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4 June 2018
Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant United States Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSA’s will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
“Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
The Department of Justice is allocating two new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii. “The addition of these AUSAs to our office will further enhance our ability to protect Hawaii’s citizens by targeting violent criminals and taking an all-hands-on-deck approach to combatting the opioid crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Kenji M. Price.
Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant United States Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the U.S. Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSA’s will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
In the Southern District of Mississippi, four of these Assistant United States attorneys will focus on violent crime and one on affirmative civil enforcement.
“Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
“I want to thank Attorney General Sessions for these new federal prosecutors, which will allow us to do even more good work under Project EJECT in the City of Jackson and will help us expand our crime fighting abilities exponentially throughout the Southern District of Mississippi,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. “The addition of a new civil prosecutor will also help us go on the offensive in attacking the opioid crisis here at home, as well as holding those who defraud the American taxpayer accountable in our courts. Today is a great day for our state and our nation, as these actions will greatly increase the safety of our neighborhoods, enrich the lives of our citizens, and safeguard the American pocketbook.”
In December 2017, U.S. Attorney Hurst launched Project EJECT, a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in the City of Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together.” Project EJECT is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
During the first six months of Project EJECT, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has indicted over 50 criminals in the City of Jackson, ranging from carjacking to business robberies to felons illegally possessing firearms to illegal drugs. According to recent statistics released by the Jackson Police Department, the violent crime numbers for the City of Jackson have significantly decreased, dropping almost 25% from this same time last year.
To see more information on the locations of the 311 Assistant United States Attorney positions, please visit www.justice.gov.
Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant United States Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force that targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
“Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is ‘the coin of the realm.’ When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
In the Eastern District of New York, five of these AUSAs will focus on violent crime, two on civil enforcement, and two on prosecuting immigration cases.
“The addition of nine new Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of New York will accelerate our Office’s efforts to bring prosecutions against the most violent criminals in our communities, including gang members, international narcotic traffickers and terrorists; secure our ports of entry and communities against illegal immigration and immigration fraud and increase our civil enforcement efforts against opioid abuse, elder fraud, health care fraud and other financial crimes,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Today’s announcement underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to make the Eastern District of New York a safer place by providing new resources to address the unique and complex challenges we face.”
Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant United States Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. The District of Oregon will receive one prosecutor in each of the three targeted areas. Many of the civil enforcement AUSA’s will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
“Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
“The mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is to pursue justice and ensure public safety. Adding three new prosecutors to our staff will help us extend the reach of our mission across the state,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Reducing violent crime, enforcing immigration law, and attacking health care fraud that fuels the opioid epidemic are central to achieving our mission. Expanding our staff in each of these priority areas will have an immediate, positive impact on the lives of Oregonians.”
Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant United States Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island Stephen G. Dambruch announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSA’s will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
"Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades."
In Rhode Island, the newly-allocated Assistant United States Attorney position will bolster the District’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement practice, handling, among other duties, opioid-related health care fraud and drug diversion maters. Using a variety of traditional investigative methods, data analysis, and close collaboration with state and federal law enforcement partners, the Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement and criminal Health Care fraud programs are critical tools in fulfilling the District’s and the Department’s commitment to address the impact of the opioid crisis, by focusing on illegal activity at every stage of the opioid supply chain from manufacturer, to pharmacy, to prescriber. The addition of this new Assistant U.S. Attorney position is a critical new resource in support of those efforts.
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Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant United States Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA –Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Thomas T. Cullen announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
“Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
The Western District of Virginia will receive funding to hire one AUSA to focus on violent crime and a second AUSA to focus on civil enforcement. It is expected that these positions will be based in the Roanoke office, however the additional allocation of prosecutorial resources will extend throughout the Western District of Virginia. The new positions will soon be open to qualified applicants and are in addition to the three pending job openings in the Western District of Virginia for prosecutors dedicated to the prosecution of violent offenders and prolific drug dealers.
“Reducing violent crime is my first priority and the addition of this Assistant United States Attorney will go a long way in making the communities of the Western District of Virginia safer,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “Human capital is our most important resource in fighting crime and today’s action bring much needed resources to our district.”
Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant U.S. Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
DENVER – On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, Bob Troyer, announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
“Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
In Colorado, five new AUSAs will be hired. Three will be criminal prosecutors and two will focus on civil affirmative enforcement cases.
"This is great news for Colorado. With five new Assistant United States Attorneys joining our already exceptional staff, our ability to make Colorado safer gets even stronger. These additional resources will enhance community safety, join our battle against opioids, and ensure federal taxpayer dollars are protected."
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Selects Northern District of Illinois to Receive Six New Assistant U.S. Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Attorney General Jeff Sessions and United States Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr., of the Northern District of Illinois, today announced that the district will receive additional resources to combat violent crime, enforce federal immigration laws and attack the opioid crisis. The Northern District of Illinois will receive six Assistant U.S. Attorney positions to focus exclusively on those priorities. Nationally, 311 new federal prosecutors will be assigned to districts throughout the country.
“Under President Trump’s strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis — and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is ‘the coin of the realm.’ When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”
“We welcome the additional resources to reduce violent crime, enforce our country’s immigration laws and fight the opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Our Assistant U.S. Attorneys work tirelessly to keep the citizens of northern Illinois safe, and these new positions will strengthen those efforts. We will work quickly to fill these positions with highly skilled, highly motivated attorneys.”
Under the Attorney General’s allocation, four of the new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions in the Northern District of Illinois will focus exclusively on violent crime. The other two positions will be assigned to the office’s Civil Division, focusing on immigration cases and affirmative civil enforcement actions, which seek to recover government money lost to fraud or to impose penalties for violations of federal laws. Many of the new civil enforcement positions announced today will support the Department of Justice’s newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force, which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan honored with an Arthur S. Flemming Award for his work preventing and prosecuting child exploitation crimesRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan was honored today with an Arthur S. Flemming Award for his work in preventing and prosecuting crimes involving the exploitation of children.
The Flemming Awards were established in 1948 and are presented by the George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. Past recipients include Neil Armstrong, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, former Senator Elizabeth Dole, former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and former Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker. The last time a Flemming Award was presented to an employee of any U.S. Attorney’s Office was in 2011.
Sullivan was honored for his highly successful prosecution, as Senior Litigation Counsel, of child exploitation cases. He has gained a national reputation for his aggressive prosecution of these offenders. His greatest contribution may well be his role in the implementation and promotion of a new investigative protocol for child pornography cases that has been incredibly successful in Northern Ohio and has been replicated across the country.
“This award is a testament to the many years Mike has spent pursuing predators and sticking up for our most vulnerable victims,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “Mike is absolutely the best that the Department of Justice, the United States Attorney’s community, and the Northern District of Ohio has to offer. I’m very glad he’s on our side and the side of our nation’s child victims.”
Sullivan is often asked to train and speak to prosecutors around the nation about how to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases. He also frequently talks to students and parents at school throughout the area about safe use of computers and social media.
Sullivan graduated from the University of Notre Dame and the Fordham University School of Law. He worked in the Suffolk County (New York) District Attorney’s Office and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office before joining the United States Attorney’s Office in Cleveland in 2003.
Amazon fraudsters sentenced to years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
Husband and wife thieves to serve nearly six years; fence to serve two
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today that the three individuals who were previously charged with defrauding online retailer Amazon of $1.2 million in consumer electronics were sentenced to prison by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
Erin Finan, 38, and Leah Finan, 38, husband and wife from the Muncie-Anderson area, pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud and money laundering charges, and were sentenced to 71 months and 68 months in prison, respectively. Danijel Glumac, 29, of Indianapolis, pleaded guilty to money laundering and to fencing the items the Finans stole – that is, buying and selling stolen property across state lines – and was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
“Consumer fraud not only unjustly enriches the perpetrator, it causes all of us to pay higher retail prices,” said Minkler. “To those who seek to exploit the convenience of online shopping through fraud, remember this case. You will be caught. You will be prosecuted. And you will go to federal prison for a long time.”
Between 2014 and 2016, the Finans and Glumac stole and sold over 2,700 consumer electronics items such as GoPro digital cameras, Microsoft Xboxes, Samsung smartwatches, Microsoft Surface tablets, Apple Macbooks, and other consumer electronics. Their fraud exploited Amazon’s customer service policy by repeatedly falsely claiming that the electronics they ordered were damaged or not working, and then requesting and receiving replacements from Amazon at no charge. In total, the Finans stole, and Glumac sold, over $1.2 million in consumer electronics.
For the Finans, fraud had become a way of life. Their Amazon scheme was their “job.” It involved placing thousands of Amazon orders, creating hundreds of false identities, retrieving their stolen goods from retail shipping stores all over Indiana, and selling them to their fence, Glumac, on a near-daily basis. In just over two years, they made roughly $750,000 from their scheme.
Their nearly six-year sentences reflected their willingness to commit other frauds too. They bounced checks. They rented cars but never paid for them. They rented houses but never paid the rent. And they even committed another online fraud involving stealing high-end rental softball equipment and selling it on Facebook groups of parents of children who were serious about softball.
Glumac, for his part, pleaded guilty to buying the over 2,000 electronics items from the Finans and selling them to a buyer in New York. Glumac bought the items from the Finans in person, often in parking lots around Indianapolis, before marking up their prices and shipping them off to the New York buyer, who would then sell them to the public – often on Amazon. In total, after laundering the proceeds through bank accounts associated with a clothing business, Glumac made nearly $500,000 from the scheme.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Indiana State Police.
“IRS Criminal Investigation recognizes the damage caused to our economy when individuals like Erin and Leah Finan and Danijel Glumac defraud American corporations like Amazon,” said IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Gabriel Grchan. “The lengthy prison sentences handed down to each of these individuals show that there are devastating consequences to those who think they can make a living off of crime and defrauding others. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to using its resources to unravel complex financial transactions in order to protect corporations and consumers alike in Indiana.”
“Shopping online has changed the way we think of retail. Many of those purchases are shipped to consumers using the U.S. Mail,” said Inspector in Charge Patricia Armstrong, of the Detroit Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Glumac and the Finans found a way to commit fraud in the process. Postal Inspectors are proud to have partnered with fellow law enforcement to put an end to the illegal endeavors of these three criminals.”
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the Office’s firm commitment to partner with federal and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute complex and large-scale fraud schemes. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan 5.1)
Assistant United States Attorney Nick Linder, who prosecuted the case for the government, said that the three defendants were also ordered to pay full restitution of $1,218,504.
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Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant United States Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and First Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange for the District of Arizona announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
"Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades."
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona will receive 10 of the newly-created positions. “We are very grateful to be receiving such a dramatic infusion of prosecutorial and enforcement resources,” stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Strange. “Our office is dedicated to securing the border, combatting the violent crime that plagues our cities and tribal communities, and addressing the opioid crisis in Arizona. These additional attorneys will allow us to make even greater strides in these important areas to enhance the safety of our communities.”
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-074_ AUSAs
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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.
Attorney General Sessions Announces 311 New Assistant United States Attorney PositionsRead the Press Release
May 17, 2018 – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont Christina Nolan announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
"Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades."
In the District of Vermont, which will receive three new AUSAs, one of these prosecutors will focus on violent crime, one on affirmative civil enforcement, and one on prosecuting immigration crimes. The allocation of an additional violent crime AUSA will permit the U.S. Attorney’s Office to place even greater emphasis on violent criminal conduct, such as homicides, arsons, robberies, and other criminality involving the use of firearms. In the civil enforcement arena, the additional AUSA position will allow federal prosecutors to bring powerful civil resources to bear on those who endeavor to obtain federal funds by fraudulent means. This increase in civil resources will also support Attorney General Sessions’ vision to combat the opiate epidemic in Vermont and across the country using the full range of criminal and civil enforcement tools against opioid over-prescribers and pill diverters. Finally, the addition of a position focused on immigration crime increases the District of Vermont’s capacity to protect the integrity of the northern border and prosecute those who enter or remain in the United States in violation of our nation’s immigration laws.
In response to the Attorney General’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Nolan noted: “We in Vermont are grateful to the Department for recognizing these areas of critical law enforcement need, and sending resources to our State so that we can address these needs efficiently and effectively. My office will make immediate use of this violent crime resource to target those whose criminal conduct strikes at the heart of Vermont’s safety and security. In addition, the allocation of a civil enforcement AUSA position is a clear call for us to continue to attack the opiate scourge in Vermont in a creative and comprehensive manner, with resort to all civil and criminal mechanisms at our disposal. As a state situated along the international border with Canada, Vermont prosecutors must combat unlawful border crossings and work to dismantle smuggling rings that import people and contraband into the country. The District of Vermont will use this criminal immigration AUSA position to do its part to ensure the security of our nation and preserve the integrity of our border and immigration laws.
To see more information on the locations of the 311 Assistant United States Attorney positions click here.
1 June 2018
Wounded Knee Man Found Guilty of Assaulting Another Man with a Golf ClubRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Virgil Left Hand, Sr., age 51, was found guilty of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury following a federal trial in Rapid City, South Dakota.
The charges each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Evidence at trial established Left Hand assaulted another man with a golf club at Wounded Knee on September 23, 2017. This assault resulted in the victim suffering a depressed skull fracture that required emergency surgery to repair.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted and tried the case.
A sentencing date was set for September 18, 2018. Left Hand was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Woman Sentenced to More than Five Years in Federal Prison for Transporting Ice MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A Corridor woman who was transporting ice methamphetamine from Marion to Cedar Rapids for her boyfriend, a federal felon, was sentenced May 31, 2018, to more than five years in federal prison.
Leea McGinnis, age 35, from the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area, received the prison term after a November 13, 2017, guilty plea to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In a plea agreement, McGinnis admitted that, on April 4, 2017, she was driving a car in Marion with a suspended driver’s license for having failed to pay child support. At the time police stopped her, McGinnis was transporting a stash of methamphetamine for her boyfriend, a federal felon with whom she was living in Marion. During a search of McGinnis’s car, officers found more than 25 grams of “ice” methamphetamine. Officers also found drug paraphernalia, nearly 140 grams of marijuana, and $1,088 in cash. Officers later found another 110 grams of ice methamphetamine in another one of McGinnis’s cars.
McGinnis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. McGinnis was sentenced to 64 months’ imprisonment and fined $2,000. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. McGinnis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until being transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 17-CR-73-LRR and 17-MJ-301-CJW. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
West Chester University Student Indicted on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – A West Chester University student has been charged with transporting, receiving and possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain. The defendant was arrested this morning
Ryan Davis, 21, of Thornbury, PA, formerly a resident of Glen Mills, was charged by indictment May 31 with transporting, receiving and possessing a collection of more than 600 images and videos of children being sexually assaulted and depicted in sexually explicit positions on various dates in 2016 and 2017. The indictment was unsealed today.
The charges arose out of an investigation into Davis’ online criminal activities involving his use of his Dropbox and other online accounts to sexually exploit children.
“Child exploitation is a horrendous crime, and we have to do everything in our power to stop it,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “That’s why these cases are a priority, as is ensuring that the offenders are held fully accountable.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 60 years’ incarceration, which includes a 5-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment, five years up to a lifetime of supervised release, and $750,000 in fines.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Washington Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Methamphetamine in AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Zerisenay Gebregiorgis, 36, a Washington resident, was sentenced today in Juneau by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve 121 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. Gebregiorgis was previously convicted in December 2017, following a five-day jury trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, between June 1, 2016, and Aug. 16, 2016, Gebregiorgis and others planned to distribute large quantities of heroin and methamphetamine in the communities of Ketchikan and Sitka. Gebregiorgis supplied drugs to drug couriers, who carried the drugs inside their bodies to other co-conspirators in Ketchikan and Sitka for subsequent distribution. Drug proceeds were then given to the couriers to be carried back to Seattle to be delivered to Gebregiorgis or deposited into bank accounts controlled by Gebregiorgis.
According to court documents, Gebregiorgis supplied at least one ounce of methamphetamine and at least 20 ounces of heroin during the course of the conspiracy. Gebregiorgis directed every aspect of the conspiracy, to include directing the amounts of drugs sent to Alaska, the couriers who carried the drugs, the travel for those couriers, and delivery of drug proceeds back to him via couriers and bank accounts deposits.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the members of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Taskforce (SEACAD), specifically the members from the Alaska State Troopers (AST), Ketchikan Police Department (KPD), and the Sitka Police Department (SPD) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt.
Two Plead Guilty in Connection with A Smuggling Attempt at the Peace BridgeRead 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 Viktoria Tanasiv, 21, of Canada, and Yevhen Lysak, 23, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to neglecting to assist a customs officer before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J Roemer. Tanasiv was fined and released to immigration authorities, while Lysak was fined and released.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie O. Lamarque, who handled the case, stated that on June 1, 2018, at approximately 1:45 a.m., a vehicle, registered in the State of Pennsylvania and driven by Yevhen Lysak, arrived at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry seeking to enter the United States. Lysak stated that he was returning to his residence in Pennsylvania after visiting his girlfriend, a resident of Canada. During primary inspection, a Customs and Border Protection Officer conducted an inspection of the vehicle’s trunk in order to verify Lysak’s oral declaration. During the search, the officer discovered Viktoria Tanasiv in the trunk of the car.
The defendants were taken to secondary examination. Tanasiv was subsequently identified as a citizen of Ukraine, but a permanent resident of Canada. Lysak told officers that he and Tanasiv are in a personal relationship and that Tanasiv voluntarily got into the trunk of his vehicle so that she could spend the weekend with him in Pennsylvania. Tanasiv also told officers that she consensually entered into the trunk of Lysak’s vehicle so that she could spend the weekend with him.
The case is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Two Men Responsible for Five Waterloo Burglaries Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Two men who burglarized and stole from multiple Waterloo businesses were sentenced on May 30 and May 31, 2017, to several years in federal prison.
John Bennett, age 48, and Cody Laughlin, age 26, both from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison terms after November 2017 guilty pleas to credit union burglary and credit union larceny.
At his guilty plea, Laughlin admitted that on May 25, 2017, he and Bennett used a vehicle to ram the front doors of a Waterloo credit union. After breaching the doors, Laughlin entered the credit union and with Bennett’s assistance attempted to remove a cash recycling machine containing approximately $85,000. Bennett and Laughlin attached a tow hook to the machine and their vehicle, but the machine was too heavy to tow out. On May 27, 2017, Laughlin and Bennett went to a different credit union and used a forklift to take an ATM containing more than $57,000. At sentencing, both Bennett and Laughlin admitted to a total of five such burglaries involving multiple stolen vehicles. The two disposed of some of the stolen vehicles by dumping them in a nearby river. In one case, police officers found a stolen vehicle on fire. In total, Bennett and Laughlin caused over $217,000 of loss to ten separate victims.
Bennett was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Bennett was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $217,477.33 in restitution to all of the victims. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Laughlin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Laughlin was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $217,477.33 in restitution to all of the victims. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Bennett and Laughlin are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-2062.
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Two Memphis Men Sentenced to a Total of 250 Months Imprisonment for Robbing Family Dollar StoreRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Two Memphis men have been sentenced to a total of 250 months in federal prison for committing an armed robbery affecting interstate commerce. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentences today.
According to information presented in court, on January 21, 2017, at approximately 9:40 p.m., Trentell Razor, 22, and Lareco Brooks, 21, entered the Family Dollar store at 2912 Coleman in Memphis. The men were dressed in black clothing and their faces were covered. Razor jumped over the counter and headed to the back of the store where he saw a customer with her young daughter. He advised them to stay where they were.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said:" The senselessness of gun violence has a long lasting effect on victims of armed robbery, and also has a corresponding long lasting consequence for such lawless offenders. These sentences make clear that there will always be a reckoning for the commission of violent crimes."
Brooks, armed with a sawed-off shotgun, put the shotgun to the neck of one of the two employees in the store, grabbed her by the shirt, and threw her to the ground. He then grabbed the second employee by the back of her shirt collar, pulled her across the counter and put the shotgun to her temple. He ordered her to open the register. Razor took money from the drawer and the two men fled on foot. A tracking device hidden in the bills enabled law enforcement to track the men to a Kia Spectra. When officers began following the vehicle, the men sped off and a police pursuit ensued. During the police chase, Brooks asked Razor to pull over and let him out. Razor complied and Brooks fled on foot, throwing the sawed-off shotgun in his wake. Razor finally stopped the vehicle and surrendered to police. Brooks was apprehended several days later on an unrelated charge.
On May 24, 2018, U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. sentenced the men to a total of 250 months imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Hartridge prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Two Dominican Nationals Sentenced for Roles in Lawrence-Based Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Dominican nationals were sentenced in federal court in Boston for their roles in a widespread heroin and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating in Lawrence.
Domingo Gonzalez Martinez, 48, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Ruddy Rafael Soto Lara, 40, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both defendants will be subject to deportation proceedings. In February 2018, Gonzalez Martinez and Soto Lara each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Soto Lara also pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
On May 30, 2017, a large scale law enforcement operation dismantled two Lawrence-based drug trafficking organizations, one allegedly run by Juan Anibal Patrone, and another led by Ramon Gonzalez Nival, who was allegedly a source of supply for Patrone. In May 2017, Gonzalez Martinez was arrested and charged along with Patrone, Gonzalez Nival, and 30 co-conspirators. Soto Lara was already in state custody at the time of the takedown.
Gonzalez Martinez supplied fentanyl to Patrone. Gonzalez Martinez operated out of the Corniel Market, or bodega, in Lawrence, and was one of several suppliers utilized by Patrone.
Soto Lara was a courier of fentanyl and cocaine for Gonzalez Nival. He was arrested on April 13, 2017, with approximately 20 grams of fentanyl, which he was delivering for Nival.
Patrone has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to stand trial in October 2018. Gonzalez Nival has a change of plea hearing scheduled for June 6, 2018.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Winkler of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted 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.
Threatening to Blow-Up an Apartment with People Inside Sends Waterloo Man to Federal Prison for Two YearsRead the Press Release
A man who threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and blow up her home and car was sentenced on May 31, 2018, to two years in federal prison.
Adam Charles Butler, age 25, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 16, 2017 guilty plea to willfully making threats to kill or injure another by means of an explosive.
At the sentencing hearing, evidence showed that Butler sent several text messages threatening to use three bombs to blow up an Evansdale woman’s car and apartment when she and their young child were at home. Butler made the threat because the woman did not allow him to see their child that day and, according to one of Butler’s text messages, “because she doesn’t get to have all the control.” Butler was seen outside the woman’s home at approximately two in the morning the night after sending the bomb threats in violation of a no-contact order, and was arrested after police officers observed him leaving the area in his car.
Butler also had a history of domestic abuse, including physical assaults, break-ins, vandalism, threatening with guns, repeated verbal and text message death threats, and discharging guns.
Butler was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Chief Judge Strand, noting Butler’s history of domestic violence and the “egregious” nature of the threats, called Butler’s actions “very dangerous” and “disturbing.” Butler was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Butler 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 Attorneys Lyndie M. Freeman and Ravi T. Narayan and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-2074.
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Thirteen people indicted for firearms crimes and related violations as part of Project Safe NeighborhoodsRead the Press Release
Thirteen people from Ohio were indicted or charged in the past week in U.S. District Court in Cleveland for firearms crimes and related violations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio is on pace to file approximately 60 percent more firearms and violent crime indictments in Fiscal Year 2018 as it did in the previous two fiscal years.
“These defendants include those with a long history of violent crime, as well as defendants who have illegally obtained guns for criminals to use in violent crime like carjackings,” said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman. “As part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, we will continue to work with local police and federal law enforcement to target the most dangerous offenders and make our community safer.”
“There is no place in our community for those who use firearms for violent, criminal purposes,” said Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels to bring those individuals to justice.”
Indicted are: Tyla Spencer, 21, of Cleveland; Charles Fortney, 32, of Lorain; Rishad S. Bilal, 23, of Cleveland; Sergio D. Watson, 26, of Barberton; Logan Charles Peters, 20, of Wooster; David Crosby, 41, of Cleveland; Thomas O. Taylor, 36, of Cleveland; Demetrion Gross, 38, of Cleveland; Tony Olds, 37, of Boardman; Miquel Jones, 48, of South Euclid; Cory Moore, 25, of Cleveland; Keith Lundy, 43, of Cleveland, and Gregory Horne, 55, of Warren.
Spencer was charged with one count of making a false statement in acquisition of a firearm. Spencer bought a Glock 9 mm pistol and a Glock .40-caliber pistol on Jan. 3 from Cleveland Armory in Valley View.
Spencer went Cleveland Armory with Lashawn Davis and a juvenile and bought the Glocks with cash that Davis and the juvenile got from robbing a check-cashing store in Cleveland the day before. Spencer falsely stated she was the true buyer of the firearms when, in fact, she was purchasing the firearms on behalf of the males. Davis and the juvenile then used the firearms in a bank robbery and carjacking in February, according to court documents and statements in court.
Davis and the juvenile are in jail and awaiting trial for their crimes.
Fortney was charged with one count of possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Fortney on March 5 possessed a Kel-Tec 5.56 mm firearm modified with a forward vertical grip which had not been registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, according to the indictment.
Bilal was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He possessed a Glock, Model 26, 9 mm caliber pistol with 15 rounds of ammunition on April 11, after having been previously convicted of drug trafficking, according to the indictment.
Watson was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Watson on April 19 possessed four pistols loaded with ammunition: a Springfield Armory XD 40 .40 caliber pistol, a stolen Smith and Wesson SW40VE .40 caliber pistol, a Ruger SR9C 9mm pistol and a stolen Titan Manufacturing .25 caliber pistol. Watson had previous convictions for burglary, heroin trafficking, aggravated drug trafficking, having weapons while under disability, cocaine possession and other crimes, according to the indictment.
Peters was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Peters on March 28 possessed a Ruger 9 mm pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition despite previous convictions for aggravated motor vehicle theft and drug crimes, according to the indictment.
Crosby was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Crosby on April 22 possessed a Taurus 9 mm caliber pistol with six rounds of ammunition despite having been previously convicted of drug trafficking, robbery and assault on a peace officer, according to the indictment.
Taylor was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Taylor possessed a Taurus .40-caliber handgun and ammunition on March 25 despite two prior convictions for drug trafficking, according to the indictment.
Gross was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. On April 5, he possessed a Diamondback 9 mm handgun, a Glock .40-caliber handgun and ammunition, despite previous convictions for felonious assault, drug trafficking and escape, according to the indictment.
Olds was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Olds on March 18 possessed a Taurus 9 mm pistol and ammunition despite numerous previous convictions, including a conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the indictment.
Jones was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was arrested on May 23for having a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun, a Ruger 9 mm handgun and 16 rounds of ammunition, despite previous convictions for robbery, burglary and domestic violence, according to court documents.
Moore was charged with one count of making false statements in the acquisition of firearms. Moore purchased a Taurus 9 mm pistol from On Target Firearms on State Road in Parma in July 2015. Moore caused to be made false statements about who was the actual buyer on the firearm.
Lundy was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Lundy possessed a firearm and approximately 500 grams of fentanyl that he planned to sell, according to the indictment.
Horne was charged with possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Horne had a Ruger 9 mm pistol and ammunition and 28 grams of crack cocaine on Dec. 15, 2017. He was previously convicted of possession of cocaine, according to the indictment.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority Police, Akron Police Department, Parma Police Department, Youngstown Police Department, Warren Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Crime Strategies Unit.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tax Return Preparer Arrested for Conspiring to Defraud the United States by Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Winston-Salem resident was arrested today on charges of tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin of the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Claudia Lynette Shivers (“Shivers”) conspired with Shannon DeWayne Patterson (“Patterson”), Kristyn Dion Daney (“Daney”), Rakeem Lenell Scales (“Scales”) and others to defraud the government by preparing false tax returns. Shivers co-owned and operated tax return preparation businesses named Fast Tax of Winston-Salem, Inc. (“Fast Tax”) in Winston-Salem and Quick Taxes LLC (“Quick Taxes”) in Greensboro. Shivers and her co-conspirators agreed to falsify items on clients’ tax returns in order to maximize their refunds. As part of their scheme, Shivers and her co-conspirators would direct clients to hand-write false information on tax forms and other documents to create a false record of information provided to Fast Tax and Quick Taxes for the preparation of the clients’ tax returns. Shivers is also charged with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for several clients, as well as filing a false 2014 tax return for herself on which she failed to report all of her income.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and the defendant is presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Shivers faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, three years in prison for each count of preparing false tax returns for clients, and three years in prison for the count of filing her own false tax return. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Patterson, Daney and Scales have all pled guilty to charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, and are awaiting sentencing. Each faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
“We will prosecute those who cheat on their taxes and those who coach others to cheat on their taxes. It harms all tax-payers and threatens the integrity of our system,” stated U.S. Attorney Martin.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau of the Tax Division and Criminal Division Chief Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina, who are prosecuting the case. Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
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Syracuse Man Sentenced for Threatening Death Against A New York Congressman and His FamilyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – United States Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Patrick D. Angelo, 28, of Syracuse, NY, who was convicted of interstate communication of a threat, was sentenced to time served (seven months in prison) and three years’ supervised release by the Honorable Mae A. D’Agostino, United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York. The defendant was also ordered to have no direct contact with Congressman John Katko.
The conviction is the result of a threat defendant made to New York Congressman John Katko on October 19, 2017. On that date, defendant called the Washington D.C. office of Congressman Katko and left a threatening voice mail that included a death threat to the Congressman and his family. Congressman Katko’s office reported the voicemail to the United States Capitol Police, Threat Assessment Section, which began an investigation in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The telephone number that the call originated from traced back to the defendant.
As a result of the threat, security surrounding Congressman Katko was increased. Since Congressman Katko formerly served as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of New York, that Office was recused, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig R. Gestring and Sean C. Eldridge of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, in Rochester, handled the case.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge D’Agostino characterized the defendant’s conduct as “beyond reprehensible” and indicated that the threat made against the Congressman represented “an assault on government.”
“By threatening to harm Congressman Katko and his family, defendant crossed the line,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “While the First Amendment protects a broad range of speech and expression, it is not without limits. Hopefully, this prosecution will clearly convey the message that true threats against those in public office are not protected speech and will not be tolerated.”
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Vadim Thomas, Special Agent-in-Charge, Albany Office; the New York State Police, under the Major Philip T. Rougeux; and the United States Capitol Police, under the direction of Matthew R. Verderosa.
St. Kitts Man Arrested, Charged with Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead 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 Andrew Adolphus Hodge, 68, of St. Kitts, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making a false official statement and unlawful re-entry into the United States following a conviction for an aggravated felony. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that according to the criminal complaint, on May 29, 2018, at approximately 9:00 p.m., at the Peace Bridge port of entry, a Customs and Border Protection officer conducted a primary inspection of the defendant, who was a passenger on a commercial Greyhound Bus. Hodge presented a United Kingdom Passport and stated that he traveling to Brooklyn, New York to visit family. A primary name query resulted in a positive response indicating that he had been previously deported from the United States as an aggravated felon.
The defendant indicated to the officer that he had never lived in the United States and had never been arrested. Hodge was referred to secondary for further inspection. Subsequent investigation determined that the defendant had been ordered removed by an Immigration Judge on April 28, 2015, after being convicted of Grand Theft in Los Angeles, California in October 1993, and Forgery over $60,000, in Shelby County, Tennessee in October 2009. Hodge was removed from the United States and deported to Saint Kitts in April 2016.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and is being held pending a detention hearing on June 8, 2018.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Six Individuals Arrested on Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, Texas — Thomas Cody, of Stephenville, Texas, Chalee Campbell, of Fort Worth, Texas, Jacob Hendricks, aka, “Jake Hendricks, “of Clifton, Texas, Terry McConathy, of Benbrook, Texas, Rebecca Mullins, of Stephenville, Texas, and Christal Walker, of De Leon, Texas, are in federal custody following their arrests May 29, 2018, on federal drug conspiracy charges, announced Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
The defendants were all charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and made their initial appearance Tuesday, May 30, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cureton.
According to the Complaint filed on May 10, 2018, from approximately July 2017 through January 2018, the defendants conspired together, and with others, to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine throughout the Northern District of Texas and elsewhere. Members of the conspiracy had a fluid hierarchy that evolved over time. Some of the money derived from the sale and distribution of the methamphetamine was used to purchase additional quantities of methamphetamine.
A complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged and must be made under oath before a magistrate judge. A defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The government has 30 days to present the matter to a grand jury for indictment. The maximum statutory penalty for the offense charged is 40 years in federal prison and a $5,000,000 fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Stephenville Police Department are in charge of the investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Shawn Smith is in charge of the prosecution.
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Silver City Felon Charged with Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Scott Freeman, 42, of Silver City, N.M., made his initial appearance today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., on a criminal complaint charging him with violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing firearms. The firearms at issue allegedly were stolen during a home burglary in Aug. 2017. Freeman remains in custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing both of which have yet to be scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) responded to a home burglary in Aug. 2017, during which a number of firearms were stolen from a large gun safe. In Oct. 2017, an individual reported purchasing two firearms and additional cylinders from Freeman. The individual subsequently surrendered the firearms and cylinders to the GCSO, suspecting that the firearms and cylinders were stolen. The serial numbers and descriptions of the firearms matched the serial numbers and descriptions of two of the firearms allegedly stolen during the Aug. 2017, home burglary.
Freeman was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition in Aug. 2017 and Oct. 2017, because of his prior convictions for felony offenses including convictions for unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, escape, and use of a phone to terrify, intimidate or threaten.
If convicted of the crime charged in the criminal complaint, Freeman faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints are mere accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Silver City Police Department, New Mexico State Police and the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting this case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution offenders with the goal of making communities in New Mexico safer places for people to live and work.
Shreveport felon sentenced to 37 months in prison for possessing pistol, ammunition in carRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Shreveport man previously convicted of a felony was sentenced to 37 months in prison for possessing a pistol and ammunition in his car.
Demond Lamont Hill Sr., 37, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. On July 31, 2017, Shreveport Police responded to a call about people dealing drugs on Herndon Street. Officers heard loud music when approaching Hill, and he jumped in his car. Officers approached Hill’s car and saw a gun on the driver’s seat beside the center console. Hill said the gun was not his but knew it was in the car. Hill said he was on parole and a convicted felon. The firearm was a Taurus semi-automatic 9 mm pistol. The officer also found 12 rounds of ammunition. Hill has several felony convictions in Caddo Parish and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. His felony convictions include aggravated battery in 2001, drugs in 2006 and 2007, and firearm possession in 2007.
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.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Seventy-Seven Year Old Canadian Man Arrested, Charged with Possession and Importation of MarijuanaRead 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 Nerio Frank Fogazzi, 77, of Canada, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute and distributing marijuana, and importing marijuana from Canada into the United States. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuel O. Ulubiyo, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 21, 2018, at approximately 10:00 p.m., the defendant attempted to enter the United States from Canada at the Peace Bridge port of entry. During primary inspection, Fogazzi, a Canadian Citizen, told the primary Customs and Border Protection Officer that he was coming to the United States to go shopping but could not provide the Officer with an intended shopping destination.
When asked if he was bringing anything into the United States and if he had anything to declare, the defendant said he did not. The officer then asked Fogazzi to unlock the trunk of his vehicle for inspection. The officer opened the trunk and observed an empty black hockey bag laying on top of two other black hockey bags that appeared full. The officer also detected the odor of marijuana emanating from the trunk. The officer then unzipped one of the full hockey bags and observed suspected marijuana inside clear vacuum sealed plastic bags. The defendant was escorted to the security office. Fogazzi’s vehicle was also taken to the secondary area for further inspection during which officers discovered additional suspected marijuana in a second hockey bag as well as in the spare-tire cavity under the hockey bags in the trunk. A total of 96 packages of suspected marijuana, weighing a total of over 104 lbs., were seized.
“Although 77-year-old Canadians who come to the United States to play hockey will be welcomed—and likely even celebrated—here,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy, “septuagenarians who use hockey bags to smuggle marijuana into our country will not be given the same reception. Instead, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This is an excellent seizure that demonstrates our officers dedication to enforcing the CBP mission and protecting the public from illegal narcotics,” said Acting Port Director Cary Frieling. “Their vigilance and our excellent working relationship with our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office prevented these narcotics from entering our country and ensured that the violator will face justice.”
“HSI will continue working with our partners at CBP to ensure that those engaged in smuggling large quantities of illegal drugs into the United States are brought to justice,” said Kevin Kelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI Buffalo. “HSI has the capability to leverage significant seizures into wider investigations that attack every level of a drug smuggling organization, both foreign and domestic.”
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Seven people indicted for conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine around Youngstown and Girard, Ohio, and Farrell, PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
Seven people were indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine around Youngstown and Girard, Ohio, and Farrell, Pennsylvania, said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman and DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy Plancon.
Named in the 39-count indictment are: Cedis R. Martin, 31, of Warren; Zachary E. Bradford, 36, of Girard; Adham Aburhma, 23, of Youngstown; Prentice Miller, 29, of Grove City, Penn.; Eric Murray, 31, of Farrell, Penn.; Ashley Allison, 31, of Grove City, Penn., and Amanda Walker, 23, of New Castle, Penn.
All seven defendants conspired from February 2015 through this April to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, according to the indictment.
According to the indictment:
Martin supplied cocaine to Murray for distribution in Youngstown, Ohio, and Farrell, Pennsylvania areas; supplied heroin to Bradford and Miller for distribution in the Youngstown, Ohio and Farrell, Pennsylvania areas; and supplied fentanyl to Aburahma for distribution in the Youngstown, Ohio and Farrell, Pennsylvania areas.
Allison and Walker transported heroin from suppliers to Martin for distribution.
It was further part of the conspiracy that cellular telephones, code words and phrases were used by the co-conspirators to facilitate their drug trafficking activities.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Girard Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Toepfer.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Seven Individuals Sentenced to Prison in Multi-Million Dollar International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On May 30, 2018, Geannis Gonzalez, 31, formerly of Peyton, Colorado, Quiana Velasco, 35, of Miami, Jose Daniel Estrella, 38, of Hallandale, Pedro Reyes, 38, of Hialeah, Robinson Castillo, 32, of Pembroke Pines, and Jamie Vives Castillo, 41, of Pembroke Pines, were sentenced to federal prison for participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering. Yesterday, conspirator Alfredo Tovar, 36, of Miami Gardens, was also sentenced to prison for his involvement in the criminal scheme. All seven defendants previously pled guilty for their involvement in the conspiracy, in March 2018.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
“The sentences announced today stem from a pernicious scheme that was breathtaking in scope,” stated United States Attorney Benjamin Greenberg. “Unfortunately, the life-blood of this devastating scheme was a steady stream of people who cast aside their respect for the law, in the pursuit of ‘easy money.’ As a result, vulnerable men and women throughout the country were stripped of their life savings. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to bring to justice those individuals who carry out, and recruit for, similar criminal enterprises.”
“Today’s sentencings punish the defendants for their thievery and greed,” said Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “So-called white collar crimes such as money laundering should not be taken lightly. In this case, there were over 400 victims, including retirees, who were scammed out of tens or hundreds of thousands of their hard-earned dollars. The FBI is continuously adapting our investigative techniques to bring these types of offenders to justice.”
According to stipulated facts filed in court, as well as facts presented at sentencing, the defendants opened bank accounts established in the names of shell corporations to receive the proceeds of various fraudulent schemes, including romance frauds, email hacking schemes, and inheritance and lottery scams, that victimized individuals and corporations across the United States. Once these bank accounts received money wired from a fraud victim, the defendants would wire the money to other accounts overseas. Victims of the fraud schemes included retirees and other individuals whom were defrauded of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, including retirement savings and money borrowed from friends and family members.
After banks closed the accounts that the defendants had opened, often on suspicion that the they were being used for fraud or other illegal activity, the defendants would recruit other individuals to act as “money mules,” establishing additional shell corporations in the money mules’ names. The defendants would then instruct the money mules to open new bank accounts throughout South Florida in the names of the new shell corporations. They would also instruct the mules to falsely represent to the banks that the shell corporations were legitimate businesses engaged in the import, export, or sale of various goods. Those accounts would similarly receive proceeds from the same sorts of fraudulent schemes, after which the defendants would instruct their recruits to further wire the money overseas. The defendants received repeated warnings and indications that the funds coming into the shell corporation bank accounts were the proceeds from illegal activity. The bank accounts that were utilized by the defendants and the mules they recruited, received between $3,381,110 to $7,177,442 in proceeds. As a result of their involvement with this scheme, the seven defendants would receive a small percentage of these funds as their commission. Overall, the conspiracy included the participation of dozens of individuals and laundered money was defrauded from more than 400 victims.
United States District Court Judge Ursula Ungaro imposed prison sentences upon all seven defendants, ranging from 108 months in prison for Pedro Reyes and 80 months in prison for Geannis Gonzalez, to 48 months in prison for Jose Estrella, Jamie Vives Castillo, and Robinson Castillo. Quiana Vealsco and Alfredo Tovar were each sentenced to 60 months in prison.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI in connection with this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared M. Strauss and Michael G. Walleisa.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Sentencings for May 29 - June 1, 2018Read the Press Release
OMAR MIRAMONTES-GRANILLO, 26, of Chihuahua, Mexico was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 29, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Miramontes-Granillo was arrested in Laramie County, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment at the time of deportation. The U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case.
ROBERTO ROMERO-CALVA, 23, of Hidalgo, Mexico was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 31, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Romero-Calva was arrested in Mills, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment at the time of deportation. The U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case.
ANGEL MARTINEZ-GARCIA, 46, of Chihuahua, Mexico was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on June 1, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Martinez-Garcia was arrested in Johnson County, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment at the time of deportation. The U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated this case.
Santa Barbara County Man Sentenced to More than Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Santa Barbara County man to 246 months’ incarceration for distribution of child pornography.
Christopher Robin Coates, 43, of Carpinteria, met minors in online chat rooms dedicated to youths seeking father figures and manipulated them into sending him child pornography images of themselves. According to court records, Coates would also share the minors’ online "handles" with other persons seeking to exploit children.
When law enforcement officers searched his digital devices, they found more than 1,000 images and 128 videos depicting child pornography. According to court documents, Coates used the Kik Messenger app to distribute child pornography to underage victims. Coates had several prior convictions for possessing child pornography in addition to a conviction for sexual battery on a disabled adult.
In July, 2015, based on a tip to the Postal Inspection Service by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, law enforcement officers conducted a parole search of Coates’ residence. During the search, authorities recovered a Samsung tablet under a mattress that contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
Coates was originally arrested and charged with multiple child exploitation crimes in Santa Barbara County by Santa Barbara District Attorney Joyce Dudley. The District Attorney’s Office subsequently dismissed the state charges when the federal indictment was filed.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center provided substantial assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Myers and Vanessa Baehr-Jones of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Sampson County Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for RobberyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced JAMES DANIEL MCKOY, 54 from Garland, North Carolina, to 210 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. JAMES MCKOY was part of a violent drug trafficking organization operating in Sampson County. On February 5, 2018, JAMES MCKOY pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms of More of Cocaine, 280 Grams of More of Cocaine Base (Crack), a Quantity of Marijuana, and a Quantity of Heroin; three-counts of Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base while Aiding and Abetting Another; Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; two-counts of Distribution of 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base while Aiding and Abetting Another; and Distribution of 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base and a Quantity of Heroin while Aiding and Abetting Another.
In December 2013, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) in Clinton, North Carolina, identified a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) led by Antonio Kevin McKoy. This investigation confirmed that within the Eastern District of North Carolina, the DTO distributed significant quantities of marijuana, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, prescription pain pills, and firearms throughout Eastern North Carolina from at least 2007 until late September 2016. Antonio McKoy utilized dozens of individuals, including his uncle, JAMES MCKOY, to build and sustain this DTO’s operation. Antonio McKoy was convicted in Federal Court on May 22, 2018 following a jury trial and is currently awaiting sentencing.
The investigation utilized a myriad of techniques and tools to gather extensive evidence about the DTO. The collected evidence confirmed Antonio McKoy maintained multiple residences in the Garland, North Carolina, area from where cocaine, crack, heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription pills were stored, packaged, distributed or supplied to others for distribution. These residences were also utilized to manufacture cocaine into crack. JAMES MCKOY’S residence in Garland was utilized for these purposes.
The investigation determined the JAMES MCKOY was accountable for a total of 226.8 grams of marijuana, 31.5 grams of cocaine, 912.395 grams of crack and 225.2 grams of heroin. He is also accountable for possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.
The case is a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matter being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Probation Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Departments of Revenue and Emergency Management. Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Knott and Toby Lathan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Rosebud Man Sentenced for Simple AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, man charged with Simple Assault was sentenced on May 25, 2018, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Daniel Knoll, age 35, was sentenced to 15 days in custody, $160 in restitution, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10.
Knoll was charged by criminal complaint on May 23, 2018. He pled guilty on May 25, 2018.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on May 22, 2018, wherein Knoll assaulted his girlfriend at her residence in Rosebud by pushing her down. He then went outside the residence and broke a window on her vehicle, causing approximately $160 in damage to the vehicle. Knoll was subsequently arrested by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Knoll was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Richmond Company Agrees to Settle False Claims Act LawsuitRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – James River Air Conditioning Company, located in Richmond, has agreed to pay $625,000 to the United States to settle a federal civil fraud lawsuit alleging that it underpaid its workers and submitted false certified payroll reports for work it performed on federal construction and renovation projects.
James River subcontracted to perform plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) work on seven separate federal renovation and construction projects located in and around the Richmond area. The Davis-Bacon Act, together with the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, requires that contractors on federal projects submit weekly payroll reports certifying that they correctly classified their workers according to work actually performed and that workers be paid not less than prevailing wages and benefits for each classification, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor. The United States initiated an investigation after a qui tam (or whistleblower) lawsuit was filed under the federal False Claims Act.
The False Claims Act permits the government time to investigate allegations in qui tam complaints and to intervene in such lawsuits. Based on its investigation of the allegations, the United States intervened, the case was unsealed and the Government filed a complaint. The alleged conduct occurred between 2012 and 2015.
The False Claims Act also permits whistleblowers to receive a share of any recovery. The whistleblower in this case will receive $106,250 from the settlement. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Nathan Kirchgessner v. James River Air Conditioning Company, Civil No. 3:16-cv-232 (JAG).
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Army Criminal Investigation Command, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McIntosh. The civil claims settled by this False Claims Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Repeat Dubuque Drug Dealer Sentenced to over Two Decades in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who was found in possession of over 660 grams of ice methamphetamine was sentenced May 31, 2018, to more than 23 years in federal prison.
Scott Harry, age 42, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 20, 2017, jury verdict finding him guilty of possessing 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it after having a previous conviction for a felony drug offense.
Evidence at trial showed that Harry was stopped by Dubuque Police Department while in possession of over 660 grams of pure methamphetamine hidden in a PVC pipe in the bed of the truck he was driving. Evidence also showed that Harry had been selling methamphetamine in the Dubuque area. In 1998, Harry was convicted of delivery of cocaine in state court.
Harry was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Harry was sentenced to 280 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Harry 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 Attorneys Ravi Narayan and Patrick Reinert and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-01017-LTS. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Repeat Drug Offender Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Richard Stewart, age 42, of Lancaster, SC, pled guilty on in federal court in Columbia, to Felon in Possession of a Firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g). United States Senior District Judge Cameron Currie, of Columbia, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on June 6, 2017, Lancaster Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Deputies executed a search warrant at Stewart’s mother’s residence in Lancaster, SC. During the search, deputies found multiple firearms including a Taurus Judge handgun. Stewart was arrested shortly after the search and admitted to owning the Taurus firearm.
Stewart is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearm based upon his prior felony convictions for possession of crack cocaine and manufacturing crack cocaine.
Stewart faces a maximum possible penalty of ten (10) years, a fine of $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis of the Columbia office handled the case. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
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Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Gun Charges in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Jason Rivers, age 30, of Lexington, SC, pled guilty on in federal court in Columbia, to Felon in Possession of a Firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g). United States Senior District Judge Cameron Currie, of Columbia, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on January 29, 2018, Lexington County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Deputies tracked Rivers to his residence in order to execute an arrest warrant on Rivers for Failure to Update his Residence as a Registered Sex Offender. Upon entering the residence, Deputies encountered Rivers at the door and immediately detained him. When Deputies first saw Rivers he was wearing a backpack and before deputies could detain him, Rivers attempted to throw the backpack into the residence. Deputies seized the backpack and searched it finding a loaded Ruger .380 caliber pistol. After Deputies detained Rivers, he admitted to owning the Ruger pistol.
Rivers is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions for assault and battery of a high and aggravated Nature and committing a lewd act upon a child under sixteen (16).
Rivers faces a maximum possible penalty of ten (10) years, a fine of $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis, of the Columbia, office handled the case. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
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Randallstown Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of A ChildRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – On May 31, 2018, Kenneth M. Smith, age 39, of Randallstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Cardell Morant of ICE Homeland Security Investigations; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger of the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office.
According to his plea agreement, on September 8, 2015, an electronic communications service reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) that one of its users had uploaded an image of known child pornography. It was determined that an account with the same username as an e-mail account associated with Smith’s accounts was active on an image-sharing website that contains child pornography and erotica. The IP address used to access the account was assigned to Smith’s mother’s residence in Randallstown, Maryland, where he was living at the time.
On October 12, 2015, the Baltimore County Police Department secured a warrant to search the residence and discovered Smith’s laptop, which was powered on and had an anonymous file-sharing platform open on the screen. The file-sharing program was active and downloading child pornography files when agents made contact with the defendant’s computer. A downloads folder was also open and contained numerous files of child pornography.
During an interview with investigators, Smith admitted to sexually abusing a seven-year-old boy, and taking pictures of the abuse with his smartphone. Investigators located the photographs of Smith engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the boy. Investigators also recovered thousands of other videos and images of children being sexually abused, including images and videos of the rape of children, including infants and toddlers. Smith also used his e-mail accounts to send and receive child pornography.
Smith also admitted to the prior abuse of a minor girl in Washington County. He was tried and convicted in Washington County in September 2017 of sex offenses against the minor girl, and in November was sentenced to 16 years in prison on those charges.
Smith faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell has scheduled sentencing for October 12, 2018.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers and Jeffrey Izant, who are prosecuting the case.
Raleigh Man Sentenced for Manufacturing Xanax in Storage Unit and Several Other ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced MATTHEW LEE YENSAN, 25, of Raleigh, to 78 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
January 23, 2018, YENSAN pled guilty to a five-count Criminal Information, specifically Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Alprazolam, a Schedule IV Controlled Substance, Distribution of a Quantity of Alprazolam by Means of the Internet, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Engaging in a Monetary Transaction in Property Derived From Specified Unlawful Activity, and International Money Laundering.
In July 2017, DEA agents in Raleigh received information that YENSAN was mass producing Xanax by utilizing pill presses, and selling them on the Dark Net. The Dark Net is a section of the internet that is accessed through a special browser required to locate hidden websites. The browser obfuscates the user’s identity, making it a haven for illegal activity, to include drug distribution. Through continued investigation, agents identified YENSAN’S Raleigh residence, as well as a nearby storage unit being utilized by YENSAN.
Based upon their investigation, agents served a search warrant on September 12, 2017 of YENSAN’S residence and recovered the following items: Four loaded firearms, $269,068, multiple Bitcoin wallets, 480 grams of marijuana and other items associated with illegal drug distribution.
On that same date, agents seized the following items from YENSAN’S storage unit, where YENSAN had set up a clandestine pill manufacturing plant: approximately 80,000 dosage unit of Xanax; the ingredients needed to manufacture approximately 300,000 dosage units of Xanax to include two to three pounds of Alprazolam; a computer, the browser of which was open to the Dark Net; and multiple items associated with illegal manufacturing and distribution. Later agents used computer forensic tools to discover that YENSAN possessed approximately $1,489,235.000 in virtual currency.
The investigation uncovered that YENSAN also engaged in money laundering using U.S. currency derived from his drug trafficking activities. YENSAN sent $1,200 in U.S. currency to the Postal Savings Bank of China in Yongkang, China, to purchase pill presses and Xanax molds in an act of international money laundering.
The defendant possessed multiple firearms in connection with his drug trafficking activities and maintained a premises for the purpose of manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance. He obstructed justice by attempting to procure another person to conceal evidence material to the investigation. Lastly, the defendant distributed a controlled substance through mass-marketing by means of an interactive computer service, by utilizing a vendor page on the Dark Net to advertise and sell quantities of Xanax.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office and the Postal Inspection Service.
Pittsburgh-Area Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Defrauding Investors of $2.2 MillionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been sentenced by a federal district court judge in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to 60 months in prison on charges of wire fraud and tax evasion, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Albert P. Majkowski, Jr., 59, went to trial in January and was found guilty by a jury of wire fraud and tax violations set forth in a seven-count indictment.
According to the evidence presented during trial, Majkowski defrauded potential investors over nearly a decade by, among other things, making false statements about his own success in "incubating" start-up businesses, misrepresenting his own personal wealth and producing a series of false documents that inflated the assets of his company and the funding he was supposedly receiving from outside sources. He also evaded his income tax obligations for the years 2007 through 2010 by a variety of means including failing to file tax returns, putting his assets into the names of other persons and manipulating a series of checks made out in blank or to cash. The evidence produced at trial showed that he evaded nearly $200,000 in federal income tax on income of more than $700,000. The presiding judge, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton, made a finding at the time of sentencing that various investors had lost more than $2.2 million that they had entrusted to Majkowski.
At the sentencing proceeding Majkowski was given 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $2.2 million to defrauded investors as well as restitution to the IRS of $181,456.
The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case.
Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced Probation After Arranging for an Elderly Person’s Painkillers to be Sold to DealersRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to four years of probation on her conviction of conspiring to commit health care fraud and conspiring to distribute oxymorphone, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Mildred Rainey, 61.
According to information presented to the court, Rainey participated in a criminal network of drug dealers by obtaining opiate painkillers prescribed to an elderly person and arranging for the sale of that medication to individuals who illicitly distributed the medication to individuals addicted to the medication. In addition, a taxpayer funded insurance program paid for the medication that Rainey arranged to distribute illegally.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rainey.
Orange County Resident Indicted for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Christopher Coburn (33, Winter Garden) with six counts of bankruptcy fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Coburn solicited homeowners whose mortgages were in default and offered to rescue their homes from foreclosure. In order to prevent the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and multiple financial institutions holding mortgages from lawfully foreclosing on homeowners’ properties, Coburn engaged in a bankruptcy fraud scheme whereby he filed or caused to be filed fraudulent bankruptcy petitions in the name of homeowners, without their knowledge or consent, just prior to the scheduled foreclosure sale dates. These fraudulent bankruptcies triggered the automatic stay provision of the bankruptcy code, preventing Fannie Mae and the financial institutions from conducting lawful foreclosure sales and obtaining title to the properties. The fraudulent petitions enabled Coburn to collect fees and allowed him to refer the properties to real estate agents in order to obtain ill-gotten referral fees.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General. The Office of the United States Trustee for the Middle District of Florida (Orlando Division) also provided substantial assistance. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joseph P. Kelly announced that Anthony D. Gordon, age 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by the Honorable Robert F. Rossiter having previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Gordon was sentenced to 5 years, 10 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release when his prison sentence is completed.
On August 4, 2017, at approximately 12:08 a.m., officers of the Omaha Police Department came upon a vehicle in the eastbound lane of Taylor Street, near 24th Street, blocking traffic. Traffic was heavy due to Native Omaha Days celebrations. The car was parked approximately 5 feet from the curb and the driver, Anthony D. Gordon, was on his cellphone trying to order food. When Gordon was asked to step from his car, one of the officers saw a handgun on the front seat where Gordon had been sitting. Gordon had prior felony convictions for assault and robbery. As a result of those convictions, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Olney Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – United States District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Mehlek Dawveed, age 51, of Olney, Maryland to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud stemming from the filing of fraudulent tax returns, in which he received one fraudulent refund of more than $970,000.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
According to his plea agreement, in March 2011, Dawveed filed a fraudulent income tax return for 2010 that resulted in him receiving a refund in the amount of $977,558. For Dawveed to receive the funds, the IRS wired the money from a bank in Kansas City, Missouri to Dawveed’s account in Maryland.
Using part of the fraudulently obtained funds, Dawveed paid the remaining $83,837 balance on the mortgage for his residence in Olney, Maryland and deposited a $250,000 check into a bank account controlled by Dawveed’s wife. Dawveed wrote several other checks into accounts controlled by him or close associates and wrote checks to various individuals and family members and for his own personal expenses.
Subsequently, on February 18, 2012, Dawveed filed a fraudulent income tax return for 2011 in which he requested a refund in the amount of $1,324,961. This falsely requested refund was not issued. On February 27, 2012, Dawveed then filed a 2010 Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, in which he changed his taxable interest income from $1,486,902 to $0 and stated: “we now beckon you to accept our humblest apology for the ‘Unintentional Errors’ made during our 1040 filing for Tax Year 2010 for they were not done with ‘Malicious Intent.’” The form falsely stated: “In ‘Good Faith’ we submitted a Payment of $5,000,000 Million Dollars to the IRS on January 31, 2012 in hopes of settling the remaining ‘Debt’ from our 1040 Tax Filing for Year 2010.” No such $5,000,000 payment was ever made.
Judge Hazel also ordered a forfeiture and restitution order in the amount of $788,991. Dawveed was also ordered to forfeit his Olney residence, the mortgage for which he paid off with the fraudulent tax refund money.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the IRS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Kelly O. Hayes, who are prosecuting the case.
Nurse Practitioners Arrested and Indicted for Unlawful Distribution of Prescription Opioids and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Three Southern Nevada residents, including two nurse practitioners, have been arrested and charged in a 29-count indictment for unlawful distribution of prescription opioids and Medicare/Medicaid fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada.
The defendants were arrested this morning and had their initial court appearance before U.S. District Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr. A jury trial has been set for July 30, 2018. The defendants and their criminal charges in the indictment are:
• Robert D. Harvey, a surgical technician, 45, of Henderson, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, three counts of distribution of controlled substance, and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud;
• Alejandro “Alex” Incera, aka Alexander Jiminez-Incera, an Advance Practice Registered Nurse, 48, of Las Vegas, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, three counts of distribution of controlled substances, eight counts of distribution of controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, eight counts of health care fraud, one count of fraudulent concealment involving a federal health care program, and one count of false statements relating to a health benefit program; and
• Leslie Kalyn, aka Leslie Feth, an Advance Practice Registered Nurse, 35, of Las Vegas, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six counts of health care fraud.
According to the allegations contained in the indictment, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to distribute prescription opioids and to commit health care fraud. Incera and Harvey, using a prescription pad belonging to an unnamed physician, distributed Hydrocodone and Oxycodone to patients without a legitimate medical purpose in exchange for cash. Incera and Kalyn further prescribed Lidocaine, Modafinil, and Diclofenac Sodium to patients without a legitimate medical purpose, many of which were billed to Medicare/Medicaid by a pharmacy that filled the prescriptions. Harvey, Incera, and Kalyn were all paid cash kickbacks for their patient referrals to the unnamed pharmacy.
The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, and false statements relating to a health benefit program charges, and the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of health care fraud and fraudulent concealment involving a federal health care program.
An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Nevada Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kilby Macfadden is prosecuting the case.
This is the third indictment in Nevada since Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the formation of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit, a program that utilizes data to help combat the devastating opioid crisis. The District of Nevada was selected as one of 12 districts nationally to participate in the pilot program. The District of Nevada has assigned a prosecutor that focuses solely on investigating and prosecuting health care fraud related to medical professionals who prescribe opioids, that unlawfully divert of dispense prescription opioids for illegitimate purposes.
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North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Indicted for Conspiring to File False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury has returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging a Winston-Salem resident with conspiring to file false tax returns, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, and filing a false personal tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Matthew G. T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to the indictment, Claudia Lynette Shivers conspired with others to defraud the government by preparing false tax returns. Shivers allegedly co-owned and operated two tax return preparation businesses: Fast Tax of Winston-Salem, Inc. in Winston-Salem and Quick Taxes LLC in Greensboro. The indictment alleges Shivers falsified items on her clients’ tax returns, such as dependents and Schedule A deductions, in order to fraudulently maximize their refunds and allegedly directed her clients to hand-write false information on tax forms and other documents used in the preparation of their returns. The indictment further charges Shivers with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for several clients, as well as filing a false 2014 tax return for herself on which she is alleged to have failed to report all of her income.
If convicted, Shivers faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy, three years in prison for each count of preparing false tax returns, and three years in prison for the count related to her own tax return. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Martin thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, Tax Division and Trial Attorney Robert J. Boudreau and Criminal Division Chief Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
New York Man Arrested and Charged with Extensive Cyberstalking CampaignRead the Press Release
A New York man was arrested today and charged in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York with conducting an extensive cyberstalking and threats campaign that targeted a woman he dated for several months in 2013 and 2014. The victim’s name is being withheld to protect her privacy.
Acting Assistant Attorney John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman of the Southern District of New York made the announcement.
David Waldman, 50, of New York, New York, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of cyberstalking and two counts of sending interstate threats. Waldman will have his initial court appearance later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in courtroom 5A in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, Waldman is charged with engaging in an extensive cyberstalking campaign targeting a woman he briefly dated. The campaign began in April 2014, shortly after Waldman and the victim ended their relationship, and continued intermittently until the date of Waldman’s arrest. Over the course of almost four years, Waldman sent the victim hundreds of text messages, voicemail messages, and e-mail messages, and made voluminous posts on a variety of online platforms, in which he claimed, among other assertions, that she had been diagnosed with bipolar and narcissistic personality disorder, used drugs, and fabricated claims that she had been a victim of child sexual abuse. In his online communications, Waldman also repeatedly threatened to show up at the victim’s apartment and office and threatened to injure, torture, and sexually assault her. Waldman also sent email messages to the victim’s employers, accusing her of being a “habitual drug user” and claiming that he would sue her for defamation, theft, illegal trespass, violating HIPAA, and engaging in other “illegal behaviors.”
Over the course of the alleged cyberstalking campaign, the victim obtained multiple state court orders of protection against Waldman.
The case was investigated by special agents with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Chiuchiolo of the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Arrested and Charged with Extensive Cyberstalking CampaignRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John P. Cronan, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, announced that DAVID WALDMAN was arrested today and charged with conducting an extensive cyberstalking and threats campaign that targeted a woman he dated for several months in 2014. WALDMAN will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court.
As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Beginning in April 2014 and shortly after WALDMAN and the victim ended their relationship, WALDMAN began an extensive cyberstalking campaign that continued intermittently until the date of WALDMAN’s arrest. Over the course of almost four years, WALDMAN sent the victim hundreds of text messages, voicemail messages, and email messages, and made voluminous posts on a variety of online platforms, in which he claimed, among other assertions, that she had been diagnosed with bipolar and narcissistic personality disorder, used drugs, and fabricated claims that she had been a victim of child sexual abuse. In his online communications, WALDMAN also repeatedly threatened to show up at the victim’s apartment and office and threatened to injure, torture, and sexually assault her. WALDMAN also sent email messages to the victim’s employers, accusing her of being a “habitual drug user,” and claiming that he would sue her for defamation, theft, illegal trespass, violating HIPAA, and engaging in other “illegal behaviors.”
Over the course of the alleged cyberstalking campaign, the victim obtained multiple state court orders of protection against WALDMAN.
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WALDMAN, 50, of Inwood, New York, is charged with one count of cyberstalking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years, and one count of sending interstate threats, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Chiuchiolo and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.