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Monday 23 April 2018
Marengo County Resident Receives 120 Months in Crack Cocaine CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Chief United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Gerald Barber, 40, a resident of Marengo County, Alabama, to 120 months imprisonment in a crack cocaine case. The judge ordered that Barber undergo eight years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, receive substance abuse testing and treatment, and pay a $200 mandatory special assessment. He has five prior felony drug convictions.
On August 31, 2017, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama indicted Barber on one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. On November 28, 2017, a federal grand jury for the district returned a superseding indictment against Barber, charging him with two counts of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. On January 24, 2018, a federal jury in Selma, Alabama found Barber guilty on both counts. Chief Judge DuBose presided over the jury trial, which started on January 23, 2018.
At trial, the jury heard evidence that in the early morning of March 11, 2017, Barber, aka “G-Money,” was driving a white 2002 Chevrolet Blazer in Camden, Alabama when Camden Police Officer John Ferguson pulled the vehicle over for speeding and having no tag light. Barber had no identification, proof of insurance, license, or registration. He lied to the officer about his identity. Officer Ferguson noticed that Barber was visibly nervous and saw traces of a green leafy substance in the vehicle. Officer Ferguson called for backup, patted down Barber outside the Chevrolet Blazer for officer safety and possible narcotics, and found an “eight-ball” of crack cocaine concealed underneath Barber’s shorts. Officer Ferguson arrested Barber and transported him to the Prince Arnold Detention Center in Wilcox County. At the jail, the defendant falsely identified himself and signed a waiver of counsel form in his brother’s name.
The jury also heard evidence that in the afternoon of April 12, 2017, Uniontown Chief of Police Willie Walton was on routine patrol in Uniontown, Alabama when he saw an individual standing by the driver’s side window of a white Chevrolet Blazer on Johnson Street. Chief Walton testified that he recognized the individual as a crack cocaine addict and was suspicious of a drug sale between the individual and the vehicle’s driver. Barber was driving the same Chevrolet Blazer. A passenger was also inside. As Chief Walton approached, the individual ran away and the Chevrolet Blazer sped off. Chief Walton activated his lights and sirens and tried to stop the vehicle, which had an expired tag.
A high-speed chase ensued, which at times reached 70 - 80 miles per hour. During the chase, Chief Walton saw an unidentified object (never recovered) thrown out the vehicle’s driver’s side window on Washington Street. Barber tried to evade Chief Walton by racing up Martin Luther King Drive in a residential area where children were playing. As Chief Walton pursued, Barber made a left turn onto Lucian Street and threw approximately $8,000 worth of crack cocaine out the driver’s side window. The narcotics landed on the front lawn of a home on Lucian Street. Chief Walton continued to pursue the fleeing vehicle and radioed dispatch. Uniontown Police Department Sergeant Nash Gipson responded and set up a roadblock. Barber almost collided with Sgt. Gipson. The chase ended shortly thereafter on Franklin Street.Chief Walton and Sgt. Gipson arrested Barber outside his vehicle. Chief Walton testified that he saw a “crack rock” in the driver’s seat where Barber had been sitting and that Barber shouted an expletive upon his arrest, yelling, “I’ve got more money than all y’all m*****f****** out there!” Chief Walton also told the jury that Barber appeared high, his mouth was foaming, and pieces of crack cocaine appeared to be in his mouth.
The passenger, whom the police had detained for officer safety, said that Barber threw a black bag out of the vehicle during the chase. With the passenger’s help, police found the bag at Lucian Street. Chief Walton examined it and found sixteen plastic baggies containing roughly 80.8 grams of crack cocaine in varying quantities. When Chief Walton later searched Barber’s Chevrolet Blazer, he found two digital scales, two Pyrex measuring glasses, one Toastmaster hand mixer, and two mixer attachments, all containing cocaine residue.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Uniontown Police Department, and the Camden Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and George F. May prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Recruiting Homeless to Cash Counterfeit ChecksRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – An Atlanta man was sentenced today to 116 months in prison for recruiting individuals from local homeless shelters to cash counterfeit business checks worth nearly $105,000.
According to court documents, David Mero, 58, traveled from Georgia to Virginia and other states on at least three occasions between September 2015 and June 2016, and recruited at least six homeless individuals to cash at least 40 counterfeit business checks. Mero and his conspirators compromised these accounts by stealing the account holders’ mail from local business parks, then lured homeless individuals into the scheme by offering to hire them as day laborers for construction jobs. After transporting these homeless great distances from shelters to which they were required to return, Mero told them they would be cashing checks instead of performing the work initially offered. Mero obtained their identifying information and sent it to other conspirators, who used the information to make the counterfeit checks payable to the homeless recruits. Mero gave checks to the homeless and directed to cash them at nearby banks before returning them to their shelters. On at least one occasion, Mero held a homeless recruit at gunpoint after he refused to cash checks in furtherance of the scheme. Faced with threats to both himself and his family, the homeless man attempted to cash four counterfeit check at Mero’s direction. Mero was arrested in Texas in June 2016 while engaged in this activity. He was previously prosecuted in 2009 in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina for conspiring to carry out this same scheme.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Michael C. Grinstead, Acting Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin C. Gratton prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:17-cr-13.
Long-Time U.P. Gasoline Vendor Sentenced to Prison for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that David Louis Vernier, age 64, of Ishpeming, was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for committing bankruptcy fraud. The sentence was imposed by Chief Judge Robert J. Jonker of the U.S. District Court.
David Vernier, the father of Brooke Vernier, came to the attention of special agents of the FBI as they investigated the younger Vernier’s involvement in a $145,000,000 check-kiting scheme that she executed in 2012. Brooke Vernier, the owner of numerous gas stations in the U.P., circulated a huge number of bad checks amongst seven different corporate bank accounts at three different banks in 2012, thus temporarily leading the banks’ accounting systems to erroneously conclude that her accounts held more money than was actually there. When the fraud was discovered, the banks had suffered a loss of more than $1.7 million. She was subsequently convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, and ordered to pay $1,780,232 in restitution to the banks.
Now David Vernier, Brooke’s father, is also headed to federal prison. FBI agents learned that David Vernier ran a number of gas stations in the U.P. in the 2000s, but had fallen into debt. In October 2010, he filed for bankruptcy, claiming to have no real property, no income, no interests in any businesses and more than $3 million in debts. The FBI’s investigation revealed that Vernier was actually involved in running his daughter’s businesses and being paid by them. The FBI also found that he had lied not only in his original bankruptcy petition, but also during subsequent bankruptcy proceedings and in testimony he gave in a related deposition. The investigation showed that he was fraudulently attempting to discharge his more than $3 million in debts while, at the same time, secretly retaining his assets and interests in various businesses.
Vernier’s request to have his debts discharged were denied by Chief Judge Scott W. Dales of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in May 2012 because Vernier had failed to retain business records that would have allowed the Bankruptcy Court to thoroughly analyze his financial condition. In denying Vernier’s request for bankruptcy relief, Judge Dales asked, "does anybody have a good handle on who owns what . . . or is everything just hopelessly scrambled?" During Vernier’s sentencing on April 19, 2018, Chief Judge Jonker concluded that Vernier scrambled his finances and destroyed records as part of a conscious business plan to defraud his creditors. Chief Judge Jonker also found that Mr. Vernier’s wrongdoing was sustained over a long period of time.
U.S. Attorney Birge commented that: "The bankruptcy process is intended to help honest but unfortunate debtors work with creditors to resolve crushing debt and hopefully get a new financial start on life. But Mr. Vernier tried to abuse the process and get his debts modified or set aside while hiding his true assets and business interests. That’s just another form of fraud. And the consequences for fraud in the federal system are serious, as he can now attest."
During the sentencing hearing, Vernier gave a 40-minute long statement to Chief Judge Jonker. Based on this statement, Chief Judge Jonker concluded that Vernier, despite pleading guilty to bankruptcy fraud, had not accepted responsibility for his crimes.
The case against Brooke Vernier and the subsequent case against David Vernier were investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maarten Vermaat.
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Lloyd Aguon Sentenced to Additional Six Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Appear to Serve SentenceRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant LLOYD JOHN AGUON, age 41, from Umatac, was sentenced today to an additional six months in prison for failure to self-surrender to the United States Marshals Service (USMS) to begin serving his sentence, as previously ordered. On October 25, 2017, Aguon was sentenced in District Court to an 18-month term of imprisonment for being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. He was released on his own recognizance pending a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) determination as to where he would serve his federal prison sentence. Aguon was also ordered to report regularly to the USMS until such time. He further agreed to self-surrender to the USMS once BOP determined his prison location.
On November 21, 2017, the USMS notified Aguon to self-surrender on November 30, 2017, following BOP’s final placement decision. However, Aguon failed to appear as scheduled. Deputies then attempted to locate Aguon at his residence in Umatac. Over the course of an hour, Aguon failed to respond to the deputies’ knocking and announcing their presence. He finally exited once the power was turned off. The United States Attorney’s Office charged Aguon with Failure to Appear, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 3146(a)(2). This federal law makes it unlawful for individuals sentenced to a term of imprisonment and ordered to surrender to the USMS to knowingly and intentionally fail to surrender as ordered.
The investigation was conducted by United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Belinda Alcantara, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Guam.
Little Rock Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison After Attempting to Engage a Minor in Sex ActsRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Acting Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Annello, announced today the sentencing of David Frazier, 56, of Little Rock, to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sex acts.
United States District Judge J. Leon Holmes sentenced Frazier to 10 years imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, on Monday.
“Today’s decade-long sentence sends the message that individuals who prey on innocent children over the internet are being monitored, and when caught, will be prosecuted and punished,” Hiland said. “We will use every tool in our arsenal to unmask and bring to justice the individuals who believe they can hide behind the perceived anonymity of the internet to harm children.”
On June 6, 2017, the Arkansas State Police received a complaint from a person who answered a Craigslist advertisement titled “I know your secret.” This person had communicated with the individual who posted the ad. The individual asked the person to communicate through the KIK application and stated his username was “yplover.” During the KIK communications, “yplover” began expressing an interest in having sex with a 7-year-old. “Yplover” explained in graphic detail what he would like to do to the child. The conversation concerned the person and she reported it to law enforcement. During the conversations, “yplover” sent two images of himself. The images depicted David Frazier.
On June 21, 2017, a law enforcement officer, acting in an undercover capacity (“UC”), answered an identical ad on Craigslist titled “I know your secret.” The UC made contact with the individual—identified as Frazier—who posted the ad. Frazier asked the UC to communicate via KIK. Frazier stated that his username was “yplover.” During the communications on Craigslist and KIK, Frazier expressed a desire to have sex with a child. The UC told Frazier that she had an 8-year-old daughter and that she wanted to watch Frazier and the 8-year-old engage in sex.
Frazier asked the UC to send a photograph of her “daughter.” The UC sent a photograph of herself as an 8-year-old. Frazier advised that he thought the UC’s “daughter” was cute and turned him on when the UC sent a picture of her. Frazier said he had thought about printing out the picture and doing a “tribute.” The UC asked Frazier to describe a “tribute.” Frazier later sent the UC a video of himself masturbating onto the picture.
Frazier continued to state in great detail the sex acts he wanted to perform on the UC’s purported 8-year-old daughter. Frazier then asked the UC what the rules would be if he were to meet the UC’s daughter. Frazier and the UC discussed items that the daughter would like as a gift. Frazier mentioned the three of them hanging out together. The UC said, “Then what would happen?” Frazier said, “Something that would let me get close to her.” Frazier continued, “Once she’s comfortable around me, she could sit on my lap while we watch a movie. Something totally innocent…Disney or something.” The UC told Frazier that she liked princess movies. Frazier then said, “We have to do something to move things further…sort of a jump start.” Frazier suggested, “Maybe let her ‘accidentally’ see some porn.” Frazier asked, “How would she react if she saw me naked lol.” Frazier suggested getting a room, and letting the UC bring her there.
Frazier was arrested by HSI agents on September 6, 2017, at his place of employment, pursuant to a warrant based on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted enticement of a minor. During a search of his office, officers located a gun safe, which was later determined to contain two computer thumb drives, a computer hard drive, a bottle of lubricant, a selfie stick, and a sexual stimulation device.
After reviewing Frazier’s cellular telephone and the storage devices found in the gun safe, agents discovered multiple images of child pornography. Agents also located chat messages between Frazier and an individual claiming to be a 14-year-old; in these chats Frazier asks the minor to send a sexually explicit photograph.
A forensic analysis completed on the electronic devices seized from Frazier resulted in the discovery of 23,000 images and videos of child pornography.
“Individuals who seek to sexually exploit minors steal the innocence of childhood and potentially destroy lives,” said Acting Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Annello. “This case shows HSI investigators are actively working to identity and disrupt child predators, and also to seek prosecution of these criminals wherever they may be found.”
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office—Special Investigations Division, and Benton County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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Leader of MS-13’s Hollywood Clique Pleads Guilty to Federal Narcotics and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A longtime member of the MS-13 transnational street gang, who is described in court papers as the “shot-caller” of the gang’s Hollywood clique, pleaded guilty today to federal narcotics and weapons violations.
Jose Ricardo Alfaro, aka “Shyboy,” 40, of Hollywood, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Alfaro was arrested in May 2017 during a major operation that targeted MS-13 following the filing of a racketeering indictment that charged nearly three dozen gang members and associates, including a dozen other “shot-callers” who led a majority of the gang’s cliques in the Los Angeles region. Alfaro was not charged in the racketeering indictment, but he was arrested after authorities executed a search warrant and discovered ammunition in his vehicle. Subsequent investigation revealed Alfaro’s role in orchestrating drug trafficking and firearms activities.
In a plea agreement filed in federal court, Alfaro admitted that he and other co-conspirators acquired methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin, and they “communicate[d] using multiple cellular telephones and coded language to organize and discuss their drug-dealing business.”
Alfaro admitted that he was involved in the distribution of at least 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, and that he and his co-conspirators used firearms as part of the narcotics conspiracy. “For example, on or about April 9, 2017, [Alfaro] and a co-conspirator discussed acquisition of AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles,” according to the plea agreement.
Alfaro pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 20.
As a result of today’s guilty pleas, Alfaro faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 50 years.
Alfaro committed the drug and weapon offenses while on supervised released in relation to a prior RICO case that targeted MS-13.
In relation to last year’s racketeering indictment, a trial is scheduled for March 26, 2019.
The investigation into MS-13 is a multi-agency effort being conducted by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs, which is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department.
This case against Alfaro is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua O. Mausner of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Kent State University professor charged with making false statements to law enforcementRead the Press Release
A Kent State University professor was charged in federal court with lying to the FBI.
Julio Pino, 57, of Kent, was charged via a criminal information with one count of making a false statement to law enforcement.
The charge was announced by U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.
According to the criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland:
Pino was a Facebook friend of a St. Louis resident identified in the information at J.E. Pino posted numerous statements and images on social media regarding J.E. and J.E.’s child custody issues between May 2015 and January 2016.
Among these conversations, on or about September 11, 2015, Defendant and J.E. had the following communications:
J.E. wrote, “I’m playing the game backwards. and winning! . . . I will kill 100s of people if they take my rights as a father away!”
Pino stated, “Yes, in military terms this is known as ‘the Parthian shot’.”
J.E. wrote, “hell, 10000’s! . . . It’;s [sic] time for Men to act like men again. . . . See the thing I’ve got on my side is God. That allows me certain rights. One of those rights is to strike down evil with furious vengeance! . . . People don’t even know how crazy I am yet! That’s because no ones ever tried to take my [relative]. They’re about to meet to [the] Monster they’ve created.”
Pino responded, “Devour them, [J.E.].”
J.E. wrote, “Thank You! I will! :)
J.E. wrote on his Facebook wall a series of threatening communications in December 2015 through January 2016 directed against a St. Louis Family Court Judge adjudicating J.E.’s child custody case. On Jan. 11, 2016, J.E. also wrote on his own Facebook wall, “I (expletive) love Julio Pino, even if he does eventually do something that most consider horrible, I’ll still love him because I know him in a deeper way than most of you even could.”
Law enforcement authorities in St. Louis arrested J.E. on Jan. 11, 2016, for making threatening communications against the judge.
The FBI was involved in investigating J.E.’s threats against the judge. FBI agents on Jan. 18, 2016, interviewed Pino in Miami about his social media posts and comments concerning his interactions with J.E. and discussions with J.E. about J.E.’s child custody issues. The FBI agents recorded this interview in connection with an ongoing investigation concerning, among other things, Pino’s interactions with J.E. as described above.
Federal grand jury subpoenas from the Northern District of Ohio were issued during the course of that investigation. In response to questions from FBI agents concerning whether he ever had conversations with J.E. on the social media accounts, Pino, knowing full well the content of his social media interactions with J.E., stated he “never heard of [J.E. or] maybe I heard of him through the news,” he did not recall conversations with J.E. and that his conversations with J.E. were “invented conversation[s].” When asked again if he remembered the conversation with J.E., Pino responded, “I never heard of him, well maybe I heard of him through the news,” and then later stated, “the other way around it is certainly possible that he could have heard of me and made up this conversation, invented it.”
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Om Kakani and Michelle Baeppler.
An information 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.
Justice Department Announces $1 Million to Florida Law Enforcement and First Responders who Supported the Parkland High School ShootingRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) today awarded a $1 million grant to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to pay salary and overtime expenses for first responders who came to the scene of the deadly shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
In responding to the tragedy, the State of Florida, the City of Parkland, and Broward County incurred several million dollars in costs including securing crime scenes and operating command centers and state and local officials continue to incur expenses. The magnitude and urgency of the event resulted in a coordinated response of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and first responder personnel from more than 18 agencies. This award will defray some of these costs.
“The school shooting in Parkland shocked and horrified the nation, but the community and law enforcement at all levels have shown resilience and determination,” Attorney General Sessions said. “As I told our state and local partners back in February, the Department of Justice stands ready to help them in any way we can. Today we offer $1 million to support the police who have been working overtime in the aftermath of this tragedy. They can be sure about this: we have their backs.”
The BJA invited the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which administers the Edward Memorial Justice Assistance Grants Program for the state, to apply for the funds. The law authorizing the Byrne JAG Program permits funding to address “precipitous or extraordinary increases” in crimes such as mass violence. The program is the largest source of federal funding for state, local, and tribal public safety activities and is one of several programs administered by the Department of Justice that support law enforcement operations and improve officer safety.
For more information about the BJA, please visit https://www.bja.gov/default.aspx.
Huntington Drug Dealer Sentenced to Prison for Federal CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man caught with heroin in August 2017 was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Joseph Mitchell, 44, previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Stuart praised the efforts of the Marshall University Office of Public Safety and the FBI Huntington Safe Streets Task Force.
“Heroin dealers have run rampant in Huntington for far too long,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will use every tool in our arsenal to send drug dealers to prison.”
On August 2, 2017, an officer with the Marshall University Office of Public Safety conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by the defendant in the 500 block of 20th Street in Huntington. Upon searching the vehicle, the officer discovered approximately 11.5 grams of suspected heroin and a digital scale. As part of the plea agreement, Mitchell admitted that he intended to sell the heroin. Mitchell also admitted to the other drug activity charged in the indictment.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Harrison County man admits to drug distribution and firearm chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jordan T. Ratliff, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, has admitted to methamphetamine distribution and firearm charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Ratliff, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Ratliff admitted to distributing methamphetamine in December 2017 in Harrison County. Ratliff, who had previously been convicted of crimes in Monongalia County, admitted to having a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in February 2018 in Harrison County.
Ratliff faces up to 20 years incarceration and a $1,000,000 fine for the drug count, and faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearm count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Bridgeport Police Department Mountain Highway Interdiction Team investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Glendale Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Last week, Ronald Amaguin Dallas, 28, of Glendale, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 120 months’ imprisonment. Dallas had previously pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography.
Over the course of at least a year, Dallas downloaded and distributed child pornography through bit torrent file sharing. After undercover agents downloaded child pornography from Dallas’s IP address, they obtained a warrant to search his home. During the search, agents seized several devices containing video files and hundreds of images depicting child pornography.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon M. Brown and Gayle Helart.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-01248 (SPL)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-045_Dallas
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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.
Former University of Iowa Student Pleads Guilty to Computer Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On April 16, 2018, Trevor J. Graves, age 20, a former University of Iowa student, appeared in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Stephen B. Jackson, Jr., and pleaded guilty to transmission of a command to damage a protected computer, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Graves’ sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. before United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey.
According to the plea agreement, Graves admitted from March 7, 2015 to November 15, 2016, the University of Iowa, Iowa Courses Online (ICON) computer network was a protected computer and he knowingly and intentionally caused the transmission of a command to the University of Iowa computer network that caused damage and impairment to the integrity or availability of certain data, program, system or information.
Specifically, Graves placed a key logger on University of Iowa computers and fraudulently obtained professors user names and passwords. Graves accessed the ICON system and without authorization changed course grades for himself and five other students. The University of Iowa information technology (IT) costs associated with their internal investigation, response to the discovery of the network breach, and remedial steps taken to update the University of Iowa IT security was approximately $67,900.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, University of Iowa Department of Public Safety, and University of Iowa, Information Services Technology. This case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Iowa.
Former Procurement Director of Staten Island District Attorney’s Office Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Government FundsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, William Nelson, former Director of Procurement at the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office (RCDA), pleaded guilty to theft of government funds relating to his embezzlement of over $440,000 from the RCDA. The plea was entered before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and Mark G. Peters, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation, announced the guilty plea.
According to the indictment and facts presented during the guilty plea, for approximately 10 years between 2006 and 2016, Nelson stole over $440,000 from the RCDA as part of a long-term scheme to defraud the RCDA of funds. Specifically, Nelson used two RCDA American Express credit cards to purchase items such as jewelry, clothing, toys, sporting goods and memorabilia, alcohol, video games and movies, electronics, knives, handbags, collectibles, event tickets, meals, lodging, airfare, excursions, and online services that he then used for his own benefit and the benefit of others. Nelson also used the online payment system PayPal to directly transfer thousands of dollars from the RCDA credit cards to his own personal bank account. In furtherance of his scheme, Nelson took steps to hide his embezzlement, which included concealing the itemized credit card statements, mischaracterizing the nature of the purchases, and using his authority as Director of Procurement to approve payments of his fraudulent personal expenditures.
As part of his plea agreement, Nelson is required to pay forfeiture in the amount of $441,262.30, as well as restitution in the same amount to the RCDA. When sentenced, the defendant faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
WILLIAM NELSON
Age: 44
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-394 (RJD)
Former Postal Worker Indicted for Stealing Electronics from Priority Mail Processing FacilityRead the Press Release
A former postal worker has been charged with federal crimes for stealing mail, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. JAMIE GUHLKE, 55, of Federal Way, Washington pleaded not guilty to three counts of theft of mail by an officer or employee at her initial appearance on the indictment on April 16, 2018. Trial on the charges is scheduled in front of Judge James L. Robart on June 25, 2018.
According to records filed in the case, in 2015, while still employed as a mail handler at the United States Postal Service Priority Mail Annex in Kent, Washington, GUHLKE stole as many as 44 packages mailed by an online electronics distributor to customers across the country. The packages contained digital devices, including Apple iPads and Samsung Galaxy tablets. The thefts interfered with operations at the Priority Mail Annex, which is responsible for processing the vast majority of Priority Mail that originates in Washington State. Law enforcement traced two of the devices to a local pawn shop, and determined that other items were sold via the online marketplace ‘OfferUp’. One additional device was found in GUHLKE’s possession. When GUHLKE left work on August 27, 2015, her car was stopped by Special Agents of the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. Visible inside the car on the front passenger seat was the stolen device. Following the traffic stop, GUHLKE was barred from postal service property and her employment was terminated.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Siddharth Velamoor.
Former North Carolina Police Sergeant Charged with Using Excessive Force Against an ArresteeRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that Robert George, a former sergeant with the Hickory Police Department (HPD), has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of using excessive force against a female arrestee, and for obstructing justice.
The indictment alleges that on Nov. 11, 2013, George assaulted a female victim, identified in the indictment by the initials C.D., by slamming her face-first to the ground, causing her to suffer bodily injury. The following day, George allegedly wrote a false police report to cover up the offense.
George, 45, of Hickory, North Carolina, was arraigned on these charges in federal court.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Assistant United States Attorney Kimlani Ford and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel.
Former North Carolina Police Sergeant Charged with Using Excessive Force Against an ArresteeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Department of Justice today announced that Robert George, a former sergeant with the Hickory Police Department (HPD), has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of using excessive force against a female arrestee, and for obstructing justice.
The indictment alleges that on Nov. 11, 2013, George assaulted a female victim, identified in the indictment by the initials C.D., by slamming her face-first to the ground, causing her to suffer bodily injury. The following day, George allegedly wrote a false police report to cover up the offense.
George, 45, of Hickory, North Carolina, was arraigned on these charges in federal court.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Assistant United States Attorney Kimlani Ford and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel.
Former Fitchburg Postal Employee Sentenced for Failing to Deliver MailRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Fitchburg postal employee was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for failing to deliver mail.
Stephen Lehto, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy to two years of probation. In January 2018, Lehto pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of obstruction of mails.
While working as a postal carrier for the United States Postal Service in Fitchburg between June 2016 and January 2017, Lehto began taking mail home instead of delivering it along his route. Law enforcement received a tip and interviewed Lehto at his home. A search of his vehicle resulted in the recovery of 758 pieces of mail, 341 pieces of which were first class pieces of mail.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Eileen Neff, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Dineen Jerrett of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Former Cornell Student Sentenced for Loan FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Cavya Chandra, age 26, of Carmel, Indiana, was sentenced today in federal court in Syracuse to serve a 5 year term of probation, to pay a fine of $1,000, and ordered to pay more than $70,000 in restitution to Cornell University, after previously pleading guilty to federal student loan fraud, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Geoffrey Wood, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General (ED OIG), Eastern Region. Chandra’s sentence of probation requires her to (1) disclose her plea agreement and criminal conviction to any universities she attends; (2) disclose to her Probation Officer any new applications for financial aid; and (3) abide by an existing repayment agreement with Cornell University requiring her to pay restitution to Cornell, which balance currently exceeds $70,000.00.
Following the sentencing hearing, U.S. Attorney Grant Jaquith stated, “Whatever pressure students feel to get into a particular school, it cannot justify fraud. We maximize opportunities for higher education by maintaining the integrity of financial aid programs, including taking action against dishonesty.” Special Agent in Charge Geoffrey Wood stated, “Federal student aid exists so that individuals can pursue and make their dream of a higher education a reality. As the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of Education, ensuring that those who steal student aid for their own selfish purposes are stopped and held accountable for their criminal actions is a big part of the mission of ED OIG.”
As part of her guilty plea, Chandra admitted that between 2008 and 2014 she obtained admission to, and attended, three universities—Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (“IUPUI”)—by forging various documents, including academic transcripts and letters of recommendation. The charge to which Chandra pled guilty relates to her fraudulent acceptance of federal student loan money while attending Cornell.
In pleading guilty, Chandra admitted that in the fall of 2008 Cornell denied her application for admission to its incoming freshman class, after which she applied to Carnegie Mellon University . In doing so, Chandra submitted a forged letter of recommendation from a high school teacher. Unaware of this forgery, Carnegie Mellon accepted Chandra’s application and admitted her as a student in the fall of 2009.
In February 2010, during her second semester at Carnegie Mellon, Chandra applied for admission to Cornell as a transfer student. In submitting her transfer application to Cornell, she included a forged transcript, falsely representing that she had received a perfect 4.0 Qualified Point Average (“QPA”) during the fall 2009 semester at Carnegie Mellon. In reality, Chandra had actually received a much lower QPA of 2.79 for that semester. Chandra also submitted to Cornell a fake high school transcript that falsely inflated her grades and included a forged letter of recommendation from a high school teacher. Unaware of Chandra’s fraud, Cornell admitted her as a transfer student for the fall 2010 semester.
While enrolled at Cornell, Chandra ultimately received more than $130,000 in financial aid, much of which was federal direct student loan money provided by the United States Department of Education. Cornell also provided tens of thousands of dollars in grant assistance to Chandra during her time as a student at Cornell.
In 2013, while still enrolled at Cornell, Chandra began the process of applying for medical school through the American Medical College Application Service (“AMCAS”). As part of her medical school application to AMCAS, Chandra submitted forged transcripts from Carnegie Mellon and from Cornell. AMCAS reported to Cornell that it suspected Chandra had sent a fraudulent transcript, and Cornell launched an internal investigation, during which it uncovered her admissions fraud. When confronted by a university official, Chandra admitted that she had falsified information in her transfer application. Cornell expelled Chandra in November 2013.
Following her expulsion from Cornell, Chandra applied for admission as a transfer student to IUPUI. In doing so, Chandra again prepared and submitted forged copies of her Carnegie Mellon and Cornell transcripts, both of which contained falsely inflated grades. IUPUI admitted Chandra as a transfer student and gave her credit for a number of classes that she did not actually take or pass at Cornell. Cavya Chandra graduated from IUPUI in 2015. When Chandra’s fraud came to light the following year, IUPUI rescinded her degree.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General with assistance from Cornell University, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Former Chief Operating Officer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced today that Jennifer Goss, age 36 of Menomonee Falls, WI, has agreed to plead guilty to an information charging her with wire fraud for embezzling over $200,000 from a company located in Germantown, Wisconsin.
According to the charges, the scheme involved Goss using her position as Chief Operating Officer and Bookkeeper to embezzle more than $200,000 in a variety of ways. For example, she wrote and signed unauthorized checks from the company’s bank account payable to herself and her husband, who was employed at the company, and deposited them into a shared personal bank account. She later changed the entries in the company’s accounting software to conceal these unauthorized checks. She also used the company’s bank account to make unauthorized payments to her family’s credit card. In addition, she made unauthorized transfers from the company’s bank account to her personal PayPal account, which she used for personal purchases.
Goss agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud in violation of Title18 United States Code § 1343. The maximum penalties for wire fraud are 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Jacobs and Zachary Corey.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
Florida Man Sentenced to 15 Years Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, Travon Jarvel Jackson, 37, of Tampa, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 15 years’ imprisonment. Jackson had been previously found guilty following trial of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; and interstate transportation for prostitution.
Between May and August of 2016, Jackson manipulated and coerced the victim, a woman from Tampa, Fla., into performing acts of prostitution in both Florida and Arizona. Jackson posted advertisements for the victim on www.Backpage.com and kept all of the money derived from the victim’s acts of prostitution. Jackson controlled the victim by withholding food, money, and property from her in order to coerce her into performing commercial sex acts, and physically assaulted her to gain her compliance. Jackson forced the victim to travel to Tucson against her will, where he continued to use her to engage in prostitution for which he kept the profits. The victim escaped Jackson by contacting a human trafficking victim rescue service, which she had seen advertised on a billboard, from a motel room in Tucson where Jackson had been keeping her to perform acts of prostitution.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tucson Police Department, working collaboratively under the Southern Arizona Anti-Trafficking Unified Response Network (SAATURN). The prosecution was handled by Angela W. Woolridge, Adam D. Rossi, and Karen E. Rolley, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-16-01704-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-046_Jackson
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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.
Father and Son Plead Guilty to Robbing Six Smoke Shops and Two Credit UnionsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A father and son pleaded guilty in federal court today to committing six smoke shop robberies and two bank robberies in early 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada.
Jeffrey Alan James, 53, and Jessy Stewart James, 23, both of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to a criminal information that charged them with seven-counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of Bank Robbery. United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware accepted their guilty pleas and scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 26, 2018.
According to documents filed in court, on January 19, 2017, Jeffrey James threatened an employee at KS Smoke Shop, located at 3827 E. Sunset Road, with a BB gun revolver and demanded money. Jessy James, his son, watched the store’s entrance and acted as a lookout. They stole approximately $205. The second robbery occurred on January 22, when each defendant used a firearm to threaten an employee at D Smoke Shop located at 3711 S. Valley View. They stole approximately $300. On January 24, Jeffrey James pointed a BB gun revolver in the direction of a teller’s head during a robbery at the Silver State Schools Credit Union located at 9302 S. Eastern Avenue in Henderson. During that robbery, Jessy James placed a suitcase on the counter and told another teller that if she followed their instructions she would not get shot. They got away with approximately $4,000. On January 31, Jeffrey James threatened a clerk at Smokes and Vapors Smoke Shop, located at 9101 W. Sahara, with a revolver while Jessy James instructed the clerk to “pull [the money] out fast.” They stole approximately $100.
The defendants further admitted that, on February 1, during the fifth robbery, Jessy James pointed a replica assault rifle at two employees at Smoke Shop Plus, located at 7320 S. Rainbow Blvd., and instructed them to “open the register and give me all the money you have.” He fled with approximately $900, while Jeffrey James acted as a getaway driver. Then, on February 5, they simulated the possession of firearms and demanded money from two employees at Smoke and Cigar Smoke Shop, located at 8550 W. Desert Inn, stating that they were committing a “robbery.” They stole approximately $300. Then, on February 14, Jeffrey James threatened a clerk at EZ Smokes Smoke Shop, located at 8930 S. Maryland Parkway, with a revolver and demanded money. The employee explained that there was no money in the register, so Jeffrey James stole Marlboro cigarettes while Jessy James waited outside as a getaway driver. The eighth and final robbery occurred on February 16, when the father-son duo robbed the America First Credit Union located at 10608 S. Eastern Avenue, in Henderson. Jessy James threatened a teller with a BB gun and a presented a note that read, “This is a robbery, not a joke.” Jeffrey James waited outside and acted as a getaway driver. They stole approximately $4,207.
The maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of Hobbs Act Robbery and Bank Robbery.
The case was investigated by the Henderson Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Burns is prosecuting the case.
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Dyer Man Sentenced to 150 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- James Struensee, 48 years old, of Dyer, Indiana, was sentenced before Hammond District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen following his plea of guilty for accessing an internet connected computer system with intent to view child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Struensee was sentenced to 150 months imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $40,000.
According to documents in this case, in 2015 Struensee logged into a website using a TOR browser to access child pornography involving prepubescent children. Struensee admitted to, over the course of years, searching, accessing, and viewing over 200 images of child pornography. In 2000, he was convicted of receipt of child pornography (via U.S. mail) in the Northern District of Illinois.
This case was investigated by the FBI GRIT Task Force with the assistance of the Indiana State Police and was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Alexandra McTague.
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Dona Ana County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Juan Martin Rosales, 49, of Chaparral, N.M., pled guilty today in Las Cruces, N.M., federal court to child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jack P. Staton of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Sheriff Enrique Vigil of the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, Chief Patrick Gallagher of the Las Cruces Police Department, and Sheriff Benny House of the Otero County Sheriff’s Office.
Rosales was charged by criminal complaint filed in Oct. 2017, with child exploitation and child pornography offenses. The complaint alleged that Rosales sexually exploited children and received and possessed child pornography from Oct. 2015 through Oct 16, 2017, in Dona Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, the investigation into Rosales was initiated in April 2017, when Rosales’ neighbors reported to the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office that Rosales possessed a tablet computer containing child pornography. The complaint also alleged that Rosales used a cellular phone to take photographs of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During the execution of a search warrant on Oct. 16, 2017, law enforcement agents recovered numerous SD cards, cellular phones, a tablet computer and other electronic devices from Rosales’ home.
Rosales was indicted on Jan. 17, 2018, and was charged with 15 counts of producing child pornography and three counts of possessing child pornography. The indictment charged Rosales with producing child pornography four times on Sept 28, 2016, and 11 times on Sept. 30, 2016. It also charged Rosales with possessing child pornography on two micro SD cards and a smartphone on Oct. 16, 2017. According to the indictment, Rosales committed the crimes in Otero County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Rosales pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
At sentencing, Rosales faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of Homeland Security Investigations, the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, Las Cruces Police Department, and the Otero County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander B. Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. Individuals with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse are encouraged to contact the Children’s Advocacy Center tipline at (575) 526-3437.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Dominican Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Yossi Rafael Rincon Ramirez, of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least December 6, 2016, through May 2, 2017, the defendant delivered fentanyl to the customers on behalf of a drug dealer based in Lawrence, Massachusetts. On four separate occasions, the defendant sold fentanyl to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) agent in Nashua, New Hampshire, and on May 2, 2017, law enforcement arrested Rincon Ramirez as he travelled to Nashua for another drug delivery.
Rincon Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and four counts of distribution of a controlled substance. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 1, 2018.
“Fentanyl distribution continues to pose a serious danger to the safety of our community and the health of our citizens.” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who attempt to profit from the sale of this deadly substance.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA, with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and the police departments of Hudson, NH, Nashua, NH, and Methuen, MA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane B. Kelbley.
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Detroit Felon Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit, Michigan man was sentenced today to 18 months for a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Quadralon Mayberry-Figures, 20, previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Stuart applauded the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hurricane Police Department.
“Prosecuting felons with firearms is a priority of mine,” said United States Attorney Stuart. “In order to protect the rights of citizens who legally possess guns, we must enforce guns laws aimed at keeping weapons out of the hands of people like Mayberry-Figures that are prohibited from having them.”
On February 17, 2017, an officer with the Hurricane Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 64. The defendant was a passenger in the vehicle. Upon searching the defendant, the officer located a Diamond Back arms 9mm caliber pistol in his right front pocket. Mayberry-Figures was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of multiple felony convictions, including a 2016 conviction for carrying a concealed weapon in Michigan.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is responsible for the prosecution. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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DOJ-Led Opioid Task Force Surge Leads to over 100 Arrests and Large Heroin and Fentanyl SeizuresRead the Press Release
PHOENIX– In the first quarter of 2018, federal and state prosecutors and their law enforcement partners combined resources to investigate and prosecute opioid cases throughout Arizona. The goal of this surge was to disrupt opioid trafficking throughout the state while promoting case coordination and intelligence sharing between federal, state, and local law enforcement. During this surge period, the Task Force prosecuted over 90 heroin and opioid traffickers and diverted over 300 people suffering from substance abuse for drug treatment. Law enforcement seized nearly 300 pounds of heroin, 80 pounds of fentanyl, and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills that were manufactured to appear to be OxyContin. Of particular note, this surge led to the prosecution of a Tucson dealer whose heroin caused the death of a victim, the prosecution of a Phoenix medical professional who was purchasing OxyContin and morphine from a patient at a medical facility, and an interdiction of a large load of pure fentanyl powder in Mohave County. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration also continued its efforts and initiated over 25 new opioid trafficking investigations.
“The opioid epidemic is a significant public safety concern that continues to kill a record number of Arizonans,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Strange. “In the last three months, our office has devoted additional resources to assist federal and state law enforcement to enforce our drug laws. This surge of resources and coordination with our federal and state law enforcement partners will continue until significant strides are made in disrupting the flow of heroin and fentanyl into our communities and schools.”
“The relationship between the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and our Federal and local law enforcement partners is as strong as it has ever been,” said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “By collaborating together, we are working towards a common goal of dismantling large scale opioid trafficking operations from Arizona communities.”
“This successful operation has highlighted two continuing truths: 1- law enforcement in Arizona at the federal, state, and local level are committed to combining our resources to offer treatment alternatives to those in need of substance abuse help while also interdicting the sales and distribution of deadly heroin, fentanyl, and counterfeit opioids into our community and 2 - heroin and fentanyl traffickers continue to seek to exploit Arizona as a major thoroughfare for drug trafficking to the detriment of Arizonans and the Arizona legislature should give us the tools we are asking for to deal with this clearly identified threat,“ said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery.
“Opioid overdoses kill 115 Americans every day,” said Doug Coleman, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Phoenix Division. “The DEA in Arizona will target those who prey on the addiction of others by illegally distributing opioids, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure these criminals face justice.”
The removal of unused prescribed opioids from the public is also a vital component of the Department of Justice’s overall strategy to reduce opioid abuse. This strategic component is crucial due to the significant rise in the manufacture and distribution of fentanyl pills that mimic the look of OxyContin pills. If you have unused prescription opioids or other prescription drugs in your home, and want to dispose of them safely, please take advantage of the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Takeback Day on Saturday, April 28, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Collection sites will be set up throughout the state on that day to provide the public with a safe, convenient, and responsible way of disposing of prescription drugs. Please go to www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/ to find the nearest collection site.
The members of this DOJ-led Opioid Task Force include the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the Pima County Attorney’s Office, the Phoenix Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Service, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-048_ Opioid Task Force
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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.
Centerville Man Sentenced for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jeremy Rickman, age 31 of Centreville, Illinois, was sentenced on Friday, April 20, 2018 to 100 months in federal prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Donald S. Boyce announced today.
Rickman pled guilty to the one-count federal indictment on December 4, 2017. At his change of plea hearing, Rickman admitted that he had distributed approximately 75 grams of ICE (99% pure methamphetamine) in the East St. Louis, Illinois area, and in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2016. Rickman received approximately $2,500.00 for the ICE that he sold.
Two other co-defendants charged in the same indictment are awaiting trial.
Evidence in support of this prosecution was obtained in an investigation which was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations.
The investigation that resulted in Rickman’s arrest and conviction was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert L. Garrison.
Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc. Fined $750,000 for Repeatedly Discharging Hazardous Waste into Public Sewer SystemRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Today in federal court, U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon ordered Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc. to pay $750,000 in criminal fines for repeatedly discharging untreated wastewater from its lens-manufacturing facility in Clackamas, Oregon to the Kellogg Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate any business, corporation, or individual that bypasses federal environmental laws to seek a competitive advantage or to maximize profits,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute individuals and corporations whose illegal conduct threatens our region’s natural resources and public health.”
“Our laws are designed to keep communities safe and protect our natural resources by requiring companies to take appropriate steps in managing hazardous chemicals,” said Susan Bodine, Assistant Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Companies that fail to comply with the law out of negligence or that seek economic advantage will be held responsible for their actions.”
According to court documents, over a multi-year period, Zeiss knowingly discharged a variety of hazardous substances to the Clackamas County sewer system.
In May 2012, Clackamas Water Environmental Services sent Zeiss a “Non-Residential Questionnaire” or industrial user survey as required by the Clean Water Act. In response, the company falsely described its wastewater as being 200 gallons per day of “green lens cleaner” that required no pretreatment. In reality, Zeiss regularly discharged cadmium-and-lead alloys, acidic lens polish, and potassium hydroxide the company attempted to neutralize with hydrochloric and muriatic acids.
In March and June 2015, EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division installed pH probes in the sewer line coming from the Zeiss manufacturing facility. These probes detected regular unlawful discharges. Investigators recorded unlawful waste discharges (with excessively high or low pH levels) on two-thirds of the days monitored. The government estimates Zeiss avoided $382,000 in proper disposal costs over the period of the offense. By failing to disclose its discharges to Clackamas County, the company operated completely outside pretreatment regulations for years.
Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc. is a subsidiary of the Zeiss International based in Oberkochen, Germany. The company previously pleaded guilty on January 4, 2018 to one count of violating the wastewater pretreatment requirements outlined in Section 1319(c)(1)(A) of the Clean Water Act.
This case was investigated by EPA Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan W. Bounds and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla Gebel Perrin.
Bend Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving Consumer Aviation CompanyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – Fred Schrameck II aka Rick Schrameck, 73, of Bend, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to a single count of wire fraud for a scheme involving his consumer aviation company, Aircraft Completion Services LLC (ACS).
According to court documents, Schrameck and others solicited customers to purchase and help build experimental aircraft, including the EPIC LT, using three companies, Aircraft Investor Resources LLC (AIR), Epic Air LLC (EPIC), and ACS. According to purchase agreements, customers paid more than $1.4 million for the Bend-manufactured aircraft.
Schrameck gave customers Airframe Purchase Agreements and Aircraft Completion Assistance Agreements that misrepresented how the customers’ funds were being used. Without his customers’ knowledge, Schrameck used the funds for other projects, to complete existing EPIC LT aircraft, and to support his own lavish lifestyle.
Schrameck faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. He will be sentenced on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investing (IRS-CI) and is being prosecuted by Scott E. Bradford, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Baltimore BGF Member Sentenced to 142 Months in Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Norman Handy, a/k/a “Norm,” a/k/a “Lil Norm,” age 23, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 142 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family’s Greenmount Avenue Regime.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board, Jr., of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) - Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
According to his plea agreement, Handy was a member of the BGF Greenmount Avenue Regime, formerly known as the Young Guerilla Family, or YGF. Between 2005 and September 2017, Handy agreed with other BGF members to engage in crimes to further the interest of the gang, including drug distribution and armed robbery.
Specifically, Handy admitted that on March 23, 2013, he and another individual robbed Moses Malone of a cellular telephone and money. During the robbery, Handy used a .38 caliber handgun to shoot Malone in the foot. Malone was scheduled to testify in state court against Handy for the robbery; however, Malone was shot and killed by BGF gang member Wesley Brown to prevent him from testifying.
On October 31, 2013, Handy and another BGF member assaulted and robbed two other victims.
Handy further admitted that he conspired with members of the BGF to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana in furtherance of the gang.
United States Attorney Hur commended ATF Baltimore, FBI Baltimore, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Christina A. Hoffman, who prosecuted the case.
Baldwin County Man Receives 30 Month Sentence for Possession of a Firearm After Felony ConvictionRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney, Richard W. Moore, announces that Alan Eric Grime, a 27 year old resident of Loxley, Alabama was sentenced to 30 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a .45 caliber pistol after being convicted of Theft of Property, 1st Degree, a felony, on June 6, 2014.
On September 25, 2017, Fairhope, Alabama police officers responded to a bus stop after someone complained of a suspicious person at that location. The complainant gave a description of the person he/she was concerned about. When officers arrived at the bus stop, they saw a man fitting that description and they approached him to investigate. It was Grime. He was nervous and told the officers he was a felon recently released from prison. One officer then looked at the bus stop sitting area and saw a .45 caliber pistol. Grime was then handcuffed. Next, officers received consent from Grime to take items from his pocket. Approximately 16 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition was seized from his pocket. Grime was then read his Miranda Rights which he waived. Grime then told the officers that he borrowed the firearm from a friend who lives in Foley because he was afraid. Grime pled guilty on January 17, 2018.
Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with officers of the Fairhope, Alabama Police Department investigated the case and presented it to the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The prosecutor assigned to the case was Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Statement on Central American 'Caravan'Read the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today issued the following statement on the Central American 'Caravan':
“Pockets of the original, so-called ‘migrant caravan,’ which press reports indicate consists mostly of Honduran nationals, have begun to arrive at our southern border with the intent of claiming asylum. These individuals—and their smugglers—ignored the willingness of the Mexican government to allow them to stay in Mexico.
“Let today’s message be clear: our nation has the most generous immigration system in the world, but this is a deliberate attempt to undermine our laws and overwhelm our system. There is no right to demand entry without justification. Smugglers and traffickers and those who lie or commit fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
“Promoting and enforcing the rule of law is essential to protecting a nation, its borders, and its citizens. But, as President Trump has warned, the need to fix these loopholes and weaknesses in our immigration system is critical and overdue.
“Accordingly, I have directed our U.S. Attorneys at the border to take whatever immediate action to ensure that we have sufficient prosecutors available. I have also directed that we commit any additional necessary immigration judges to adjudicate any cases that may arise from this ‘caravan.’”
Assault Leads to Felon’s Guilty Plea for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who assaulted a woman with a firearm pled guilty on April 19, 2018, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Gage Ferdinand Skola, age 28, from Marion, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possessing a firearm as a felon.
At the plea hearing, Skola admitted he possessed a handgun in February 2018. Evidence at an earlier hearing and court documents reflect that, on February 10, 2018, Marion Police responded to a call of a woman bleeding from the head. The woman stated that she and her fiancée, Skola, had engaged in an argument that escalated throughout the day. Skola then obtained a handgun and hit her in the back of the head with it. The woman fled to a neighbor’s residence, and Skola followed her there shortly thereafter. Skola then entered the neighbor’s residence, pointed a revolver at his fiancée, then at his own head, stating that there was going to be a “double homicide.” One of the neighbors took the revolver from Skola, and Skola left the house. Marion Police officers arrested Skola a few hours later when he returned to the neighbor’s house. Skola later told officers that he drank an entire bottle of Fireball whiskey earlier in the day on February 10, and did not remember anything from the day after that.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Skola remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Skola faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as 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.
The case is being investigated by the Marion Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-00007-LRR.
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Friday 20 April 2018
Wilkinsburg Felon, 22, Sentenced to Federal Prison for Heroin/Fentanyl Dealing, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania was sentenced on April 19, 2018 to 33½ months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervision by the United States Probation Office, for drug dealing and illegal gun possession charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy M. Bissoon imposed the sentence on Nigel Macaya Broadus, aka Little Nige, 22, of Wilkinsburg, PA.
According to information presented to the court, Broadus sold heroin on April 30, 2015, May 4, 2015, and June 3, 2015. Broadus was in custody on other charges from September of 2015 through February of 2017. But then, starting in February of 2017, the defendant was involved in a drug conspiracy where others aided him in his drug activity, including running drugs for him, renting him vehicles, and obtaining guns for him. On April 25, 2017, Broadus was caught by law enforcement in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol purchased by his girlfriend, as well as heroin and fentanyl that he intended to sell. Federal law prohibited Broadus from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to his two separate August 30, 2016 Allegheny County convictions for Illegal Possession of a Firearm.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Bissoon noted that Broadus had spent the majority of his juvenile and adult life in the criminal justice system and stated that Broadus had to make "serious and significant changes" in his life.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt, a prosecutor in the Major Crimes section, prosecuted this case.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Monroeville Police Department, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department for conducting the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Broadus.
This case was brought as 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.
Waterbury Resident Charged with Violating Sex Offender Registration LawsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an Indictment charging ISMAEL SANCHEZ COLON, 44, with violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The indictment was returned on April 12, 2018, and SANCHEZ COLON was arrested this morning. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2001, SANCHEZ COLON was convicted in the State of Wisconsin of the felony offense of causing a child between the ages of 13 and 18 to view sexual activity. He was sentenced to 60 days of incarceration and five years of probation. He also was ordered to comply with sex offender registration requirements for a period of 15 years after completion of his term of probation.
It is alleged that SANCHEZ COLON began residing in Connecticut in approximately April 2016, based on evidence that he obtained food stamps and Husky healthcare benefits at that time, and he has not registered as a sex offender in this state, as required by law. During this time, SANCHEZ COLON has been registered in Puerto Rico, and it appears that SANCHEZ COLON has traveled to Puerto Rico since April 2016 to update his registration.
SANCHEZ COLON’s alleged non-compliance with sex offender registration requirements in Connecticut was discovered when he used his Waterbury address in the process of renewing his U.S. passport.
If convicted of the offense, SANCHEZ COLON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
Two Snow Hill Men Sentenced Following Same-Day Armed Robberies of Goldsboro Bank and Convenience StoreRead 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 two Snow Hill men, ISIAH KIRKMAN, 24, to 113 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and MALIK THOMAS, 22, to 98 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
KIRKMAN and THOMAS were named in a four-count Indictment on July 11, 2017. On January 8, 2018 both men pled guilty to one count of Interfering with Commerce By Robbery and Aiding and Abetting and one count of Discharging a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Aiding and Abetting.
On April 12, 2016, THOMAS and KIRKMAN entered a Handy Mart convenience store in Goldsboro and robbed a store clerk at gunpoint. Both conspirators wore masks and gloves to conceal their identities. During the robbery, the conspirators, both of whom possessed handguns, demanded money and stated they would kill the clerk if she failed to comply with their directives. As the clerk attempted to open the cash register, both robbers discharged their firearms to push her to move faster. After the clerk opened the register, the robbers stole the cash drawer, which contained $161 in U.S. currency and $50 in postage stamps, and fled from the store on foot.
THOMAS became a suspect after his cell phone was recovered from the scene of a similar robbery that had occurred earlier the same day at First Citizens Bank in Goldsboro. On April 20, 2016, law enforcement arrested THOMAS, who acknowledged committing the April 12, 2016, robberies at Handy Mart and First Citizens Bank. THOMAS named KIRKMAN as his armed accomplice during both robberies.
On June 14, 2016, KIRKMAN was arrested. He was subsequently interviewed by investigators and admitted his role in both the Handy Mart and the First Citizens Bank robberies. KIRKMAN stated he needed money to pay bills, and he was willing to do whatever to get some cash. KIRKMAN acknowledged that both he and THOMAS had fired their weapons during the Handy Mart robbery.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Goldsboro Police Department, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office conducted the criminal investigation of this case, with assistance from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Two Individuals Indicted for Fraud Concerning Program Receiving Federal Funds, Bribery, and Aggravated Id TheftRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – On April 19, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Edgar Arroyo-Amezquita and Luis Serrano-Perdigón with conspiracy to obtain property by fraud from a program receiving federal funds, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, aggravated identity theft, and giving a false statement to federal authorities, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.
According to the indictment, from May 2011 through in or about May 2013, defendants Arroyo-Amezquita and Serrano-Perdigón conspired to commit an offense against the United States: theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. The object of the conspiracy was to use Arroyo-Amezquita’s official position as Director of the Facilities Department within the government of the Municipality of Toa Baja, PR, to benefit and enrich themselves and steal and obtain by fraud property worth at least $5,000 and under the custody and control of the Municipality of Toa Baja.
The defendants submitted material false and misleading quote documentation to personnel of Toa Baja in order to fraudulently obtain municipal contracts and monetary payments. They used a fictitious company, Professional Sales & Service, using the name and signature of a real person with initials J.M. despite the fact that J.M. was not aware of the quotes or the use of his name and signature to submit quotes for contract work from the municipality. They also used a fictitious social security number and email account so payments would be processed under the name Professional Sales & Service and the company would appear legitimate.
Arroyo-Amezquita and Serrano-Perdigón agreed on a price for the work to be performed and then agreed to increase the quote amount submitted under Professional Sales & Service. Arroyo-Amezquita and Serrano-Perdigón also submitted inflated quotes under the name of a company controlled by Serrano-Perdigón, A.L.S. Electronic Service (ALS), so that quotes under the name of Professional Sales & Service would have the lowest cost. Arroyo-Amezquita used his position to deliver quotes to the municipal purchaser with instructions to immediately process the paperwork for the contract at issue, preventing the purchaser from obtaining other quotes or otherwise determining the fictitious nature of Professional Sales & Service.
Contracts awarded to Professional Sales & Service were completed by Serrano-Perdigón or an employee or subcontractor designated by Serrano-Perdigón. After contracts were awarded and payments were made by the municipality to Professional Sales & Service, Serrano-Perdigón would deposit the checks into a bank account he controlled in the name of ALS. Serrano-Perdigón then made cash payments to Arroyo-Amezquita intending to influence and reward Arroyo-Amezquita. From 2011 to 2013, over $140,000 in contracts were awarded and paid by the Municipality of Toa Baja to Professional Sales & Service.
“These defendants knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud the Municipality of Toa Baja which, like many other municipalities in Puerto Rico, is facing dire financial straits, for their personal economic gain,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting financial crimes and fraud and will hold those who take advantage of their positions, accountable for their actions.”
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five (5) years of imprisonment for the conspiracy to obtain property by fraud from program receiving federal funds, a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment for bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, two (2) to four (4) years mandatory imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft charges, and a maximum sentence of five (5) years of imprisonment for lying to federal authorities. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Erbe. An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investigation is ongoing.
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Troy Man Arrested for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kurtis Walter, age 24, of Troy, New York, was arrested today on a charge of distributing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Walter made an initial appearance today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. A detention hearing has been scheduled for April 23, 2018.
The complaint filed against Walter alleges that in November 2017 he distributed child pornography via a webcasting and peer-to-peer, file-sharing application. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted on all charges, Walter faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. If convicted, Walter would also have to register as a sex offender.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Third Co-Founder of Cryptocurrency Company Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Scheme to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
Robert Khuzami, the Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the arrest of RAYMOND TRAPANI, a/k/a “Ray,” a co-founder of a cryptocurrency company called Centra Tech, Inc. (“Centra Tech”), and the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging TRAPANI with securities fraud and wire fraud offenses in connection with a scheme to induce victims to invest more than $25 million in investments through material misrepresentations and omissions in connection with an initial coin offering. TRAPANI was arrested this morning and will be presented in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Two other Centra Tech co-founders, Sohrab Sharma, a/k/a “Sam Sharma,” and Robert Farkas, a/k/a “RJ,” a/k/a “Bob,” were arrested earlier this month based on a criminal complaint charging them with the same crimes.
Deputy U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami said: “As alleged, Raymond Trapani conspired with his co-defendants to lure investors with false claims about their product and about relationships they had with credible financial institutions. While investing in virtual currencies is legal, lying to deceive investors is not.”
According to the allegations in the criminal Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court against TRAPANI:[1]
After TRAPANI worked with Sharma and Farkas at a luxury car rental company called “Miami Exotics” in Florida, the three of them co-founded a company called Centra Tech that claimed to have developed a debit card, the “Centra Card,” that purportedly allowed users to spend cryptocurrency to make purchases at any establishment that accepts Visa or Mastercard. In approximately July 2017, TRAPANI, along with Sharma and Farkas, began soliciting investors to purchase unregistered securities in the form of digital tokens issued by Centra Tech, through a so-called “initial coin offering” or “ICO.” As part of this effort, TRAPANI and his co-conspirators, Sharma and Farkas, in oral and written offering materials that were disseminated via the internet, represented: (a) that Centra Tech had an experienced executive team with impressive credentials, including a purported CEO named “Michael Edwards” with more than 20 years of banking industry experience and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University; and (b) that Centra Tech had formed a partnership with Bancorp to have Bancorp issue Centra Cards licensed by Visa or Mastercard, among other claims. Based in part on these claims, victims provided more than $25 million in investments for the purchase of Centra Tech tokens.
The claims that TRAPANI and his co-conspirators, Sharma and Farkas, made to help secure these investments, however, were false. In fact, the purported CEO “Michael Edwards” and another supposed member of Centra Tech’s executive team are fictional people who were fabricated to mislead investors, and Centra Tech had no relationships with Bancorp, Visa, or Mastercard.
On or about September 29, 2017 – the date on which the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced that it filed a civil complaint charging a company called “RECoin” and its founder, among others, with defrauding investors in an unregistered offering of securities styled as an initial coin offering – Sharma asked TRAPANI and Farkas to remove certain materials from Centra Tech’s website that contained “fufu,” or fake information, about Centra Tech’s purported relationship with Visa because, according to Sharma, “I rather cut any fufu . . . Now . . . Then worry . . . Anything that doesn’t exist current . . . We need to remove.” Later that day, Sharma text messaged TRAPANI and Farkas that “Sec just shut down REcoin . . . Read the article . . . We gotta clean up every single thing that we can’t do . . . And can’t offer today.” Shortly thereafter, TRAPANI responded that RECoin “were pitching a straight security,” to which Sharma wrote “Yea . . . I know . . . But [still] fraud can be a word thrown around.”
In a separate action, the SEC filed civil charges against TRAPANI. Earlier this month, the SEC also filed civil charges against Sharma and Farkas.
* * *
TRAPANI, 27, is a resident of Florida. TRAPANI is charged in a four-count criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Khuzami praised the work of the FBI and thanked the SEC for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Samson Enzer and Negar Tekeei are in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations 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.
Stuart Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Producing Pornography of a Teenage VictimRead the Press Release
Richard William Lockley, 34, of Stuart, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Donald L. Graham to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing pornography of a teenage victim. He was ordered to register as a sex offender. Co-Defendant Joshua Lane Rogers, 34, also of Stuart, is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Ken Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (SLCSO), and William D. Snyder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), made the announcement.
According to the court record, on September 3, 2017, SLCSO deputies responded to a “Missing Person Juvenile/ Runaway” call for a missing 16-year-old minor. On September 27, 2017, MCSO Detectives located Rogers with the minor victim. The investigation revealed that Rogers met the victim on-line and had the victim stay at his residence. A forensic analysis of Roger’s cellular smart phone revealed he had recorded sexually explicit activity with the minor victim on numerous occasions. Rogers distributed many of the captured images and videos to other individuals, via MMS text communications, a social media networking program, and in the personal section of a Treasure Coast website.
Rogers and Lockley, together at Rogers’ residence, also produced videos depicting sexually explicit conduct and activity with the minor victim. A forensic analysis of Lockley’s cellular smart phone revealed he had used it to record sexually explicit activity with the minor victim.
On January 17, 2018, Lockley pled to one count of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and (e).
On March 22, 2018, Defendant Rogers pled guilty to two counts of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors and one count of distribution production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). Rogers is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2018 at 11 a.m., in Miami, by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Donald L. Graham.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, SLCSO and the MCSO for their work on this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida atwww.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
South Charleston Meth Dealer Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A methamphetamine dealer from South Charleston was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Carl “Yogi” Clark, 40, previously pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“135 months. More than 11 years. And a destroyed future,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “All because he decided a great career move was dealing drugs and selling meth and causing trouble in our communities. Not a good career move.”
Clark previously admitted that in January 2017, along with other individuals, they brought approximately four kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from Atlanta to Charleston. On January 12, 2017, officers with MDENT executed a search warrant at a hotel room and found over 130 grams of methamphetamine, scales, baggies, and a gun. The methamphetamine was part of the approximately four kilograms Clark and others brought back from Atlanta, and it was lab-tested and confirmed to be over 90% pure. Clark had also admitted to distributing additional methamphetamine to confidential informants during controlled buys in March 2017.
Four other defendants involved in this methamphetamine conspiracy have been sentenced to federal prison. Quinton Funk, of Webster Springs, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Jamie Harmon, of South Charleston, was sentenced to 8 years for distributing methamphetamine. Christopher Carte, of St. Albans, was sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Holly Doub, of South Charleston, was sentenced to five days in federal prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Bacaj and Haley Bunn were responsible for the prosecutions. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin is presiding over these cases.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
South Bay Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
San Francisco– Alexander Mendoza was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his part in a conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge, following a guilty plea entered in August of last year.
Mendoza, 36, of San Mateo, Calif., pleaded guilty on August 31, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, and five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendant entered a guilty plea without a written agreement. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted to distributing methamphetamine from the Northern District of California to Texas, and to shipping the methamphetamine on five occasions through the mail. Mendoza pleaded guilty to all counts in the indictment.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Illston sentenced Mendoza to a 5-year period of supervised release. The defendant was remanded to custody and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Vartain is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Theresa Benitez. This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Shreveport man sentenced to 86 months in prison for methamphetamine distribution, firearm possessionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Thursday to seven years and two months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and illegally possessing a revolver.
Christopher De’Lanio Taylor, 30, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the January 12, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents observed Taylor selling methamphetamine on August 3, 2016 and September 14, 2016. They later searched his home and found synthetic marijuana, digital scales, baggies containing white residue, 62.73 grams of methamphetamine, $3,450, and a Smith and Wesson, Model 30, .32 long caliber revolver with ammo.
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, Caddo/Shreveport Narcotics Mid-Level Investigation Unit, and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary J. Mudrick and J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Shreveport man sentenced to 2 years in prison for possessing a pistol after felony arrestRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport felon was sentenced Thursday to 24 months in prison for possessing a pistol he displayed on a social media video even though he was a convicted felon.
Tramarciea Jovan Ruffins, 24, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of firearm possession by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced three years of supervised release. According to the January 12, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement discovered video of Ruffins on a social media site holding a black Glock pistol with a flashlight attached. Agents questioned Ruffins who said he took the weapon without permission from his cousin’s vehicle. The weapon was eventually found at a Shreveport pawnshop. The handgun was identified as a Glock, model 41Gen4, .45 caliber pistol. Ruffins is a previously convicted felon.
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 Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.
Seventh Individual Charged in Opa Locka Municipal Corruption InvestigationRead the Press Release
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced federal charges against Dante Starks arising from his role in the Opa Locka municipal corruption scheme.
“The resulting harm from corruption, extortion and bribery denies law abiding citizens the right to expect honest services from government officials overseeing their business-related issues,” stated U.S. Attorney Benjamin Greenberg. “Political power and influence must not be bought or sold and those who believe otherwise will be prosecuted by this office with the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners.”
“For the public to have confidence in their government, they must be certain that officials - either elected or appointed - will not use their position for personal gain,” said Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Public corruption remains a top priority for the FBI. We encourage anyone who may have information about corruption to come forward and report it. This information is vital to our work.”
“Today's announcement demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust,” stated Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI. “The tax laws apply to everyone, and each of us is responsible for filing correct and accurate tax returns. Choosing not to file a tax return is a crime; and IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to investigate individuals who ignore their tax responsibilities.”
Starks, 55 of Miami-Dade County, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951 (a); conspiracy to commit Federal programs bribery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; aiding and abetting Federal programs bribery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666(a)(1)(B) and 2; and failure to file income tax returns (for tax years 2014, 2015 and 2016), in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7203. If convicted, Starks faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the Hobbs Act extortion conspiracy, 5 years in prison for the bribery conspiracy, 10 years in prison for each count of aiding and abetting bribery, and 1 year in prison on each of the failure to file charges. The case against Starks is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez (Case No. 18-20313-CR).
Starks is charged with conspiring with former Opa Locka City Commissioner Luis Santiago, former Opa Locka City Manager David Chiverton, and former Opa Locka Assistant Public Works Director Gregory Harris, to use the official positions and authority that Santiago, Chiverton, and Harris had with the City of Opa Locka to solicit, demand, and obtain personal payments from businesses and individuals in exchange for taking official actions, and for directing, pressuring, and advising other city employees to take official actions, to assist and benefit those businesses and individuals in their official dealings with the City of Opa Locka.
As the Indictment alleges, although Starks was not an official or employee of the City of Opa Locka, he was closely associated with and had great influence over Santiago. Starks also had and exercised significant influence over numerous other city officials and employees, including Chiverton and Harris, and he regularly used that significant influence to pressure and advise city officials and employees to take official actions on matters relating to occupational licenses, code enforcement citations and fines, liens, water service and billing, zoning, and city contracting.
Working together, Santiago and Starks solicited and obtained illegal payments from businesses and individuals in Opa Locka. In exchange for these illegal personal payments, Santiago, with the assistance of Starks, would take official actions on behalf of the paying businesses and individuals, and would also work with Starks to direct, pressure, and advise Chiverton, Harris, and other City of Opa Locka employees to take official actions on behalf of those businesses and individuals. These official actions included, but were not limited to, issuing occupational licenses; waiving, removing, and settling code enforcement matters and liens; initiating, restoring and continuing water service; reducing and eliminating water service billing balances; assisting with zoning issues; and assisting with obtaining city contracts.
Starks also is charged with participating in a conspiracy with Santiago and others to receive bribes in exchange for ensuring that a particular company received a city contract. According to the Indictment, in April 2015, the City of Opa Locka published a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) seeking bids from licensed and experienced towing firms seeking multi-year non-exclusive contracts to provide Opa Locka with citywide towing services. Shortly after this RFP was published, then-City Commissioner Santiago and Starks met with Raul Sosa Sr. (“Sosa Sr.”), who agreed to pay them a $10,000 bribe to ensure that the company Sosa Sr. was associated with, referred to as the “Towing Company,” was selected as one of the companies receiving a city towing contract.During this meeting, Sosa Sr. paid the first installment of the bribe and designated his son, Raul Sosa Jr. (“Sosa Jr.”), the Towing Company’s manager, as the person who would work with Santiago and Starks to carry out the illegal arrangement.
The Indictment further alleges that Starks arranged for Opa Locka’s Purchasing Director to assemble and prepare the Towing Company’s bid package. After this bid was submitted, Starks violated the city’s purchasing Cone of Silence rule by contacting a member of the city’s committee evaluating the towing bids and directing that individual to rank the Towing Company as the number one company. While this process was ongoing, Sosa Jr. made additional partial payments of the agreed $10,000 bribe. To complete the illegal arrangement, at the June 24, 2015, City Commission meeting, Santiago used his position as a City Commissioner to vote in favor of the resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into towing contracts with the Towing Company and three other companies. The final installment of the bribe was paid after the City Commission voted to award a contract to the Towing Company.
In addition, Starks was charged in the Indictment with failing to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Related cases arising from the Opa Locka corruption investigation are the following:
Santiago previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit Federal programs bribery and Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right (Case No. 16-20971-CR). Santiago was sentenced to 51 months in prison.
Chiverton previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit Federal programs bribery and Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right (Case No. 16-20596-CR). Chiverton was sentenced to 38 months in prison.
Harris previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit Federal programs bribery and Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right (Case No. 16-20589-CR-BLOOM). Harris was the first defendant to plead guilty to charges arising from this investigation, and received a sentence of probation.
Sosa Sr. and Sosa Jr. have been charged by Indictment with conspiracy to commit Federal programs bribery and substantive counts of Federal programs bribery (Case No. 18-20256-CR). Their case is pending before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force and IRS-CI in this matter. Mr. Greenberg thanked the Miami-Dade Police Department and Hialeah Police Department for their assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Maurice Johnson.
An Indictment merely contains allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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
Seven Defendants Sentenced Following Their Admissions to Trafficking Large Quantities of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Seven defendants charged in an indictment returned in November 2017 were sentenced in recent weeks by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings for their roles in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in the Lubbock, Texas area, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
The court imposed the following sentences:
Alejandro Garcia-Izazaga, aka “Flaco” and “Alex” – 365 months
Anthony Wayne Reiley, aka “Tony” – 235 months
Ivan Cruz-Martinez – 235 months
Zacarias Blanco-Olea – 210 months
Amanda Nicole Marney – 188 months
Ernesto Martinez, Jr. – 108 months
Patricia Ann Hernandez-Salas – 87 months
Garcia-Izazaga, Reiley, Cruz-Martinez, and Blanco-Olea have been in custody on related criminal complaints since their arrest in October 2017. Marney, Martinez, and Hernandez-Salas have been in custody following their arrests in November 2017.
According to plea documents filed in the case, Garcia-Izazaga was facilitating the transportation of pound-quantities of methamphetamine in Lubbock and other major cities in the State of Texas. On three separate occasions in the summer of 2017, Garcia-Izazaga offered to pay Reiley, Cruz-Martinez, and Blanco-Olea to transport large quantities of methamphetamine from other parts of the state to Lubbock, Texas. On each occasion, the defendants were stopped by law enforcement for traffic violations. Searches of the vehicles revealed large amounts of methamphetamine in hidden compartments.
Marney was arrested following a traffic stop in August 2017 where officers found her to be in possession of multiple ounces of methamphetamine and two firearms.
Martinez, Jr. and Hernandez-Salas each purchased and distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in the Lubbock, Texas area.
In total, law enforcement agents were able to seize in excess of 15 pounds of methamphetamine and several firearms.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Customs and Border Protection, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Lubbock Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is in charge of the prosecution.
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Sanborn Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Drug UserRead the Press Release
A convicted felon and user of methamphetamine who unlawfully possessed a firearm pled guilty on April 17, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.
Marc Gibbons, 29, from Sanborn, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance.
On March 9, 2017, law enforcement officers observed Gibbons, who was on parole, driving a vehicle in which his sole passenger was a man suspected of burglarizing a residence and stealing seven firearms. Officers approached Gibbons and questioned him regarding the suspected burglar. During the questioning, officers observed Gibbons in possession of drug paraphernalia, and informed him he would be taken into custody. Prior to leaving the residence, Gibbons, who was wearing only a t-shirt and jeans, declined to take his jacket in spite of the cold weather. Then, without warning, Gibbons bolted for the jackets, and began fumbling through them. It was during this time that the officer observed what later turned out to be a.45 caliber handgun. The handgun was one of the seven stolen firearms.
This case was brought as 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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Gibbons remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Gibbons faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay J. Alexander and was investigated by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, Spencer Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-4042-LTS.
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San Jose Resident Charged with Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Jose Sanchez Flores was indicted on charges he filed false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf. Sanchez Flores was arrested and made his initial court appearance this morning in San Jose, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Howard R. Lloyd.
A federal grand jury in San Jose handed down the indictment, unsealed today, on September 21, 2017. The indictment charges Sanchez Flores, a resident of San Jose, Calif., with two counts of filing false tax returns, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1). According to the indictment, Sanchez Flores filed false federal income tax returns for tax years 2010 and 2011. Magistrate Judge Lloyd scheduled Sanchez Flores’s next court appearance for April 27, 2018, at 1:30 p.m.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Sanchez Flores faces three years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of filing false tax returns. Additional fines, penalties and supervised release also may be ordered. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Pitman is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
San Jose Resident Charged in Embezzlement Scheme at Emeryville Medical Device CompanyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Dinesh Shankar was arrested today on mail fraud charges stemming from an alleged embezzlement scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
According to the indictment unsealed this morning, Shankar, 40, of San Jose, Calif., embezzled more than $2 million from his former employer, an Emeryville, Calif., company that develops medical devices. According to the indictment, Shankar’s position at the company involved obtaining laboratory testing and quality assurance services for the company’s medical devices. Shankar allegedly used his role at the company to initiate a scheme in January 2015, in which he created six fake entities, rented post office boxes associated with each entity, and opened bank accounts under the names of the six entities. The indictment alleges that Shankar submitted false invoices to the company for payment to the purported vendors, and that after the invoices were approved the company sent checks, made out to the fake entities, to the post office boxes rented by Shankar. In total, the payments to these entities were more than $2 million, according to the indictment.
Shankar was charged with six counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the maximum penalty for each count of mail fraud is twenty years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Shankar made his initial federal court appearance in Oakland today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. Magistrate Judge Ryu scheduled the defendant’s next appearance for April 24, 2018, before Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore, for identification of counsel.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Farnham is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Bridget Kilkenny and Claudia Hyslop. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
San Diego Unified School Teacher Charged with Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Janet A. Cabral (619) 546-8715
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 19, 2018
SAN DIEGO – David Weaks, a fifth grade teacher at Rosa Parks Elementary School in the San Diego Unified School District, was arrested and charged yesterday with distributing pornographic images of young girls, including a toddler.
Weaks made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew G. Schopler. The government asked that Weaks be held without bond on grounds that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk. Judge Schopler scheduled a detention hearing for Tuesday April 24 at 2 p.m. to consider the matter.
Beginning in late March, Homeland Security Investigations agents were conducting an investigation of individuals suspected of making files of child pornography available for sharing on the Internet through the use of a peer-to-peer file sharing program. On April 4, 2018, agents connected to a computer with an internet protocol address associated with Weaks’ residence in San Diego. Agents were able to download two videos directly from the IP address, both of which showed young minor females engaging in sex acts with adult males.
Homeland Security agents, along with other law enforcement officers associated with the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, searched Weaks’ home yesterday morning pursuant to a federal warrant and seized multiple computer and other digital items which were found to contain child pornography.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program is a national network representing over 4,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, all working to combat the sexual exploitation of children through the internet. Homeland Security Investigations, is a member of the Task Force.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 18mj1862
David Gordon Weaks Age: 59 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2252(a)(2)
Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison; $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.