase that concluded when Fisher ran out of gas on the 405 freeway near Seal Beach.
The indictment charges Fisher with:
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enticement to travel in interstate commerce to engage in criminal sexual activity;
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transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity;
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production of child pornography;
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transportation of child pornography;
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possession of child pornography; and
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three counts of commission of a felony offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender.
The indictment alleges that Fisher was convicted in an Alabama state court in 2000 of sexual abuse in the second degree, which is why he was required to register as a sex offender.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If he is convicted of the offenses alleged in the indictment, Fisher faces a potential sentence of life without parole in federal prison. In Fisher’s case, because of his prior conviction and requirement to register as a sex offender, the charge of producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in prison.
Fisher is currently in federal custody in Kansas where he faces sentencing for robbing a bank during his trip with the victim.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fountain Valley Police Department. The Colorado Springs Police Department conducted the missing persons investigation, and the California Highway Patrol assisted the Fountain Valley Police Department during the chase that culminated with Fisher’s arrest.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory S. Scally of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
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Clearfield County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Houtzdale, Pa. pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Ellis D. Passmore, Jr., 46, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection to the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Oct. 5, 2015, Passmore knowingly possessed pictures and videos in individual computer graphic files, which were produced using prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The computer graphic files were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for August 21, 2018 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Pennsylvania State Police, Clearfield Barracks, conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Passmore.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cincinnati Physician Sentenced to 60 Months for Illegal Distribution of Oxycodone PillsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati physician, who was convicted of illegally distributing oxycodone pills, was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in federal prison and a fine of $500,000.
Chief U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell sentenced 61 year old Alan Arnold Godofsky for illegally distributing large quantities of oxycodone pills, outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
Testimony at his trial revealed that Godofsky was hired as a locum tenens physician at the Central Kentucky Bariatric and Pain Management clinic in Georgetown, where he wrote prescriptions for primarily oxycodone pills. According to testimony at trial, Godofsky conducted minimal exams, spending very little time with patients (some who were cooperating witnesses for the government) before prescribing large quantities of oxycodone pills. During his relatively brief employment at the clinic, Godofsky prescribed in excess of 500,000 oxycodone pills.
A federal jury found Godofsky guilty of the charges in October 2017.
The owner of the clinic, Ernest William Singleton, was previously convicted of conspiring to illegally distribute oxycodone and money laundering offenses and three other physicians from the clinic also entered guilty pleas, for illegally distributing oxycodone pills while at the clinic.
“The Defendant’s conduct was a severe breach of the trust of his legitimate medical duty,” stated United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. “His sentence should serve as a deterrent for other medical professionals who put greed over patient care and help fuel the opiate crisis through their unlawful actions.”
Under federal law, Godofsky must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
United States Attorney Duncan, and D. Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, jointly announced the sentence.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Kentucky State Police, Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure and the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron L. Walker, Jr. represented the United States.
Charleston Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man caught with methamphetamine and firearms in February 2017 was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Derrick Houston, 39, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Stuart commended the work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“Drug dealing and gun violence happen far too often on Charleston’s West Side,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “My office is working with our law enforcement partners and the West Side is on my priority target list.”
On February 28, 2017, officers with MDENT executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence, 1201 Beech Avenue, in Charleston, West Virginia. During the search, officers located approximately 237 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the couch. Officers also located two firearms during the search. As part of the plea agreement, Houston admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence.
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.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Charleston Career Offender Sentenced to Almost 16 Years in Federal Prison for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. –A Charleston man was sentenced today to 188 months -- almost 16 years -- in prison for a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Clarence Murray, 41, previously pled guilty to distribution of heroin. Stuart praised the joint efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) for their work during this investigation.
“Gun-toting drug dealers cause fear and chaos in our communities,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “16 years because this guy couldn’t figure out that selling drugs is just plain stupid. Now he gets to spend most of the rest of his good days behind bars, enjoying Christmas and Hanukah with other inmates instead of family. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.”
Murray previously admitted that in February 2014, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on two different occasions. Following the second controlled purchase, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Murray’s residence and seized over $2,500 in cash and a stolen Hi-Point .40 caliber pistol. The currency found in the search included previously recorded buy money used in one of the controlled purchases. Murray further admitted that he obtained the gun to protect himself because he was selling drugs.
Murray also admitted that on March 9, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The drug deal took place in Dunbar. He additionally admitted that he sold heroin to this same confidential informant on four different occasions. Murray further admitted that he sold heroin to a confidential informant in January 2016, and that he sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant in March 2016.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess was in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews
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Cape Girardeau Man Pleads Guilty on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office announced that Darnell Moon, age 30, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, pled guilty to five felony counts of Mail Fraud and one felony count of Wire Fraud. He appeared before United States District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.
Moon admitted he solicited individuals to pose as employees of non-existent companies for the purpose of filing false tax returns and claiming fraudulent refunds. Moon created false W-2 forms for the purported employees in the names of the non-existent companies as the "employers." Moon would then either file or help the individual file a fraudulent tax return with the Internal Revenue Service. Based on the false tax return, the IRS would issue a tax refund that the individual would then split with Moon. These non-existent companies did not employ the individuals identified on the tax returns. Moon also falsely identified dependents for the individuals and also fraudulently claimed some of those dependents as qualifying children to obtain Earned Income Credit.
Moon pled guilty on April 26, 2018. His sentencing is set for May 23, 2018. Moon faces a maximum punishment of 20 years of imprisonment for each count and fines up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Paul W. Hahn handled the prosecution for the Government.
Camden Man Sentenced to 15 Years on Federal Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Swan Nicoyis Jackson, age 22, of Camden, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 180 months (15 years) imprisonment with 4 years of supervised release to follow. Jackson plead guilty in January to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 924(e) and Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), and 851. Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, of Columbia, imposed the sentence.
Evidence presented in court established that on morning of June 2, 2017, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department deputies encountered Jackson and another male walking down railroad tracks near a neighborhood that had recent thefts. When deputies asked Jackson and the other male to stop, they both ran. Deputies could smell marijuana emanating from their direction. During the chase, Jackson fell and deputies were able to catch up to him and found a 9mm handgun in his pants pocket, along with marijuana. Further investigation revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen from a residence.
Jackson is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms based upon his prior separate state convictions for possession of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, distribution of crack cocaine (2 counts), distribution of crack cocaine near a school, possession with intent to distribute marijuana 2nd offense, and possession of crack cocaine 3rd offense or more.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and reinstituted PSN nationwide. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
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Buffalo Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Commit Access Device FraudRead 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 Catherine Jarrett, 45 of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to 18 months in prison. The defendant was also ordered to pay approximately $481,000 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryEllen Kresse, who handled the case, stated that between December 2013 and February 2014, Jarrett conspired with others, including Ricky Butler, and her son, Randy Jarrett, fraudulently to obtain and use unauthorized access devices, namely credit cards, without the knowledge or authorization of the true account holders. Co-conspirator Ricky Butler used the true account holder’s personal identifying information and account access information to contact financial institutions and have new or replacement credit cards issued to addresses in the Western District of New York. The defendant rented two minivans for Ricky Butler to drive to Walmart locations and other retail establishments where the fraudulently obtained credit cards were used to make, and attempt to make, purchases totaling over $570,000. These purchases included $500 Walmart gift cards. As part of the conspiracy, Jarrett and her son Randy Jarrett sold Walmart gift cards for Butler for less than their face value, typically $250 for a $500 gift card.
Ricky Butler was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. Randy Jarrett was previously convicted and sentenced to 21 months in prison.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of acting Inspector-in-Charge Ray Moss of the Boston Division; and the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Lewis Robinson.
Brother and Sister Convicted of Attempting to Steal $3.7 Million with Phony Invoice SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A brother and sister from New Jersey were convicted at trial today of running a multi-million dollar fraudulent invoice scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Shevandra Verasawmi, 38, of Matawan, New Jersey, and Vishallie Verasawmi, 37, of Green Brook, New Jersey, were found guilty of all four counts of an indictment charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and three counts of mail fraud. The defendants were convicted following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court. The jury deliberated for one hour before returning its verdict. Both defendants were originally arrested and charged by indictment in July 2017.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
From April 2016 through August 2016, Shevandra and Vishallie Verasawmi defrauded an entity identified in the indictment as “Victim Company 1” into paying shell companies that were incorporated by Shevandra Verasawmi. Despite the fact that the shell companies never had contracts for goods or services with Victim Company 1, Vishallie Verasawmi used her position as an employee of Victim Company 1 to cause the shell companies to be added to Victim Company 1’s accounts payable system.
Shevandra and Vishallie Verasawmi then submitted dozens of fraudulent invoices to Victim Company 1 and ultimately deposited the fraud proceeds into bank accounts they controlled. In total, Shevandra and Vishallie Verasawmi attempted to divert millions of dollars belonging to Victim Company 1 and spent the proceeds on personal expenses, including a luxury car and credit card payments.
The indictment seeks forfeiture of Shevandra and Vishallie Verasawmi’s proceeds from the scheme, including $1,066,830 and a 2016 BMW 750Li xDrive sedan.
The mail fraud conspiracy and mail fraud counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 7, 2018.
The investigation was led by special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey.
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Daniel V. Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dara Aquila Govan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit. Senior Litigation Counsel Barbara A. Ward and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Robeson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit are handling the forfeiture aspects of the case.
Defense counsel:
Shevandra Verasawmi: Michael J. Pappa Esq., Hazlet, New Jersey
Vishallie Verasawmi: Lisa Van Hoeck Esq. and Giselle Pomerleau Esq., TrentonBrevard County Man Indicted for Distributing Heroin Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Ronald Wiley (36, Melbourne) with distributing heroin and cocaine that resulted in the death of another, distributing oxycodone, distributing heroin, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and two counts of carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Wiley that the United States intends to forfeit numerous firearms and ammunition, which are alleged to be traceable to the offenses.
According to the indictment, Wiley distributed heroin and cocaine to an individual identified as S.J. on January 26, 2018. S.J. overdosed and died after ingesting the heroin and cocaine that Wiley had provided. In addition, on two other occasions in February 2018, Wiley distributed oxycodone and heroin to another individual while armed with a firearm. He also possessed four firearms on March 7, 2018. As a previously convicted felon, Wiley is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
Boston-Area Restaurant Owner Charged with Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former owner of restaurants in Boston and Chelsea was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with committing fraud to obtain U.S. citizenship.
Burhan Ud Din, 49, of Watertown, was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiracy, six counts of willful failure to collect and pay over tax, one count of making false statements under oath in a naturalization matter, and one count of procurement of naturalization contrary to law. Din was initially indicted for tax fraud in August 2017; the superseding indictment adds the naturalization allegations to the charges against him.
Din’s co-conspirators, Hazrat Khan, 58, of Middletown, NY, and Khurshed Iqbal, 58, both Pakistani nationals, were separately charged in an April 2017 18-count superseding indictment with conspiracy and willful failure to pay over taxes. In November 2017, Khan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Iqbal’s whereabouts are unknown.
According to the superseding indictment, Din and his co-conspirators defrauded the government and avoided paying payroll and income taxes owed by the restaurants they owned and operated, Crown Fried Chicken located in Chelsea and Kennedy Fried Chicken in Boston. Din, Khan, and Iqbal allegedly took steps to conceal Khan’s ownership interests in one of the stores, and Din provided the tax preparer for both stores with false information about the restaurants’ payroll and income, causing the tax preparer to file false tax returns.
The superseding indictment adds allegations that Din falsely stated under oath during naturalization proceedings in 2009 that he did not owe any overdue taxes.
Federal law requires employers to withhold payroll taxes and then pay them over to the IRS. To avoid paying taxes, Din, Khan, and Iqbal allegedly falsely reported the number of employees—some of whom were undocumented workers—and wages paid to the IRS. They also allegedly paid employees under the table and filed income-tax returns that falsely described their sales, total income, compensation of officers, salaries and wages, and taxable income.
The charge of making false statements under oath in a naturalization matter provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of procuring citizenship contrary to law provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted, Din will lose his U.S. citizenship. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the IRS provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. The tax charges against Din provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine up to $250,000, restitution, and payment of the costs of prosecution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Andrew E. Lelling; Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, and Boston Police Commissioner William Evan made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Pérez‑Daple and George Varghese of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Boston Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Distributing Drugs in and Around Public Housing DevelopmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston gang member pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to distributing crack cocaine in a Jamaica Plain housing development.
Jarrod Simmons, a/k/a “Rizz,” 21, pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a public housing facility. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2018.
Following a two-year investigation, Simmons and eight co-defendants were charged in January 2018 in connection with illegal drug distribution and firearm possession within and near the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development. Simmons, a member of the Heath Street Gang, sold cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, to a cooperating witness inside the development on Sept. 18, 2016. According to court documents, Simmons was on pretrial release for state drug and firearm offenses when he conducted the drug sale.
The investigation and arrests sought to reduce violence and improve the quality of life in and around the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments for residents by removing individuals who trafficked drugs and who were involved in gang activity in and around the development.
Simmons is the first defendant to plead guilty in this case.
The charge of distribution of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a public housing development provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of one year and no greater than 40 years in prison, a minimum of six years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $2 million. 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; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement today. Assistance was also provided by the Boston Housing Authority’s Department of Police and Public Safety.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bogalusa Church Pastor Charged for Theft of over $90,000 in Social Security Disability FundsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JERRY R. NEWTON, age 54, of Slidell, Louisiana was charged yesterday by a Bill of Information for Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
According to the Bill of Information, NEWTON applied for Social Security disability benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act. A person receiving disability benefits must truthfully disclose to the Social Security Administration any employment or income while getting the government money. In forms submitted to the SSA, NEWTON failed to disclose that he was the paid pastor of Bogalusa Baptist Church since May of 2007 and that he owned two businesses, Still Dreaming Graphics, LLC and Kclean Sweep, a cleaning service. Due to his concealing of his salary and income produced from his businesses, NEWTON received a total of $95,316 in DIB benefits to which he was not entitled.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, NEWTON faces a maximum penalty of ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory $100 special assessment, as well as restitution to the Social Security Administration
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Biloxi Woman Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. - Andrea Shelitia Sawyer, 36, of Biloxi, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 160 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Thomas M. Annello, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. Sawyer was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations received information that Sawyer and her boyfriend were distributing multiple ounces of methamphetamine in Biloxi, Mississippi. On November 1, 2017, a confidential source made contact with Sawyer and set up a deal to purchase 6 ounces of methamphetamine in exchange for money. Sawyer met with the confidential source, and upon her arrest, agents located six ounces of methamphetamine. A search warrant was also executed at the apartment where Sawyer resided in Biloxi. During the execution of the warrant, agents located more methamphetamine, marijuana, cash and a stolen firearm. Sawyer pled guilty on January 18, 2018.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn Van Buskirk.
Berkeley County man indicted on drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Hedgesville, West Virginia man has been indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Martinsburg on March 20, 2018 on a cocaine distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Douglas Mills, also known as “D,” age 26, was indicted on two counts of “Distribution of Cocaine Base.” Mills is accused of selling cocaine in Berkeley County in August 2015.
Mills was arrested in New York by the United States Marshal Service on April 11, 2018.
Mills faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Grant, also with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Martinsburg Police Department investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Baltimore man indicted on drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Baltimore, Maryland man has been indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Martinsburg on March 20, 2018 on a heroin distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Troy Bradley, also known as “Rich,” age 39, was indicted on one count of “Distribution of Heroin.” Bradley is accused of selling heroin in Berkeley County on December 11, 2015.
Bradley was arrested in Maryland on April 13, 2018.
Bradley 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.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Grant, also with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – On April 25, 2018, Antonio Reed, age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) - Baltimore Field Division.
According to his plea agreement, between May 26, 2017 and June 8, 2017, Reed and his co-conspirators planned to commit an armed robbery of a drug stash house for the purpose of stealing multiple kilograms of cocaine from a drug cartel. Reed and his co-conspirators planned this robbery with a person who was actually an undercover special agent with the ATF.
On June 8, 2017, Reed, along with his three co-conspirators, met with the undercover special agent to carry out the robbery. Reed believed that the group would commit the robbery of the drug stash house that day and that drugs would be stolen. Had Reed and his co-conspirators committed the robbery, interstate commerce would have been affected.
In furtherance of the conspiracy, Reed possessed a Smith & Wesson pistol and brought a mask and fabric gloves to use during the robbery. Reed also knew that his co-conspirators carried two other firearms that they would use in the planned robbery.
Reed faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. United States District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for August 9, 2018, at 11:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta, who is prosecuting the case.
Baldwin Borough Woman Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Controlled Substances and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A Pittsburgh-area woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of fraudulently obtaining controlled substances and health care fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count indictment, returned on April 25, named Heather Summerfield, 37, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Summerfield obtained Tramadol, a controlled substance, through fraud by posing a representative of physicians’ offices to obtain prescriptions both in her own name and in the names of fictitious individuals without the authorization of the physicians. To the extent that she fraudulently obtained prescriptions in her own name, the indictment alleges that she committed health care fraud by causing her insurance carriers to pay for those fraudulently obtained prescriptions.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than fourteen years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Athens County Home Health Care Agency Owner Sentenced for Committing $2M FraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cheryl McGrath, 50, of Guysville, Ohio, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for committing health care fraud and willful failure to pay over tax.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Office and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the sentence handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
According to court documents, McGrath owned and operated Home Health Care of Southeast Ohio in Guysville, Ohio since 1993.
From 2009 until 2015, McGrath executed a scheme to defraud the Ohio Medicaid Program by billing on behalf of Home Health Care of Southeast Ohio for home health nursing services that were never rendered. The defendant routinely changed the claim information in the billing software to falsely reflect that additional hours of nursing services had been provided and falsely increased the number of nursing visits from one visit per week to between three and five visits per week.
McGrath also submitted claims for nursing services of Medicaid patients who were ineligible because they were either residing in private nursing homes or deceased.
In total, her scheme included fraudulent claims in the amount of approximately $2.2 million.
From 2009 until 2013, McGrath maintained the books and records regarding payroll for the home health care business. During that time, she submitted Forms 941 to the IRS but did not pay over the federal employment taxes that were due, causing a loss of $366,825 to the IRS.
McGrath pleaded guilty to health care and tax fraud charges in June 2017. As part of her plea agreement, McGrath has agreed to pay more than $2.2 million in restitution to the Ohio Medicaid Program and the nearly $367,000 to the IRS.
“As the person who controlled the finances on behalf of Home Health Care of Southeast Ohio, Cheryl McGrath was entrusted with the significant responsibility to collect and turn over all IRS withholding taxes” said Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “By failing to do so, not only was the revenue due to the United States government affected, but more importantly, the Medicare and Social Security benefits of the employees was affected.”
“This scheme was intentional and egregious, and we worked hard to pursue a just outcome,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. “Fighting health care fraud is a priority of my office.”
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services OIG, FBI and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica W. Knight and Kenneth F. Affeldt and Special Assistant United States Attorney Maritsa Flaherty with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s Office, who are representing the United States in this case.
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Armed Drug Traffickers Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Joshua Christian Cantrell (24, Dade City) pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and to carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. He faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His co-conspirator, Tracy Lee Williams, a/k/a Tracy Lee Spann, (38, Tampa), previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. She faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set.
According to the plea agreements, on three separate occasions, in April and May 2017, Williams sold methamphetamine to an undercover detective in Brandon. During the first transaction, Williams sold the undercover detective approximately one ounce of methamphetamine. On the second occasion, she sold the detective approximately two ounces of methamphetamine. Cantrell drove Williams to conduct the third sale which involved approximately eight ounces of methamphetamine. They were both subsequently arrested. Law enforcement found a loaded pistol in Cantrell’s waistband and a search of his vehicle revealed another pistol, additional weapons, ammunition, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Wednesday 25 April 2018
Wilmington Man Indicted on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a Federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned a three-count indictment charging HASAN EMINOF, age 20, of Wilmington, North Carolina, with two counts of Making False Statements to a Federal Firearm Licensee and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Adjudicated Mentally Defective or Committed to a Mental Institution.
The indictment alleges that on June 8, 2016, EMINOF made a false and fictitious written statement on an ATF background check form to Backwater Guns in Wilmington, North Carolina. Specifically, the defendant represented himself to have not been adjudicated mentally defective and not to have been committed to a mental institution, when in fact as the defendant knew, he had been. On July 21, 2016, EMINOF attempted to purchase a firearm from Bullzeye Shooting, also in Wilmington, by again representing himself to have not been adjudicated mentally defective and not to have been committed to a mental institution. The indictment further alleges that on March 4, 2018, EMINOF, having been adjudicated a mental defective and having been committed to a mental institution, knowingly and unlawfully possessed firearms.
If convicted of these charges, EMINOF would face a maximum of ten years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh is prosecuting the case for the government.
United States Attorney’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration Prepare for Prescription Drug Takeback DayRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores announced the DEA will hold the 15th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 28th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 11 collection sites throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
“Studies show that the majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from their home medicine cabinet. I encourage our community to use this opportunity to safely and anonymously turn in outdated and unused prescription drugs,” U.S. Attorney Shores said.
Last October Americans turned in 456 tons (912,305 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 collection sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 9,015,668 pounds—more than 4,508 tons—of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. (The DEA cannot accept needles or sharps. The DEA can accept pills, patches, and tightly sealed liquids.)
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
The collection sites in the Northern District of Oklahoma are:
- Bartlesville Police Department - 615 S. Johnstone Ave., Bartlesville, OK 74003
- Fire Station No. 3 - 100 SE Madison Blvd., Bartlesville, OK 74006
- Fire Station No. 4 - 3501 SE Price Rd., Bartlesville, OK 74006
- Craig County Sheriff’s Office - 101 W. Delaware St., #101, Vinita, OK 74301
- DEA-Tulsa Resident Office - News On 6 Studios, 303 N. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74103
- Mounds Police Department - Mounds City Hall, 1317 Commercial Ave., Mounds, OK 74047
- Osage Nation Police Department - 1071 Grandview Lane, Pawhuska, OK 74056
- Sapulpa Police Department - 20 N. Walnut St., Sapulpa, OK 74066
- Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office - Crime Stoppers (Promenade Mall), 4107 S. Yale, Ste. 142, Tulsa, OK 74135
- Tulsa Police Department - Met East Tulsa, 12466 E. 21st St., Tulsa, OK 74129
- Tulsa Police Department - Patrick Henry Elementary, 3820 E. 41st St., Tulsa, OK 74135
For more information or to locate a collection site nearest you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
U.S. Border Patrol Agent Sentenced for Drug SmugglingRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys David Leshner (619) 546-7921 and Matthew Brehm (619) 546-8983
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 22, 2017
SAN DIEGO – U.S. Border Patrol Agent Noe Lopez was sentenced in federal court today to 70 months in prison for attempting to smuggle methamphetamine and cocaine while on duty in exchange for cash.
Lopez pleaded guilty in June of 2017 to attempted distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine. In November 2016, Lopez agreed to a plan with a confidential source whereby he would retrieve backpacks containing controlled substances from the north side of the United States/Mexico border fence while on duty with the Border Patrol. Lopez admitted that he agreed to transport the backpacks in his Border Patrol vehicle and deliver them to the source in exchange for thousands of dollars.
“This is a fitting sentence for a law enforcement agent who, instead of policing drug traffickers, joined them,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “Noe Lopez will pay a high price for betraying his fellow agents and his badge.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge John Brown said, “This case illustrates the power of our government agencies working together by bringing our resources, strengths, and intelligence to bear in order to root out corruption, wherever it may be. Today, this sentencing shows the results of one team working together to maintain the safety and security of our nation, particularly at our international border.”
“Any instance of criminal activity drives the motivation of all law enforcement officers to pursue justice,” said San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rodney S. Scott. “This is especially true when one of our own commits the criminal act. The arrest and subsequent guilty plea by former Border Patrol agent Noe Lopez tarnished the badge that our agents wear proudly and professionally represent every day. Noe Lopez violated the trust of the public and the law enforcement community he betrayed. Noe Lopez is the anomaly; he does not represent the professionalism, honor and distinction that Border Patrol agents exhibit everyday safeguarding our nation.”
On November 30, 2016, Lopez purchased three backpacks that would be used to transport the controlled substances and gave the backpacks to the source. They agreed that on December 6, 2016, Lopez would retrieve a backpack containing six pounds of methamphetamine while on duty with the Border Patrol and deliver the backpack to the source. Lopez told the source where to place the backpack containing methamphetamine on the north side of the United States/Mexico border.
According to Lopez’s admissions in his plea agreement, on December 6, 2016, undercover DEA agents placed a backpack (one of the three backpacks purchased by Lopez) containing six pounds of a substance resembling methamphetamine near the prearranged location. Lopez drove to the location in his Border Patrol vehicle and retrieved the backpack. He returned to the Border Patrol Station and placed the backpack in his personal vehicle. At the conclusion of his Border Patrol work shift, Lopez met the source at a parking lot in Chula Vista, where Lopez gave the source the backpack containing what Lopez believed to be six pounds of methamphetamine.
On December 7, 2016, the source paid Lopez $3,000 for retrieving and delivering the purported methamphetamine. In a recorded conversation, Lopez discussed the area known as “Goat Canyon” where he was to be assigned the following day. Lopez said it was one of the areas he preferred to have the drugs dropped. “Honestly, the thing is that there aren’t—there aren’t any cameras. Nothing, nothing, nothing.”
This scenario was repeated on December 8, 2016, except the backpack purportedly contained seven kilograms of cocaine. Toward the end of Lopez’s shift, agents dropped seven kilograms of simulated cocaine in another backpack previously provided by Lopez. Lopez retrieved the backpack and placed it in his Border Patrol vehicle. At the end of his shift, Lopez transferred the backpack to his personal vehicle. Lopez delivered the backpack to the source. Agents later confirmed that the backpack contained the simulated cocaine that agents had dropped at the pre-determined location.
The following day, December 9, the source gave Lopez $7,000. In the recorded meeting, Lopez went over the drop location. Lopez made clear that the source should trust him to carry out the smuggling venture because: “If I’m saying it, it’s because I’m taking the risk. If I’m saying, ‘cross now,’ that means that I am taking the responsibility for them to cross.” In response to the source’s concern that his courier would get caught if he jumped over the fence and dropped the drug-laden backpack in the requested location, Lopez responded, “No, there is nobody that will report them. Me. That’s why I’m supposed to be there. There’s nobody—there are no cameras, there are no sensors-there’s nothing. There’s nothing. That’s why I’m telling you that this—this area is perfect.”
On December 14, 2016, Lopez again switched duty areas with another agent so that he could be in a favorable area for a third smuggling event. Lopez then contacted the CS and indicated that he was scheduled to work in a favorable location for the drug drop. The drop did not occur, and Lopez was arrested at his Border Patrol Station.
Anyone with information about corruption is asked to contact the FBI at 1-877-NO-BRIBE (662-7423), or submit a tip online at TIPS.FBI.GOV.
DEFENDANT Case Number 17cr0086
Noe Lopez Age: 37 Chula Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Distribution of Methamphetamine and Cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841 (a) (1) and 846
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Attorney Supports Taking Back Unused Prescription Drugs on April 28thRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Robert M. Duncan, Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, announces his support and encouragement for the DEA and law enforcement agencies, in their National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 28th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The DEA and local agencies will be providing the public its 15th opportunity in the past 7 years to take an easy step to help prevent pill abuse and theft, by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.
Bring your pills for disposal to the following sites:
Lexington - Kentucky American Water, 2300 Richmond Rd.
Cynthiana – Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, 113 W. Pike St.
Danville – City Hall, 445 W. Main St.
Frankfort – Franklin County Health Department, 851 East-West Connector
Harrodsburg – Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, 207 W. Lexington St.
Midway – Midway City Hall, 101 E. Main St.
Nicholasville – Walmart, 1024 N. Main St.
Paris – Walmart, 305 Letton Dr.
Richmond – Kentucky State Police Post 7, 699 Eastern Bypass
Winchester – Winchester Police Department, 16 S. Maple St.
Versailles – Kroger, 212 Kroger Way
The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last fall Americans turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,300 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 9 million pounds—more than 4,500 tons—of pills.
“Four out five heroin addicts begin their downward spiral by abusing prescription opiates. More often than not, the family medicine cabinet becomes the most readily available source for these drugs. Twice each year the men and women of DEA, joined by our state and local partners in law enforcement, provide an opportunity for the public to safely dispose of their unwanted or unused prescription medication. Please join in our fight, by participating in the Drug Take Back Day on April 28th, and help make a difference in your community,” stated D. Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Field Division of the DEA.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.
“I strongly support the efforts of DEA and our other law enforcement partners in reducing unlawful access to prescription drugs,” stated U.S. Attorney Duncan. “The DEA and the other agencies involved in Take Back Day provide a vital resource in fighting the opioid problem in the Commonwealth. Far too often, the path to addiction starts with experimentation with legitimately prescribed prescription opioids found in the home. By participating in Take Back Day and disposing of unwanted pills, you can help stop a loved one from getting started misusing or abusing prescription drugs.”
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 28 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com
U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph urges public to dispose of unused prescription drugsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph urges the public to discard unused prescription drugs this weekend at area collection sites during Drug Take Back Day.
“The DEA’s Drug Take Back Day gives the public an opportunity to rid homes of unnecessary and potentially dangerous drugs without discarding them into our environment or letting them fall into the hands of those who would abuse them,” Joseph stated. “Discarding these items is one way we can safely remove substances such as opioids from our communities and reduce chances that they could be stolen or misplaced.”
Last fall Americans turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,300 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 9 million pounds—more than 4,500 tons—of pills.
Unused medicines in the home are a problem because the majority of the 6.4 million Americans who abused prescription drugs in 2015, including the almost 4 million who abused prescription painkillers, say they obtained those drugs from friends and family, including from a home medicine cabinet, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last month. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin; four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers. In 2016, nearly 64,000 people died of drug overdoses in America – with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, heroin, and common opioid painkillers like Percocet and OxyContin topping other causes of overdose, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses because of these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
The DEA will have collection sites across the country on Saturday, April 28, for those who are interested in bringing their unused or expired prescription drugs for proper disposal. Only pills and other solids, like patches, can be brought to the collection sites – liquids and needles or other sharp objects will not be accepted. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Prescription drugs can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 28, at:
Shreveport
- Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff’s Safety Town in the parking lot of Summer Grove Baptist Church, 8910 Jewella Ave.
Monroe
- Louisiana State Police, Troop F, 3811 Desiard St.
- University of Louisiana at Monroe Police Department, 1240 LA 594
Alexandria
- Alexandria City Marshal’s Office, 515 Washington St.
- Alexandria Police Department, 1000 Bolton Ave.
Lafayette
- Lafayette Sheriff’s Office, 1825 W. Willow St.
Lake Charles
- Lake Charles Police Department, 900 Lake Short Drive (Civic Center)
- Louisiana State Police, Troop D, 805 Main St.
The public can also find other collection sites by visiting Takebackday.dea.gov, and following the links to a database where they enter their zip code. Additionally, there are permanent drop-off boxes, which can also be found at Takebackday.dea.gov.
Two men sentenced for assault and armed robbery of government informant during undercover gun saleRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Michael Simpson was sentenced for assault and armed robbery of a confidential government informant who was assisting ATF agents as part of the Drug Market Initiative (“DMI”) in the English Avenue community. Elgin Byrd was previously sentenced for his respective role in the illegal activity on February 27, 2018.
“These defendants will no longer perpetuate the cycle of drug and gun trafficking in the English Avenue community,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “We are committed to working with our partners to eradicate drug trafficking in this community.”
“Any individual who is brazen enough to commit an armed robbery poses a clear and present danger to our community. This sentence sends an unequivocal message that this violence will not be tolerated. ATF and its’ law enforcement partners will continue to identify, investigate and arrest criminals who choose to use guns to commit their crimes,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Arthur Peralta.
“The City of Atlanta is making great strides in working to improve the English Avenue community and these arrests and convictions send a strong signal that such lawlessness and disregard for the community will not be tolerated,” said Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields. “The Department’s strong partnership with our federal partners is vital to our long-term public safety goals here and elsewhere throughout the City.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: Between July 27, 2016 and August 3, 2016, a confidential informant repeatedly purchased heroin from Byrd at an apartment complex in the English Avenue community as part of an undercover government operation. Byrd also brokered a gun sale for the confidential informant at the same apartment complex. On August 9, 2016, Byrd agreed to sell the confidential informant three guns at his apartment complex. Byrd lured the confidential informant to his apartment under the guise of a gun sale so that Simpson could rob the informant of the payment. While the confidential informant was waiting in Byrd’s apartment, Simpson retrieved a gun from another unit in the complex and waited behind the building for the confidential informant to walk outside. When the confidential informant left Byrd’s apartment, Simpson robbed the confidential informant at gunpoint and fled. Simpson made off with $600 in government funds and multiple forms of electronic surveillance equipment that had been provided to the confidential informant to record the controlled buy.
ATF agents conducting surveillance saw the robbery and immediately responded to rescue the confidential informant. Within hours, agents arrested Byrd in his apartment and found Simpson hiding in his mother’s attic in a nearby home.
●Michael Simpson, 25, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to 14 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Simpson pleaded guilty to assaulting the confidential informant and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to that crime on November 28, 2017. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy, robbery of federal property, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on January 29, 2018.
●Elgin Byrd, 53, of Atlanta, Georgia, was previously sentenced to 15 years and nine months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release on February 27, 2018. Byrd pleaded guilty to distributing heroin, as well as aiding and abetting the assault and robbery of the confidential informant and Simpson’s brandishing of a firearm during and in relation to that crime on September 19, 2017.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Hartigan prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Two Years in Prison for Man Who Made Counterfeit MoneyRead the Press Release
A man who manufactured counterfeit twenty dollar bills was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Victor Ineson, Jr., age 42, from Forest City, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 2, 2017, guilty plea to manufacturing counterfeit currency.
In a plea agreement, Ineson admitted he used chemicals to wash the ink off lower denomination bills and reprinted each side of the bill so that it appeared to be a $20 bill. Ineson acknowledged that he spent some of the counterfeit currency at area businesses. During the execution of a search warrant at Ineson’s residence in May 2017, law enforcement officers seized $335 in counterfeit currency.
Ineson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ineson was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $240 in restitution to area businesses. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ineson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Lightfoot and investigated by the Forest City Police Department, the Britt Police Department, the Mason City Police Department, and the Clear Lake Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-3042-LTS.
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Two New Jersey Men Arrested for Evading Taxes on $5.3 Million Taken from New York Religious OrganizationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two high-ranking members of the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ (ICGJC) were arrested today for allegedly evading taxes on millions of dollars in ICGJC funds that they fraudulently diverted to their sham entertainment company and to one of the defendants for his personal use, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Jermaine Grant, 43, of Burlington Township, New Jersey, and Lincoln Warrington, 48, of Teaneck, New Jersey, are both charged by indictment with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. Grant is also charged with five counts of personal income tax evasion. They will appear later this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court.
According to the indictment:
From January 2007 through April 2016, Grant, the leader of ICGJC, and Warrington, a high-ranking treasurer, allegedly used their positions to divert millions of dollars for Grant’s personal use and benefit.
As part of the scheme, Grant and Warrington allegedly created Black Icon Entertainment (BIE) in order to portray Grant as an entertainment industry mogul whose wealth was derived from his professional success. In fact, BIE virtually conducts no legitimate business and is funded almost exclusively by money taken from the ICGJC. Grant and Warrington funneled approximately $2.4 million in ICGJC funds into BIE, which Grant and Warrington concealed on Grant and BIE’s federal income tax returns.
In addition, Grant allegedly siphoned over $2.9 million in income from the ICGJC through multiple personal expenditures, which Grant and Warrington failed to report as income on Grant’s federal individual tax returns. Grant used an ICGJC debit card to purchase home furnishings, luxury items, designer clothing, real estate, trips to Disneyland and other resorts for his family, multiple high-end vehicles, and private school for some of his children, who were chauffeured in a Mercedes Benz paid for with ICGJC funds.
Altogether, Grant and Warrington allegedly failed to report $5,342,920, in income derived from ICGJC from 2007 through 2015, resulting in a tax loss to the United States of $1,982,470.
Each count in the indictment carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, and IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Ann Mahoney of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel:
Grant: Gerald Lefcourt Esq., New York
Warrington: Richard Levitt Esq., New York
Two Men Plead Guilty to Interstate Opioid Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to their roles in an opioid trafficking conspiracy involving the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone across Massachusetts and Florida.
Johnny Urena, 30, of Lawrence, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Jenssi Astacio, 32, of Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled their sentencings for July 24, 2018, and July 31, 2018, respectively.
Urena and Astacio were arrested along with seven others in March 2017 for their roles in a widespread conspiracy involving opioid trafficking and money laundering offenses in Massachusetts and Florida. Their arrests were the result of a three-year federal investigation into opioid-trafficking in New England.
From at least 2014, Urena conspired with co-defendants to sell quantities of heroin and/or fentanyl in Massachusetts, and to receive, transport, and distribute large quantities of oxycodone pills shipped from Florida to Massachusetts. Urena then deposited the cash proceeds of drug sales into various funnel bank accounts in order to conceal the nature and ownership of the funds. Astacio shipped - and directed other co-conspirators to ship - large quantities of oxycodone pills from Florida to Massachusetts, negotiated with other co-conspirators the sale of oxycodone pills for redistribution, and directed co-conspirators to use bank accounts to launder the cash proceeds of their illicit sale of drugs.
Co-defendants Darren Infante, Juan Reyes, George Noukas, Moses Rodriguez, Craig Drummond, and Gorky Gonzalez have pleaded guilty. Infante is scheduled to be sentenced on May 23; Reyes’ sentencing is scheduled for June 20; Noukas and Rodriguez are scheduled to be sentenced on June 25; and Drummond and Gonzalez are scheduled to be sentenced on July 17.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl provides for a sentence of no greater than 40 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of $5 million, and forfeiture. The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $1 million, and forfeiture. The charge of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the value of the property laundered, and forfeiture. 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; 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; Raymond Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Biddeford (Maine), Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Manchester (N.H.), Methuen, Millis, Natick, Stoughton, and Waltham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini and Craig Estes of Lelling’s Office are prosecuting the cases.
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.
Tuba City Man Sentenced to 84 Months for Gas Station RobberyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – This week, Omar Dixon, 37, of Tuba City, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen M. McNamee to 84 months’ imprisonment. Dixon had previously pleaded guilty to robbery.
On Sept. 20, 2015, Dixon and two codefendants entered the Tuba City Shell gas station wearing disguises. Dixon forcibly restrained the gas station attendant with a knife, while his codefendants seized the cash register, cigarette packs, and a security monitor. Dixon and his two codefendants then fled the scene in a waiting vehicle. Dixon was apprehended shortly after the robbery, in possession of two pocket knives, $130, and two unopened cigarette packs. All defendants are members of the Navajo Nation.
The investigation in this case was conducted the Tuba City Police Department, the Tuba City Criminal Investigators’ Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Jonathan R. Hornok, Cassie Bray Woo, and Roger Dokken, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-16-8247-PHX-SMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-050_Dixon
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Thayer, Missouri Man Sentenced to 210 Months Imprisonment for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Charles Oliver, 36, of Thayer, Missouri was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
In April 2017, an online undercover agent with the Memphis Crimes Against Children Task Force received a tip pertaining to "arkman27," the online identity of an individual who expressed a desire through social media to have sex with a child. Arkman27 was provided with contact information for the undercover agent, who was posing as an individual who could provide arkman27 with access to a minor female.
Thereafter, the undercover agent was contacted through the instant messaging application Kik by user "arkdad." Arkdad expressed to the undercover agent an interest in meeting a minor for sex and stated he had previous sexual contact with minors. Between April 7 and July 16, 2017, "arkdad" sent sexually explicit images and videos of prepubescent minors to the undercover agent via Kik, including an image of an infant female being penetrated by an adult male as well as several sexually explicit images of prepubescent minors engaged in oral sex, masturbation and sexual intercourse. "Arkdad" engaged in numerous graphic discussions with the undercover agent about meeting to have sex with the minor, whom he believed to be the undercover agent’s daughter. The undercover agent received these images, videos, and chats in Memphis, TN.
Further investigation revealed the defendant was the user of these online identities and that he had been the individual corresponding with the undercover agent via Kik. Oliver admitted trading images and videos of child pornography through Kik and other social media sites.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "With new and ever-changing technology, online predators are using more creative and disturbing ways to commit cyber-crimes against vulnerable victims, including the sexual solicitation of minors, and possession and distribution of child pornography. This office will always aggressively prosecute these disturbing cases, and will seek significant sentences for such predatory behavior in order to incapacitate dangerous offenders and protect child victims."
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources .
This case was investigated by the FBI and Thayer, Missouri police department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman on Appointment by Chief JudgeRead the Press Release
“Today Chief Judge Colleen McMahon notified me that the Court, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546 (d), has appointed me United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. I thank the Court and I am grateful for its confidence in me. I look forward to continuing the great tradition of this Office to pursue justice without fear or favor. I consider it the honor of a lifetime and the greatest responsibility to serve the people of New York and the United States as U.S. Attorney.”
Spokane Man Sentenced to Twelve Months in Federal Prison for Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Brendon M. McCullough, age 22, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty on July 20, 2017, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. sentenced McCullough to a 12-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 5-year term of court supervision following release from Federal prison. The Court also ordered McCullough to pay $26,106 in restitution. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Mendoza stated that McCullough’s conduct caused a “loss of privacy, money and security” and “affected a whole lot of folks.” McCullough has been in custody since January 17, 2017.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, McCullough and his conspirators stole bank credit/debit cards, checks, and PINs from mailboxes and used the stolen financial information to withdraw funds from victims’ bank accounts. McCullough and his conspirators also used stolen financial account information to transfer funds between victims’ accounts before making withdrawals, and forged and altered checks to enrich himself and other members of the conspiracy. Approximately twenty bank customers were affected.
Joseph H. Harrington said, “Prosecuting bank fraud and other white collar crime continues to be a high priority for our office. I commend the investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and Spokane Police Department for their excellent investigative work on this case. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute financial crimes in the Eastern District of Washington.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and Spokane Police Department. This case was prosecuted by George J.C. Jacobs, III, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Six MS-13 Members with Ties to New Jersey Indicted on Gang-Related Charges, Including Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder, and Multiple Murder ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A grand jury returned a seven-count superseding indictment today charging six members of the violent street gang MS-13, including one who is incarcerated in El Salvador, with various gang-related offenses, including racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, District of New Jersey, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie of the FBI’s Newark Division, Field Office Director John Tsoukaris of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, announced.
Five of the defendants, all citizens of El Salvador, are members or associates of MS-13 sub-units, or “cliques,” operating in Hudson County, New Jersey: Juan Escalante-Melgar, aka “Humilde,” 28, the former leader of the Pinos Locos Salvatrucha clique (the “Pinos clique”); Elmer Cruz-Diaz, aka “Locote,” 29, the former leader of the Hudson Locotes Salvatrucha clique (the “Hudson Locotes clique”); Oscar Sanchez-Aguilar, aka “Snappy,” 22, a member of the Pinos clique; Jose Rivera-Robles, aka “Layo,” 33, a member of the Hudson Locotes clique; and Juan Garcia-Gomez, aka “Scooby,” 22, a Hudson County MS-13 recruit, all of Union City, New Jersey. The sixth defendant, Christian Linares-Rodriguez, aka “Donkey,” 38, is a high-ranking MS-13 member who is currently incarcerated in El Salvador, and who allegedly authorized and directed much of the illegal activity described in the superseding indictment.
“MS-13 is one of the most violent and vicious gangs in America today,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The gang has more than 10,000 members following its barbaric motto of ‘kill, rape, and control’ across 40 states, and that threatens law-abiding Americans. Today’s indictment makes clear that the Trump Administration and this Department will be relentless in taking the fight to MS-13 with every lawful tool at our disposal. I want to thank the FBI, ICE, and DOJ Trial Attorneys for their hard work on this case, part of our aggressive effort to dismantle MS-13 and get its members off our streets for good.”
“Our office has been pursuing and successfully prosecuting the members of the violent transnational gang MS-13 for the crimes they have committed in New Jersey and elsewhere,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “The facts described in the indictment returned today make it clear why: This is a vicious organization with no regard for human life or for the laws of our country. We will continue to focus our resources to ensure that the people of New Jersey are made safe from this violence.”
According to court documents and statements made in court:
The defendants and other Hudson County MS-13 members and associates allegedly engaged in various forms of illegal racketeering activity on behalf of the gang between late 2014 and late 2015. This included: the execution of a suspected rival gang member in West New York, New Jersey, on July 1, 2015, which resulted in Garcia-Gomez, the shooter, becoming eligible to join MS-13; a failed May 2015 plot to kill a member of the rival 18th Street gang, who had been lured to New Jersey by a female MS-13 associate; a plot to kill a member of the Hudson Locotes clique, whom Salvadoran MS-13 leaders had “green-lighted” – or ordered to be killed – because the Hudson Locotes clique member was suspected of violating the gang’s core rule, which prohibits assisting the authorities; extorting the proprietor of a Hudson County restaurant by threatening harm if the proprietor did not pay money to the gang; and conspiring to sell cocaine on behalf of the gang.
The murder and murder conspiracies charged in the superseding indictment are described below:
The July 1, 2015 Murder
Shortly after midnight on July 1, 2015, Garcia-Gomez shot and killed a person identified in the superseding indictment as Victim-3 as the victim was entering an apartment building in West New York. Surveillance cameras mounted outside the apartment building captured the murder from multiple angles. Several angles show a male, later identified as Garcia-Gomez, approach Victim-3 from behind, level a revolver at Victim-3, and then fire a single shot into the back of Victim-3’s head. Additional angles show a male, later identified as Sanchez-Aguilar, watching the murder from across the street, and another male, later identified as Rivera-Robles, lingering close by and meeting with Garcia-Gomez moments after the execution.
Investigators also retrieved surveillance footage showing Garcia-Gomez boarding a bus after the murder, and later, entering a residence in Union City, New Jersey. Investigators visited the Union City residence and located Garcia-Gomez. Investigators also obtained a warrant to search Garcia-Gomez’s residence and recovered, among other things: a pair of distinctive jeans that Garcia-Gomez wore when he committed the murder; and a box of .44-caliber ammunition, which matches the caliber of the bullet recovered from Victim-3’s body.
Through additional investigation, including witness interviews and numerous lawfully recorded telephone conversations, some of which were obtained from the Salvadoran government, investigators discovered that Garcia-Gomez shot and killed Victim-3, a suspected rival gang member, so that he could become a full member of MS-13. The investigation further revealed that Escalante-Melgar – one of the highest-ranking Hudson County MS-13 members at the time – directed Garcia-Gomez to carry out the execution, with Linares-Rodriguez’ approval from El Salvador. Escalante-Melgar also ordered Sanchez-Aguilar and Rivera-Robles to accompany Garcia-Gomez and serve as lookouts. Prior to the murder, Sanchez-Aguilar had been surveilling the victim, while Rivera-Robles and others had test-fired the murder weapon, which belonged to Escalante-Melgar.
The May 2015 Murder Plot
Around May 2015, Hudson County MS-13 members and associates engaged in a plot to kill a member of the rival 18th Street gang from the Maryland/Virginia area, identified in the superseding indictment as Victim-2. The plot involved a female associate of MS-13, identified in the superseding indictment as Co-Conspirator-3, befriending Victim-2, and then luring Victim-2 to the New Jersey area so that MS-13 members could execute Victim-2.
Victim-2 arrived in Hudson County around May 25, 2015. Upon Victim-2’s arrival, Escalante-Melgar ordered three MS-13 members – identified in the superseding indictment as Co-Conspirator-1, Co-Conspirator-2, and Co-Conspirator-4 – to carry out the murder. When their initial attempts to make contact with Victim-2 did not go as planned, the MS-13 members decided to secure a room for Victim-2 at a local motel, and offered to transport Victim-2 back to the Maryland/Virginia area the following day. At Escalante-Melgar’s direction, the MS-13 members agreed to stab the victim to death at some point during the trip, and then dispose of the body.
The murder was foiled the following day when Victim-2 – sensing that the MS-13 members planned to harm Victim-2 – jumped from Co-Conspirator-1’s vehicle outside a tollbooth on the way to the Maryland/Virginia area. The MS-13 members later received beatings for failing to kill the rival 18th Street gang member.
The Suspected Informant Murder Plot
As alleged in the superseding indictment, Salvadoran MS-13 leaders, including Linares-Rodriguez, issued a green light to kill a member of the Hudson Locotes clique suspected of assisting the authorities, identified as Victim-1. Linares-Rodriguez allegedly issued one green light after Victim-1 refused to carry out instructions to kill a member of the rival 18th Street gang in September 2014, and then issued a second green light when Victim-1 was suspected of assisting law enforcement in early 2015. Escalante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, and others discussed the kill order on Victim-1, as well as plans to carry out the kill order, which included assigning MS-13 members and associates to surveil Victim-1 in preparation for the murder.
- Count One charges all six defendants with racketeering conspiracy.
- Count Two charges Escalante-Melgar and Linares-Rodriguez with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering based on the May 2015 Murder Plot.
- Count Three charges Escalante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, Sanchez-Aguilar, Rivera-Robles, and Garcia-Gomez with murder in aid of racketeering based on the July 1, 2015 murder.
- Count Four charges all six defendants with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering based on the July 1, 2015 murder.
- Count Five charges all six defendants with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and aiding and abetting that crime.
- Count Six charges Escalante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, Sanchez-Aguilar, Rivera-Robles, and Garcia-Gomez with causing death through the use of a firearm based on the July 1, 2015 murder.
- Count Seven charges Escalante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, and Linares-Rodriguez with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering based on the Suspected Informant Murder Plot.
Arraignment will be scheduled at a later date.
The investigation was conducted by special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ehrie in Newark; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director Tsoukaris; ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael; FBI’s Transnational Anti-Gang Unit and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Union City Police Department, the West New York Police Department, and North Bergen Police Department also assisted in this investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamari Buxton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Six MS-13 Members with Ties to New Jersey Indicted on Gang-Related Charges Including Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder, and Multiple Murder ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
A grand jury in Newark, New Jersey returned a seven-count superseding indictment today charging six members of the violent street gang MS-13 with various gang-related offenses, including racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for the District of New Jersey, Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie of the FBI’s Newark Division, Field Office Director John Tsoukaris of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark.
Five of the defendants, all citizens of El Salvador, are alleged members and/or associates of MS-13 sub-units, or “cliques,” operating in Hudson County, New Jersey: Juan Escalante-Melgar, aka Humilde, 28, the former leader of the Pinos Locos Salvatrucha clique (the “Pinos clique”); Elmer Cruz-Diaz, aka Locote, 29, the former leader of the Hudson Locotes Salvatrucha clique (the “Hudson Locotes clique”); Oscar Sanchez-Aguilar, aka Snappy, 22, a member of the Pinos clique and Juan Garcia-Gomez, aka Scooby, 22, a Hudson County MS-13 recruit, and Jose Rivera-Robles, aka Layo, 33, a member of the Hudson Locotes clique. The sixth and final defendant, Christian Linares-Rodriguez, aka Burro or Donkey, 38, is a high-ranking MS-13 member who is currently incarcerated in El Salvador, and who allegedly authorized and directed much of the illegal activity described in the superseding indictment.
“MS-13 is one of the most violent and vicious gangs in America today,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The gang has more than 10,000 members following its barbaric motto of ‘kill, rape, and control’ across 40 states, and that threatens law-abiding Americans. Today’s indictment makes clear that the Trump Administration and this Department will be relentless in taking the fight to MS-13 with every lawful tool at our disposal. I want to thank the FBI, ICE, and DOJ Trial Attorneys for their hard work on this case, part of our aggressive effort to dismantle MS-13 and get its members off our streets for good.”
“Our office has been pursuing and successfully prosecuting the members of the violent transnational gang MS-13 for the crimes they have committed in New Jersey and elsewhere,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “The facts described in the indictment returned today make it clear why: This is a vicious organization with no regard for human life or for the laws of our country. We will continue to focus our resources to ensure that the people of New Jersey are made safe from this violence.”
According to the superseding indictment, the defendants and other Hudson County MS-13 members and/or associates engaged in various forms of illegal racketeering activity on behalf of the gang between late-2014 and late-2015. The alleged illegal conduct included: a July 1, 2015 execution of a suspected rival gang member in West New York, New Jersey (the “July 1, 2015 Murder”); a May 2015 plot to stab to death a member of a rival 18th Street gang who was lured into a vehicle but managed to escape (the “May 2015 Murder Plot”); a plot “green lighted” by Salvadoran MS-13 leaders to kill a member of the Hudson Locotes clique who disobeyed an order to kill a rival gang member and was suspected of assisting the authorities (the “Suspected Informant Murder Plot”); an extortion scheme targeting the proprietor of a North Bergen, New Jersey restaurant entailing threats of violence if the proprietor did not pay money to the gang; and a conspiracy to sell cocaine on behalf of the gang.
The murder and murder conspiracies charged in the superseding indictment are described below:
The July 1, 2015 Murder
As alleged in the superseding indictment, on July 1, 2015, Garcia-Gomez shot and killed a suspected rival gang member identified as Victim-3 at Victim-3’s residence in West New York. Garcia-Gomez approached Victim-3 and fatally shot him with a revolver handgun, while Rivera-Robles and Sanchez-Aguilar watched nearby.
The indictment alleges that Garcia-Gomez shot and killed Victim-3 so that he could become a full-member of MS-13. The indictment further alleges that Escalante-Melgar – one of the highest-ranking Hudson County MS-13 members at the time – directed Garcia-Gomez to carry out the execution, with Linares-Rodriguez’s approval from El Salvador. Escalante-Melgar also ordered Sanchez-Aguilar and Rivera-Robles to accompany Garcia-Gomez and serve as lookouts. Prior to the murder, Sanchez-Aguilar had been surveilling the victim, while Rivera-Robles and others had test-fired the murder weapon, which belonged to Escalante-Melgar.
The May 2015 Murder Plot
According to the superseding indictment, around May 2015, Hudson County MS-13 members and/or associates engaged in a plot to kill a member of the rival 18th Street gang from the Maryland/Virginia area, identified as Victim-2. The plot involved a female associate of MS-13, identified in the superseding indictment as Co-Conspirator-3, befriending Victim-2, and then luring Victim-2 to the New Jersey area so that MS-13 members could execute Victim-2.
The indictment alleges that Victim-2 arrived in Hudson County around May 25, 2015 to visit Co-Conspirator-3. Upon Victim-2’s arrival, Escalante-Melgar ordered three MS-13 members to carry out the murder. The three MS-13 members allegedly offered to transport Victim-2 from a motel back to the Maryland/Virginia area and, at Escalante-Melgar’s direction, agreed to stab the victim to death at some point during the trip.
According to the indictment, the murder was foiled when Victim-2 – sensing that the MS-13 members intended harm – jumped from the backseat of the vehicle and escaped.
The Suspected Informant Murder Plot
As alleged in the superseding indictment, Salvadoran MS-13 leaders, including Linares-Rodriguez, issued a green light to kill a member of the Hudson Locotes clique suspected of assisting the authorities, identified as Victim-1. Linares-Rodriguez allegedly issued one green light after Victim-1 refused to carry out instructions to kill a member of the rival 18th Street gang in September 2014, and then issued a second green light when Victim-1 was suspected of assisting law enforcement in early 2015. Escalante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, and others discussed the kill order on Victim-1, as well as plans to carry out the kill order, which included assigning MS-13 members and/or associates to surveil Victim-1 in preparation for the murder.
Count one charges all six defendants with racketeering conspiracy. Count two charges Escalante-Melgar and Linares-Rodriguez with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering based on the May 2015 murder plot. Count three charges Escalante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, Sanchez-Aguilar, Rivera-Robles, and Garcia-Gomez with murder in aid of racketeering based on the July 1, 2015 murder. Count four charges all six defendants with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering based on the July 1, 2015 murder. Count five charges all six defendants with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and aiding and abetting that crime. Count six charges Escalante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, Sanchez-Aguilar, Rivera-Robles, and Garcia-Gomez with causing death through the use of a firearm based on the July 1, 2015 murder. Count seven charges Escalante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, and Linares-Rodriguez with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering based on the Suspected Informant Murder Plot. The arraignment has not been scheduled.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, FBI-led Transnational Anti-Gang Unit, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Justice Department’s Office of Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training, the Union City Police Department, the West New York Police Department, and North Bergen Police Department also assisted in this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamari Buxton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Seventh Member of “Manche Boy Mafia” Gang Sentenced to Six Years in Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Johnnie Earl Ross (24, Tampa) to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty on February 8, 2018.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, from at least January 2015, through November 2016, Ross and others affiliated with the “Manche Boy Mafia” or “MBM” organization conspired to commit credit card fraud and identity theft in the Tampa Bay area. To facilitate the scheme, the conspirators purchased stolen credit and debit card account numbers online from various websites, some of which used bitcoins as their currency. They then purchased or stole reloadable gift cards and used machines to emboss the stolen account numbers and their own names onto the front of these altered gift cards, thereby producing counterfeit credit cards. The conspirators then used these counterfeit cards at various retailers around the Tampa Bay area to purchase gift cards and electronics, which they either kept or sold for cash.
Investigators determined that these individuals had engaged in hundreds of successful transactions with counterfeit credit cards, and had possessed and used thousands of stolen account numbers from individuals across the United States. In total, Ross was held responsible for more than $540,000 in intended or attempted purchases with counterfeit credit cards and stolen account information.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Second Mesa Man Sentenced to 105 Months for Meth Trafficking on Hopi ReservationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Last week, Desmond Anthony Lomayaktewa, 27, of Second Mesa, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 105 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Lomayaktewa, an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe, had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
The charges to which Lomayaktewa pleaded guilty stemmed from four incidents in which Lomayaktewa was found possessing methamphetamine on the Hopi Indian Reservation, all between August 2016 and March 2017. Three times, Lomayaktewa possessed firearms as well. Lomayaktewa admitted that he sold methamphetamine on the Hopi Indian Reservation throughout this time period and that he carried firearms for protection during and in relation to his methamphetamine trafficking activity. In total, law enforcement seized over 300 grams of methamphetamine and four firearms from Lomayaktewa.
Lomayaktewa is the third defendant in recent months to receive a significant sentence for selling methamphetamine on the Hopi Indian Reservation. On March 5, 2018, Johnny Baird, 31, was sentenced to 20 months in prison. On April 2, 2018, Lawrence Maho, 54, a resident of Holbrook, Ariz. and an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
The investigations in all three cases were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services (Hopi Agency), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecutions were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-8115-PCT-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-051_Lomayaktewa
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Saratoga Springs Man Arrested for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Benjamin J. Varieur, age 33, of Saratoga Springs, New York, was arrested yesterday and charged today with receiving child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Varieur made an initial appearance in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, who ordered him detained pending further proceedings.
The complaint filed against Varieur alleges that in March 2018, he used an encrypted messaging application on his phone to receive child pornography over the Internet. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted on all charges, Varieur faces a minimum 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.