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Friday 20 April 2018
Romanian National Charged with ATM SkimmingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Romanian national has been charged in federal court related to a scheme to covertly steal and utilize illicitly obtained debit card data by placing skimming devices on ATMs inside QuikTrip stores in Olathe, Kan., and Riverside, Mo.
David Velcu, also known as Luca Antoni, 23, a citizen and national of Romania residing in Anaheim, Calif., was charged in a criminal complaint filed Thursday, April 19, 2018, in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Velcu remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on April 24, 2018.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Velcu, with the intent to defraud, possessed unauthorized access devices – approximately 78 re-encoded magnetic strip gift cards.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, a manager at an Olathe QuikTrip store noticed on April 7, 2018, that a metal piece was not sitting evenly along the card slot of the ATM. He subsequently pushed the metal piece with a key and it popped out of the card slot. Upon doing so, he noticed that one side of the metal was a mag strip reader and a circuit board was glued to the reverse side of the metal. There was also a piece of molded plastic fascia with pinhole camera that was applied directly above the keyboard designed to capture Personal Identification Numbers (PIN’s) of unwitting victims. Footage from the store’s surveillance cameras captured two unidentified juveniles responsible for placing the skimming device earlier that day.
Velcu entered the store later on the same date, the affidavit says. He wore a jacket exactly like one of the two unidentified suspects, and proceeded directly to the ATM, which had signage indicating that it was “Out-of-Service.” After staring at the ATM for an unusual amount of time, the affidavit says, Velcu purchased some food items and left the store in a sliver Audi A6 with California license plates. Surveillance video captured the same vehicle in a nearby parking lot where the two juvenile suspects had been seen earlier that morning.
Investigators used the license plates on the Audi A6 to identify the vehicle’s owner, Velcu (using the alias of Luca Antoni). Investigators determined the vehicle had recently had an oil change in Independence, Mo., and an employee of the business identified Velcu from a photo obtained from the QuikTrip surveillance camera. An Olathe, Kan., police detective then drove to several motels in the area on the hunch that perhaps he might be able to locate the suspect vehicle in a motel parking lot. The detective found Velcu’s vehicle in the parking lot of American Inn in Independence.
According to the affidavit, the motel manager told investigators that a large group of Romanians had checked into the motel on April 8, 2018, and that the group had three vehicles.
On April 9, 2018, an ATM skimmer device configuration was discovered at a QuikTrip in Riverside, Mo.
On April 10, 2018, Velcu, one of the juvenile suspects from the Olathe QuikTrip surveillance video, and an unidentified woman (with an infant) walked out of the hotel and left in Velcu’s vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle. Velcu initially presented a counterfeit Italian driver’s license, but officers later located his Romanian ID card. The woman told officers that she is Velcu’s wife, and the unidentified juvenile suspect (who had a Romanian ID card) is her brother; she and her brother entered the United States illegally via the Mexican border over a year ago.
Officers searched the vehicle and found three re-encoded mag strip cards with stickers on the front depicting 4-digit codes, three tubes of Super Glue, and two small crowbars. Upon deploying a card reader to ascertain the track 2 data on the mag strips, investigators ascertained that each one of them contained a different 16-digit account number than the 16-digit number embossed on the cards.
One of the other vehicles that arrived with the group of Romanians, bearing a temporary Texas tag, pulled in the motel’s parking lot soon afterward. The driver of the vehicle initially presented a counterfeit Italian driver’s license but officers later located a genuine Republic of Ireland passport with a photo that matches the driver. Officers searched the vehicle and found re-encoded gift cards with 4-digit stickers applied, surface skimmers, circuit boards, gray and silver paint for fascia plates, memory cards, lithium battery packs, super glue and cutting tools.Officers searched Velcu’s motel room and found 78 re-encoded gift cards, memory chips/cards, circuit boards, super glue, plastic fascia plates, lithium battery packs, cutting tools, cables, and three laptop computers. In this case, 16-digit account numbers were put onto plastic magnetic strip gift cards in order to fraudulently apply credits derived from various bank Visa debit card checking accounts. In addition, each of the plastic magnetic strip cards had a circular sticker applied to the front suggesting the corresponding PIN affiliated with the 16-digit re-encoded account number on the magnetic stip. Both elements are necessary in order to steal cash from ATMs.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberlee L. Moore. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service the Olathe, Kan., Police Department, the Riverside, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE’s Enforcement Removal Operations.
RI Law Enforcement Attend US Attorney's Anti-terrorism Training ProgramRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – On Thursday, approximately seventy officers, agents and homeland security professionals were hosted by the Providence Police Department for a United States Attorney’s Antiterrorism Advisory Council (ATAC) training event.
Attendees received training on the potential for domestic threats, including training in the detection of homemade explosives and emerging threats, including the unlawful use of Unmanned Arial Vehicles. Presentations were provided by the United States Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the Rhode Island Fire Marshal’s Bomb Squad.
Created on September 12, 2001, in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the ATAC, originally known as the Anti-terrorism Task Force (ATTF), has been delivering anti-terrorism and national security related training to state, local and federal law enforcement partners, as well as to private industry stakeholders across Rhode Island.
The ATAC routinely provides information sharing on current and emerging threats to our national security, and serves as a nucleus for special focused initiatives and working groups in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigations Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Rhode Island Fusion Center to deliver a three pronged approach to combat terrorism and broad spectrum threats to the homeland.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch commented, “The United States Attorney’s Office proudly supports and partners with local, state and federal law enforcement on a regular basis. Training and information sharing helps us better achieve our joint goal of protecting the residents of Rhode Island from terrorism and other threats to public safety.”
“The Secret Service is proud of our collaboration and partnership with the public safety community across Rhode Island, and this joint training is just another example of the excellent information sharing that exists in this region,” said Brian Deck, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Resident Office.
“Our mission at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives is to combat violent crime. We do this by working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. ATF deploys an Intelligence driven investigative strategy and this training is an example of the law enforcement cooperation to ensure the security of our nation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Kwak.
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Paterson Police Officer Charged with Distributing NarcoticsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An officer with the Paterson Police Department was arrested today for allegedly dealing heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and marijuana on multiple occasions between October 2017 and April 2018, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ruben McAusland, 26, of Paterson, was arrested by federal agents this morning and charged by complaint with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute narcotics. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark federal court.
According to the complaint:
Between October 2017 and April 2018, McAusland allegedly sold various types and quantities of narcotics to an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement.
In October 2017, McAusland allegedly sold the individual approximately 35 grams of marijuana, 48 grams of heroin, 31 grams of cocaine, and 31 grams of crack cocaine for $50. In addition, he sold a pound of marijuana to the individual on two separate occasions between November 2017 and January 2018, charging $2,500 for the first sale and $2,400 for the second.
In February 2018, McAusland offered to sell the individual one kilogram of cocaine. Then, on multiple occasions between February 2018 and April 2018, McAusland allegedly sold the individual pills that were made to resemble Percocet doses but were actually made of heroin. McAusland sold the pills to the individual for approximately $7 per pill.
On Feb. 11, 2018, McAusland met the individual in his police vehicle at a supermarket parking lot near the Paterson Police Department headquarters. McAusland handed the individual approximately four sample heroin pills. Afterwards, on various dates in 2018, McAusland sold heroin pills to the individual, including a sale of 1,010 pills on April 1, 2018 for $7,000.
Narcotics distribution carries the following penalties: a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine for possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin or 28 grams or more of crack cocaine; a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine; and a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing with intent to distribute marijuana.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley W. Cohen in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Troy Oswald, and the Paterson Police Department Office of Internal Affairs, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.
Defense counsel: John C. Whipple Esq., Chatham, New Jersey
Owner of Sports Memorabilia Stores Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
The owner of two Pierce County sports memorabilia and card gaming shops pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to failing to pay employment taxes on more than 50 employees, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. DONALD A. KNUTSEN, 54, owned Northwest Sportscards, which had locations in Tacoma and University Place, Washington. In his plea agreement, KNUTSEN admits that between 2008 and 2016 he withheld a total of $234,769 in income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes from the paychecks of at least 51 different employees, but failed to accurately report and pay the tax withholdings and an additional $122,350 in employer-owed taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. KNUTSEN agreed to pay the taxes and any interest imposed by the IRS. KNUTSEN faces up to five years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan on July 20, 2018.
According to records filed in the case, KNUTSEN operated the two sports cards and memorabilia stores for more than 27 years. The investigation revealed that as early as 2002, KNUTSEN stopped paying employment taxes, including Social Security and Medicare taxes on his employees. KNUTSEN withheld the money from the employee paychecks but never paid it to the IRS or filed the required forms accounting for the payments. Instead, KNUTSEN used the money to acquire inventory and promote his business. In addition, KNUTSEN failed to file any personal income tax returns after 2000.
Because KNUTSEN was not filing tax forms or paying taxes to the IRS, the employees working at the shops failed to accrue individual Social Security benefits.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Masada.
Orange County Deputy Sheriff Charged with Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Kevin Michael Hutchinson (36, Orlando) with receipt of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. Hutchinson made his initial appearance in court earlier today and has been detained pending the outcome of the case.
According to the
complaint , Hutchinson initially distributed child pornography via a mobile messaging application. Then, hours before a federal search warrant was executed at his home yesterday, he received multiple images and videos of child pornography via the internet.A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Resident Admits Role in Business E-Mail Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that OLUMUYIWA YAHTRIP ADEJUMO, also known as “Ade,” “Slimwaco,” “Waco,” “Waco Jamon,” “Hade” and “Hadey,” 32, of Toledo, Ohio, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a fraud offense stemming from his role in a business e-mail compromise scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ADEJUMO, his co-conspirator Adeyemi Odufuye and others targeted CEOs, CFOs, controllers and others at U.S. businesses using sophisticated cyber techniques to defraud the businesses. ADEJUMO and his co-conspirators sent e-mails addressed to executives that were made to appear to be sent from the legitimate e-mail address of the CEO or other executive from the business. ADEJUMO and his co-conspirators sent the e-mails with the intent of having the recipients send or wire money to bank accounts used by members of the conspiracy.
The investigation revealed that scheme participants controlled multiple e-mail and social media accounts used in the scheme and, in certain instances, sent e-mails and attachments containing malware to the intended recipients.
As a result of this scheme, victimized businesses have suffered more than $2 million in total losses. One company in Torrington, Connecticut, lost more than $500,000.
In pleading guilty, ADEJUMO admitted that his participation in the scheme caused total losses of more than $100,000 to at least three victims in Ohio, Illinois and the District of Columbia.
ADEJUMO pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on July 26, 2018.
ADEJUMO is a citizen of Nigeria and a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. He has been detained since his arrest on November 16, 2017.
Odufuye, also known as “Micky,” “Micky Bricks,” “Yemi,” “GMB,” “Bawz,” and “Jefe,” is a citizen of Nigeria. On December 19, 2016, he was arrested in the United Kingdom where he was a student at Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England. Odufuye was extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. and, on January 3, 2018, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Cyber Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, and the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police for their assistance in this case.
To contact the Connecticut Cyber Task Force, please call the FBI in New Haven at 203-777-6311.
Oakland Resident Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Alberto Acosta was sentenced to 86 months in prison today for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jon S. Tigar, United States District Judge, following Acosta’s entry of a guilty plea on June 23, 2017.
As part of his plea agreement, Acosta, 31, of Oakland, admitted that on August 12, 2016, he ran from police when they approached him and that while he was running, he threw 12 Ziploc bags, each partially filled with methamphetamine, over a fence. Acosta further admitted he had been driving a stolen car and that, after his arrest, police recovered a pistol from the driver’s side pocket of the car. The pistol had eight rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. In addition, Acosta admitted that police found his backpack containing two additional .45 caliber extended magazines in the rear seat of the car. One magazine was filled with 15 rounds and the other with 14 rounds of ammunition. Also in the backpack were additional rounds of ammunition, two glass pipes, additional Ziploc bags, and a pocket sized digital scale.
A federal grand jury indicted Acosta on January 12, 2017, charging him with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). Pursuant to his plea agreement, Acosta pleaded guilty to the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Tigar also sentenced Acosta to a three-year period of supervised release to commence after Acosta completes his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina McCall and Erin Cornell are prosecuting the case with assistance from Vanessa Quant and Katie Turner. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the Oakland Police Department.
Oakdale prisoner sentenced to 51 months for assaulting fellow inmateRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an Oakdale inmate was sentenced Tuesday to four years and three months in prison for assaulting another inmate.
Frank Quinton Gaitor, 49, of Washington County, Tennessee, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must pay $18,513.93 restitution. According to the February 7, 2018 guilty plea, Gaitor assaulted and intentionally struck a fellow inmate on January 2, 2016 at the Federal Correctional Center in Oakdale, Louisiana. The assault left the inmate with serious bodily injuries.
The FBI and U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Ayo and Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
North Carolina Man Is Sentenced to 14 Months for Interfering with Airport Security Screening PersonnelRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Robert J. Conrad, Jr. sentenced Jordan Lee Moore, 31, of Winston Salem, N.C. to 14 months in prison and two years of supervised release on charges of interfering with security screening personnel at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (Charlotte Douglas), announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina
U.S. Attorney Murray is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on March 30, 2017, Moore had two separate altercation incidents involving airport security screening personnel at Charlotte Douglas. Moore, a then employee of American Airlines, attempted to force his way through the TSA Pre-Check lane, without proper authorization. Court records show that the first incident occurred at approximately 5:25 p.m., during which Moore used threats and racially derogatory terms toward airport security personnel, while they attempted to stop him from advancing through airport security checkpoints. Moore did not have proper TSA-precheck security designations on his boarding pass. Because of his conduct, Moore was instructed by airport security personnel and CMPD officers that he could not fly out of Charlotte Douglas Airport and was ordered to leave the airport. Moore used more derogatory terms toward security personnel, before eventually exiting the airport.
According to court records, Moore later returned to Charlotte Douglas Airport that same evening. Around approximately 7:30 p.m., Moore again attempted to pass through a security checkpoint at the airport, when he was approached by an airport security officer who recognized Moore based on information disseminated at the airport stemming from the earlier incident. The security officer asked Moore for his identification and advised Moore he was not permitted to advance through security, because of his previous incident. Court records show that Moore ignored the security officer’s request and proceeded to the baggage screening area. Security officers again told Moore that he was not allowed to return to the airport and asked him to leave. Moore ignored their orders, used explicit and threatening terms, and continued to proceed through the airport checkpoint. A CMPD officer at the scene then attempted to detain Moore, who refused the officer’s commands and violently resisted arrest. Moore was eventually arrested and continued acting in a combative nature, even after he was placed in a police car.
In sentencing Moore, Judge Conrad commented on the importance of respecting airport security personnel, the TSA officers, and maintaining proper decorum at the airport.
Moore pleaded guilty to one count of interference with airport security screening personnel and is currently in federal custody. Moore will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI and CMPD led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sanjeev Bhasker and Mike Savage, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Nigerian Sent to Prison for BEC FraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Nigerian man who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to prison for his involvement in numerous Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes. Samson Olugbenga Oyekunle pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud Oct, 6, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon ordered Oyekunle to serve 63 months in federal prison. He initially came to the United States on a student visa, but not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence. At the hearing today, a victim spoke before the court as to how this case has devastatingly affected him and his law practice. Judge Harmon further ordered Oyekunle to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded.
BEC fraud is a sophisticated fraud targeting businesses that regularly perform wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising legitimate business e-mail accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds. The front end fraud of these BEC schemes originates from international locations. The fraudsters will use the method most commonly associated with their victim's normal business practices and make victims believe the emails are coming from a legitimate source. Others, such as Oyekunle, working within the conspiracy open bank accounts with counterfeit passports that are being funded with fraudulent BEC wire transfers. These domestic bank accounts are a crucial component of the fraud scheme being a success.
From on or about Jan. 1, 2016, through February 2, 2017, Samson Oyekunle was involved in numerous BEC schemes. Co-conspirators, working outside the United States, caused funds obtained through a variety of BEC schemes to be wire transferred into the various bank accounts Oyekunle fraudulently opened.
Oyekunle would open bank these bank accounts in or around the Houston area with counterfeit passports in order to facilitate fraud payments into these accounts. Oyekunle opened numerous bank accounts at several financial institutions including Chase Bank, Bank of America, Capital One Bank, First National Bank of Texas, and Wells Fargo Bank.
A total of 30 fraudulent wire transfers totaling $823,765 were taken from victims across the United States under false pretenses and were deposited into these accounts.
Oyekunle has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation along with Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady is prosecuting the case.
Montana Teacher Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Jason Morris was sentenced to 132 months in prison, lifetime supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Chief U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen presided over the hearing.
Morris previously entered a guilty plea to the receipt of child pornography. In the summer of 2013, Morris, of Heron, Montana, met a minor online and began an internet relationship. During their communications, which lasted until approximately the fall of 2014, Morris became aware of the minor’s age and engaged in sexually explicit conversation with him. In January 2014, Morris received sexually explicit images of the minor. In November 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Morris’s residence and collected several items of electronic media. Multiple images and videos of child pornography were discovered on Morris’s media. Following the search of his residence, Morris fled to Mexico, where he was ultimately arrested on the instant charges in April 2017.
In a sentencing memorandum filed in federal court, federal prosecutors noted the seriousness of Morris’s actions and the need to protect children from him.
Judge Christensen sentenced Morris to over 10 years in federal prison, with lifetime supervised release to follow. Because there is no parole in the federal system, Morris will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Morris does have the opportunity to shorten the term of custody by earning credit for good behavior. However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme applauded the efforts of law enforcement, “I want to congratulate law enforcement and the prosecutor for their dogged efforts to bring this defendant to justice. Our children deserve to be allowed to grow up free from sexual exploitation from adults, especially those in positions of trust.”
“Under our Operations Predator program, our Homeland Security Investigations special agents actively target those who sexually exploit children, while also rescuing their victims,” said Steven W. Cagen, special agent in charge of HSI’s Denver Office, which oversees Montana. “However, we place a higher priority on targeting predators who have positions of public trust, like Morris did as a teacher.”
The Morris case was investigated by Special Agent Bybee of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other federal, state, and local agencies. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zeno Baucus.
Miami Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Role in $10 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Miami, Florida man was sentenced to 97 months in prison today for his role in an approximately $10 million health care fraud scheme involving a now-defunct home health clinic and two sham physical rehabilitation clinics located in Miami.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Vladimir Prado Sr., 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Scola also ordered Prado to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and pay $4,001,499 in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants. Prado pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud charged in an October 2017 superseding indictment and to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud charged in a November 2017 indictment.
In connection with the October 2017 charges, Prado admitted that he owned a Miami medical clinic that submitted approximately $5 million in false and fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, resulting in payments to the clinic totaling approximately $2.6 million.
In connection with the November 2017 charges, Prado admitted that he was a co-owner of a Miami rehabilitation clinic that submitted approximately $2.6 million in false and fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, resulting in payments to the clinic totaling approximately $1.4 million. Prado further admitted that he also provided the money to purchase a fraudulent home health agency. Prado also admitted that from December 2012 through April 2014, he and his co-conspirators submitted to the Medicare program, via interstate wires, approximately $2.2 million in claims for reimbursement, which falsely and fraudulently represented that various home health care benefits were medically necessary, prescribed by a doctor and provided to Medicare beneficiaries. As a result of these false and fraudulent claims, Medicare made payments to the corporate bank accounts of the home health agency in the approximate amount of $3.9 million, Prado admitted.
The cases were investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and USSS and were brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.Miami Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Role in $10 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Miami, Florida man was sentenced to 97 months in prison today for his role in an approximately $10 million health care fraud scheme involving a now-defunct home health clinic and two sham physical rehabilitation clinics located in Miami.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Vladimir Prado Sr., 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Scola also ordered Prado to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and pay $4,001,499 in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants. Prado pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud charged in an October 2017 superseding indictment and to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud charged in a November 2017 indictment.
In connection with the October 2017 charges, Prado admitted that he owned a Miami medical clinic that submitted approximately $5 million in false and fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, resulting in payments to the clinic totaling approximately $2.6 million.
In connection with the November 2017 charges, Prado admitted that he was a co-owner of a Miami rehabilitation clinic that submitted approximately $2.6 million in false and fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, resulting in payments to the clinic totaling approximately $1.4 million. Prado further admitted that he also provided the money to purchase a fraudulent home health agency. Prado also admitted that from December 2012 through April 2014, he and his co-conspirators submitted to the Medicare program, via interstate wires, approximately $2.2 million in claims for reimbursement, which falsely and fraudulently represented that various home health care benefits were medically necessary, prescribed by a doctor and provided to Medicare beneficiaries. As a result of these false and fraudulent claims, Medicare made payments to the corporate bank accounts of the home health agency in the approximate amount of $3.9 million, Prado admitted.
The cases were investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and USSS and were brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie of the Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
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.
Mexican National Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Charges in AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Jorge Cardenas, a/k/a George Castineda, 42, a Mexican national residing in Girdwood, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, to serve 11 years in prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Cardenas previously pleaded guilty on July 21, 2017, to conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine.
According to the court documents, for at least five years prior to his arrest in March 2017, Cardenas trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine and other illegal controlled substances throughout Southcentral Alaska, including Anchorage, and Southeast Alaska, including Juneau. A total of approximately 730 grams of methamphetamine was seized from his truck in Juneau and from his residence in Girdwood. The investigation further revealed that Cardenas was making and planning to distribute “gunpowder heroin,” which is heroin laced with fentanyl, and spoke candidly about the likelihood of it causing overdose deaths. In his residence, Cardenas had a shrine dedicated to worshipping Jesus Malverde – the “Patron Saint of Drug Dealers.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the Juneau Police Department (JPD), the Alaska State Troopers (AST), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. Cardenas was arrested with the assistance of the United States Marshal Service (USMS) and the Anchorage Airport Police. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Stinson.
Man Sentenced to over Two Years in Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Amos Rojas, Jr., United States Marshal, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and William D. Snyder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), announced that Michael Gene Justus, who had failed to register as a sex offender, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to 27 months in federal prison.
On February 14, 2018, Justus pled guilty to two counts of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2250. As part of his federal sentence, Justus will be placed on 5 years of supervised release and is again ordered to register as a sex offender.
According to the court record, on April 1, 1996, in Carroll County, Indiana, Defendant Justus was convicted and sentenced to prison for molesting a child. On January 5, 2001, Justus was released from prison. Following his release from incarceration, Justus was to abide by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) requirements.
SORNA provides a comprehensive set of federal standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States through the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. Additionally, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school, and to make periodic in-person appearances to verify and update their registration information.
After his initial release from prison, Justus registered as a sex offender in a number of states. He was working with a carnival company, living out of a van, and traveling. In January of 2013, Justus lived in a van parked at a residence in Stuart, Florida, and failed to provide this information to the Florida Sex Offender Registry. He then moved out of state and registered as a sex offender in Louisiana and Texas. From September 29, 2017 to October 17, 2017, Justus returned to the residence in Stuart, Florida and again failed to notify the Florida Sex Offender Registry.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the USMS and MCSO in this matter. This case was 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 at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov
Louisville man convicted of child pornographyRead the Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
New Albany – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today Adrian Grisanti, 46, of Louisville, Kentucky, was convicted on Thursday, April 19, 2018, on twenty counts related to child pornography and one count of destroying evidence after a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt in New Albany, Indiana.
Grisanti was a member of a darknet web community that catered in images and videos of child pornography. After the website was discovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the FBI was able to identify hundreds of members worldwide, including Grisanti.
Acting on this information, the FBI executed search warrants at Grisanti’s office and home in August of 2015. After Grisanti’s attempt to conceal his crimes by destroying the hard drive of the computer which was used to obtain the child pornography, the FBI and Indiana State Police began a painstaking forensic investigation which ultimately led to the arrest and conviction of Grisanti.
The conviction included eleven counts of receiving child pornography, eight counts of accessing computer files with the intent to view child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of destroying evidence.
“Defendants can no longer hide behind the dark web and expect to elude federal law enforcement,” said Minkler. “Those who prey on the most vulnerable of our citizens, the ones who cannot fend for themselves, can expect to be held accountable and face the federal hammer of justice.”
“This verdict demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating cases of child pornography with a sense of urgency to protect children from those who engage in this type of activity,” said Robert Middleton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “The teamwork between our agents and state law enforcement partners ensured there is one less predator victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community.”
“There are few things more upsetting than knowing innocent children continue to be victimized by people who engage in such depraved criminal acts,” said Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter. “I’m very grateful to our dedicated detectives and the strong partnership we have with our federal partners that help bring these criminals to justice and remove them from society.”
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley P. Shepard and Steven D. DeBrota, Grisanti faces between 5-20 years in prison on each count of receiving child pornography, up to 10 years in prison on each count of accessing computer files with intent to view child pornography, up to 20 years for possessing child pornography, and up to 10 years for destroying his hard drive.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution sentencing demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to detect and prosecute matters involving sexual exploitation of children, (See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan, Section 5.3)
Louisiana man sentenced to 30 months in prison for escape from Texas federal correctional institutionRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Charles K. Smith was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison for escaping from a prison in Texas.
Charles K. Smith, 64, originally from Pineville, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of escape from a federal incarceration institution. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the January 11, 2018 guilty plea, Smith escaped on August 16, 2017 from the Federal Correctional Institution La Tuna located near Anthony, Texas. He was serving 94-months for a Shreveport conviction of possession of a stolen motor vehicle. After his escape, Smith was later arrested in Calcasieu Parish.
The U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Lead Singer of Band Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Julia S. Kouragian (60, Sebring), also known as “Julia Newell” and “Jewels,” today pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Kouragian was employed by the U.S. Postal Service beginning in 1980. In 1996, she claimed that she was injured while working and subsequently began receiving federal workers’ compensation benefits, including full pay. In order to continue receiving benefits, she was required to report any improvements in her medical condition or her ability to work or maintain a level of employment.
It was later discovered that even though Kouragian claimed that she was physically unable to perform activities associated with walking, sitting, and standing for more than 15 minutes at a time, she had, from at least 2012 through July 2017, performed as the lead singer in a band and also handled the bookings and merchandise sales for the group. She failed to disclose these changes to her treating physicians. As a result of the fraud, she received more than $166,000 in federal workers’ compensation benefits.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
Lake Charles man sentenced to prison for sale of black rhinoceros hornRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lake Charles man was sentenced Tuesday to a prison term for selling a stolen black rhinoceros horn.
United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Patrick Dylan Drawl, 31, of Lake Charles, to six months in prison and one year of supervised release for one count of violating the Lacey Act. According to the stipulated factual basis filed during Drawl’s guilty plea, McNeese State University Biology department staff contacted campus police on March 30, 3017 to report that a horn had been stolen from a mounted black rhinoceros head on display in their building. United States Fish and Wildlife Service agents located a black rhinoceros horn for sale at an address in Sulphur, Louisiana, on a website showing images of a rhinoceros horn on the hood of a car. An agent acting in undercover capacity contacted Drawl and arranged to meet Drawl and purchase the horn. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Forensic Laboratory later confirmed that the horn was that of a black rhinoceros.
The black rhinoceros is a species native to eastern Asia and central Africa on the brink of extinction primarily because of wide-scale poaching for its horn. The black rhinoceros is a listed endangered species protected by the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits the sale of the animal or any of its parts without a prior approval and a permit by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and McNeese State University campus police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to conspiring to distribute multiple quantities of fentanyl, heroin, opioids and other controlled substances in addition to illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to distribute multiple quantities of narcotics and illegal possession of a 9 mm handgun.
Jacob Glen Collett, 35, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell.
According to the guilty plea, a Lafayette Parish Sheriff deputy stopped Collett’s vehicle at 11:54 p.m., April 2, 2017, on Verot School Road. The deputy searched the vehicle and found a black backpack with narcotics and paraphernalia. The deputy also found methamphetamine on Collett. Subsequent analysis of the narcotics revealed that Collett was in possession of 540.3 grams of methamphetamine, 4.1 grams of heroin, 222 dosage units of LSD, and 56 tablets containing fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of a motel in Jennings, Louisiana, on August 17, 2017. They arrested Collett during the raid, after recovering controlled substances, and a Berretta 9 mm model 92FS handgun and 16 rounds of ammunition. Lab results indicated that Collett was in possession of approximately 4.01 grams of MDMA, 34.8 grams of heroin, 16.5 grams of cocaine, 52.3 grams of a mixture and substance containing THC, and 164.9 grams of methamphetamine.
Collett faces a mandatory 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine for the drug count, and he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the firearms count. He also faces five years of supervised release. The court set the sentencing date for July 20, 2018.
The DEA, ATF, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Department, Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force, Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Texas CompanyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with Themesoft Inc. (Themesoft), a Texas-based company that provides consulting and staffing services to technology clients, to resolve the Department’s investigation into whether the company discriminated against a work-authorized immigrant by refusing to refer him for an assignment, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The Department’s investigation, initiated based on a worker’s complaint, revealed that Themesoft engaged in citizenship status discrimination against an asylee by refusing to refer his application to a client because he was not a lawful permanent resident, U.S. citizen, or H-1B visa holder. Asylees have permanent work authorization, like U.S. citizens, nationals, refugees, and lawful permanent residents, so employers may not limit their jobs based on citizenship status without a specific legal basis for doing so. The investigation also revealed that Themesoft requested specific immigration documentation from the worker because of his citizenship or immigration status even though the INA’s anti-discrimination provision also prohibits employers from requiring applicants or employees to produce more or specific documents than are required by law, based on the individual’s citizenship, immigration status, or national origin.
Under the settlement agreement, Themesoft will pay civil penalties for the citizenship status discrimination and the unfair documentary practices. Themesoft will also post notices informing workers about their rights under the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, train its staff, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements for three years. During the Department’s investigation, Themesoft agreed to pay the worker back pay and offered him a job. The Department’s agreement requires Themesoft to timely pay the worker the remainder of the $12,000 in back pay it still owes him.
“The Department vigorously protects all workers from citizenship status discrimination when employers have no legal basis for their actions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “This settlement also serves as a reminder that the INA’s anti-discrimination provision extends to companies that refer workers to third party clients, and that all employers should be mindful of their compliance obligations.”
The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to retaliation; different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
James Matthew Bradley, Jr., Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Transporting Illegal Aliens Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, Senior United States District Judge David A. Ezra sentenced 61–year–old Louisville, KY, truck driver James Matthew Bradley, Jr., to life in federal prison without parole for his role in an illegal alien smuggling operation that resulted in ten deaths, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, United States Attorney John F. Bash and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden.
Judge Ezra also ordered that Bradley forfeit to the Government his tractor-trailer rig, plus approximately $5,600 in U.S. currency and a .38 caliber pistol recovered from inside the cab.
“Smuggling illegal aliens into this country disregards both our laws and their safety,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “The defendant's actions in this case led to the agonizing deaths of 10 people. Were it not for his actions, they might still be alive today. This case is a reminder of why the Trump administration and this Department of Justice have renewed our commitment to enforcing our criminal immigration laws and why we are going to continue to work to secure our borders. I want to thank the fabulous Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted this case, Christina Playton and Matthew Lathrop, as well as our partners with ICE, HSI, CBP, the San Antonio Police and Fire Departments and the Bexar County Sheriff's Office for helping us achieve justice. This tragic case is yet another reminder that Congress must end the incentives that encourage illegal immigration and alien smuggling in the first place.”
After sentencing United States Attorney John F. Bash said, “I am gratified that the court imposed an appropriate punishment for this horrific crime. Through this prosecution, we have sent two unmistakable messages: first, that alien smuggling is a dangerous offense with real victims; and second, that DOJ will seek justice for all victims of crime, no matter their legal status.”
“But I have a further message for those employers who knowingly hire unauthorized immigrants by the dozens, in blatant violation of federal law: You are creating the economic incentive for precisely the sort of deadly exploitation of vulnerable people that occurred in this case. And we will be looking very hard at how our system of criminal justice can eliminate that incentive.”
On October 16, 2017, Bradley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death and one count of transporting aliens resulting in death. By pleading guilty, Bradley admitted that on July 23, 2017, he conspired to transport and did transport illegal aliens in the United States for financial gain; to further their illegal entry into this country; with reckless disregard that they entered this country illegally; and, which resulted in the death of ten illegal aliens.
According to court records, which Bradley admitted were factually correct, San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) officers responded to a call at the Wal-Mart store located at 8538 Interstate 35 in San Antonio shortly after midnight on Sunday, July 23, 2017. An officer encountered a tractor-trailer behind the store, finding a number of people standing and lying in the rear of the trailer, and the driver, Bradley, in the cab. At the scene, law enforcement officers discovered 39 illegal aliens. Of the 39 illegal aliens found at the scene ten (10) died, eight (8) died in the trailer and two (2) died later in area hospitals. There were four juveniles, aged 14-17 years old, within the group of aliens in Bradley’s trailer who were unaccompanied by an adult.
Court records further state that the illegal aliens estimated the trailer contained between 70 and 180 to 200 people during transport. They also described differing fees for being transported.
“Today’s sentencing of James Matthew Bradley, Jr., brings some closure to a truly horrific and unnecessary tragedy that involved exploiting human cargo for pure greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, HSI San Antonio. “Not only were ten lives lost, but many more were injured as a result of Bradley’s participation in this illegal scheme. HSI continues to aggressively target and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that profit from the suffering of individuals. On a daily basis, criminal networks conspire to smuggle, transport and harbor individuals for financial gain at the expense of others.”
On March 8, 2018, Bradley’s co-defendant, 47–year–old Pedro Silva Segura, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death. Those charges stem from a superseding federal grand jury indictment handed down on September 20, 2017. Silva, a Mexican citizen residing in Laredo, TX, remains in federal custody pending sentencing scheduled for June 29, 2018. He faces up to life in federal prison.
The U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) lead this investigation together with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the San Antonio Police Department and the San Antonio Fire Department, with assistance from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the U. S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Playton and Matthew Lathrop are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
James Matthew Bradley, Jr., Condenado A La Pena De Cadena Perpetua En Prision Federal Por Transportar Contrabando Humano Resultando En MuerteRead the Press Release
Hoy en San Antonio, el Mayor Juez David A. Ezra condenó al conductor del camion de carga James Matthew Bradley, Jr., 61 años de Louisville, Kentucky, a la pena de cadena perpetua sin posibilidad de libertad condicional por su participación de transportar inmigrantes indocumentados que resultó en la muerte de 10 personas, anunció el Abogado General Jeff Sessions, el Abogado de los Estados Unidos John F. Bash, y Agente Especial en Cargo del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI, por sus siglas en inglés) Shane Folden.
Mayor Juez Ezra también ordenó la pérdida del remolque, efectivo de aproximadamente $5,600 y la pistola de .38 recuperada en la cabina.
“Transportar contrabando humano dentro éste país es una indiferencia a nuestras leyes y la seguridad de los inmigrantes,” dijo el Abogado General Jeff Sessions. “Las acciones del demandado en éste caso resultó en la muerte de 10 personas. Sin sus acciones, podrían estar vivos hoy. Éste caso es la razón por cual la administración de Trump y éste Departamento de Justicia hemos renovado nuestro compromiso de la aplicación de las leyes criminales de inmigración y vamos a continuar el trabajo de la seguridad la frontera. Quiero dar las gracias a los fabulosos Asistentes Abogados de los Estados Unidos que enjuiciaron éste caso, Christina Playton y Matthew Lathrop, y también les agradezco a nuestros socios con ICE, HSI, la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos (CBP, por sus siglas en inglés) el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio (SAPD por sus siglas en ingles), el Departamento de Bomberos de San Antonio (SAFD por sus siglas en inglés) y el Alguacil de Policía del Condado de Bexar (BCSO por sus siglas en inglés) por ayudarnos lograr justicia. Éste caso trágico es otro recordatorio que el Congreso en el primer lugar tienen que terminar los incentivos que alentan la inmigración ilegal y la transportación de contrabando humano.”
Después de la condena el Abogado de los Estados Unidos John F. Bash dijo, “Estoy gratificado que la corte impuso un castigo apropiado por éste crimen horrendo. Durante el enjuiciamiento hemos mandado dos mensajes inequívocos: primero, la transportación de contrabando humano es una ofensa peligrosa con victimas reales; y dos, el Departamento de Justicia buscará justicia para todos los victimas de crimen, sin considerar su estatus legal.”
“Pero tengo otro mensaje para los empleadores que alquilen inmigrantes indocumentados sin consideración de la violación de las leyes federales: Usted está creando los incentivos económicos para la explotación mortal de las personas vulnerables como las de éste caso. Vamos a determinar como nuestra sistema de justicia criminal puede eliminar ése incentivo.”
El 16 de octubre, 2017, Bradley se declaró culpable de un cargo de conspiración de transportar contrabando humano resultando en muerte y un cargo de transportar contrabando humano resultando en muerte. En declararse culpable, Bradley admitió que en el 23 de julio, 2017, el conspirió y transportó contrabando humano en los Estados Unidos para ganancia financiera; para adelantar su entrada ilegal dentro de éste país; con desprecio temerario que entraron al país ilegalmente; y cual resultó en la muerte de 10 personas.
Conforme con los archivos de la corte, quales Bradley admitió que son factualmente corectos, el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio (SAPD, por sus siglas en inglés) respondieron a la llamada del Wal-mart localizado en 8538 Carretera 35 después de medianoche el domingo, 23 de junio, 2017. El Oficial de Policía encontró el camion de carga detrás de la tienda, y encontó varias personas parados y acostados encima del camión de carga, y el conductor Bradley en el cabina. Los oficiales descubrieron 39 inmigrantes indocumentados. De los 39 inmigrantes indocumentados, 10 fallecieron, ocho fallecieron en el remolque y dos fallecieron en hospitales localizados en San Antonio. En en grupo transportados por Bradley, cuatro eran jóvenes de menor de edad desde 14 – 17 años sin compañeros adultos.
Los archivos de la corte establecen que el remolque conteniba dentro de 70 inmigrantes indocumentatos, y desde 180 – 200 personas durante el transporte. Los archivos proveen las recompensas variables para ser transportado.
“La condena de hoy de James Matthew Bradley, Jr. cierra la tragedia horrífica e innecesaria que involucró la explotación de la transportación de contrabando humano solamente por codicia pura,” dijo el Agente Especial en Cargo de HSI San Antonio Shane Folden. “No solamente se perdieron 10 vidas, más fueron heridos por resulto de la participación en la esquema ilegal de Bradley. HSI continua de agresivamente enforcar y desmantelar organizaciones criminales transnacionales que lucran del sufrimiento de individuos. Diariamente grupos criminales conspiran para hacer contrabando, transportar, y encubrir individuos para ganancias financieras a la riesga de otros.”
El 8 de marzo, 2018, Pedro Silva Segura, de 47 años y codemandado de Bradley se declaró culpable de un cargo de conspiración de transportar contrabando humano resultando en muerte. Esos cargos resultaron de la denuncia supercediendo del gran jurado de acusación del 20 de septiembre, 2017. Silva, un ciudadano de México, residiendo en Laredo, Tejas, permanece en custodia federal mientras espera su audencia para recibir su condena el 29 de junio, 2018. Se enfrenta la pena de cadena perpetua en la prisión federal.
Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) y la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) junto con la Oficina de Detención y Deportación (ICE ERO por sus siglas en ingles), el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio (SAPD por sus siglas en ingles), el Departamento de Bomberos de San Antonio (SAFD por sus siglas en ingles) con asistencia del Alguacil de Policía del Condado de Bexar (BCSO por sus siglas en ingles) y la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos (CBP, por sus siglas en ingles) ayudaron con la investigación. Christina Playton y Matthew Lathrope son los abogados fiscales de parte del gobierno.
Jacksonville Man Indicted for Submitting False Claim for FEMA Benefits Related to Hurricane IrmaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Erick Williams (31, Jacksonville) with making a false claim against the United States related to Hurricane Irma. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, plus payment of restitution to the United States. Williams was arrested yesterday by agents from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; he made his initial appearance in court and a trial date has been set for June 4, 2018.
According to the indictment, in September 2017, Williams used a false address when submitting an application for assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Individuals and Households Program for Hurricane Irma. In the application, Williams lied about the address of his primary residence.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Disaster Fraud Task Force, which was announced in September 2017. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. A live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week staffs the telephone line. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected]. You may also visit www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl.
Indian Trail Man Is Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison on Drug Trafficking Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. sentenced today Derek Joseph Parker, 33, of Indian Trail, N.C. to 20 years in federal prison for his role in drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in a heroin overdose death, announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office; Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; Chief Rob Hunter of the Matthews Police Department; Sheriff Eddie Cathey of the Union County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief J. Bryan Gilliard, Monroe Police Department join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, over the course of a seven-month investigation, law enforcement identified Parker as a regional drug trafficker in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) distributing heroin in the greater Charlotte area. Court records show that on December 30, 2016, Parker sold approximately two grams of heroin for $180 to a male individual, which resulted in an overdose death. Court records show the transaction occurred in the parking lot of the Microtel Inn, located at 1603 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd., in Matthews, N.C. The following day, hotel housekeeping found a male unresponsive inside one of the hotel rooms.
According to court records, the deceased male had died from a heroin overdose. Law enforcement identified Parker as the person who had sold the heroin to the deceased male, and confirmed the cause of death as a heroin overdose. Subsequent to this overdose death, Parker continued to sell heroin until he was identified as the regional drug trafficker who caused the male’s overdose death.
According to court records, Parker continued to engage in drug trafficking, and sold, on multiple occasions, approximately a total of 2,000 grams of heroin, until he was arrested on July 6, 2017. When law enforcement arrested Parker they also seized from his residence narcotics (Xanax pills and heroin), drug scales, and a loaded firearm. Filed court documents show that Parker told law enforcement that he learned of the deceased male’s heroin overdose in January 2017, and continued to sell heroin thereafter, until he was arrested.
In sentencing Parker, Judge Conrad commented on the serious nature of our nation’s opioid epidemic. When imposing a 20-year prison sentence, Judge Conrad stated that Parker’s conduct of continuing to sell narcotics after the heroin death occurred was appalling and unacceptable.
Parker is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole
DEA, CMPD, the Matthews Police Department, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the Monroe Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanjeev Bhasker, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Sierra Leone sentenced to 30 months in prison for resisting deportation ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Sierra Leone was sentenced last week to 30 months in prison for refusing to leave the country twice after being ordered to depart.
Sheku Kumalah, 32, of Sierra Leone, was sentenced April 12, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on two counts of failure to depart. Evidence admitted at the two-day trial that ended June 27, 2017 showed that on two occasions U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to remove Kumalah via an escorted commercial flight from the Alexandria International Airport. The defendant hampered agents’ efforts on July 12, 2016 and August 16, 2016 by verbally and physically resisting attempts to escort him onto the plane.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Ayo and Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Mexico pleads guilty to giving fake documents, stolen identity to Shreveport employerRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty last week to using someone else’s Social Security card and submitting false information to an employer.
Martin Gonzalez-Colunga, 44, of Mexico, pleaded guilty April 12, 2018 before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of Social Security fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to the guilty plea, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified in April of 2016 that someone was using a Social Security number that did not belong to him or her at a Shreveport lawn service company. After investigating the matter, they found that Gonzalez-Colunga had submitted fake employment documents and someone else’s Social Security card in January of 2009 when he started working for the company. The defendant admitted to not being a citizen and said he had purchased the Social Security number not long after arriving in the United States from Mexico 20 years ago.
Gonzalez-Colunga faces not more than five years in prison for the Social Security fraud count and a mandatory two years in prison for the identity theft count. He also faces three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for August 24, 2018.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
INTERPOL Washington Provides Support to ICE during Operation No Safe Haven IVRead the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau—provided critical support to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) helping to facilitate the arrest of 33 fugitives sought for their roles in known or suspected human rights violations during a nationwide operation this week. Read the full story here.
INTERPOL Washington Issues Orange Notice for Counterfeit Medical DevicesRead the Press Release
In January 2018, INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau--teamed with the Intellectual Property Rights Coordination (IPRC) Center to issue an INTERPOL Orange Notice to notify the international community about the discovery of counterfeit medical tourniquets. Orange Notices warn all INTERPOL member countries of a person, an object, an event or a modus operandi which presents an imminent threat to public safety and is likely to cause serious injury to persons and/or damage to property.
Medical tourniquets are used in many emergency situations and are commonly used by first responders, law enforcement, and military lifesaving personnel around the world. Tourniquets are used to apply pressure to restrict blood flow to an injured appendage. The warnings were prompted after a tourniquet – later confirmed as counterfeit – broke while being used by an emergency medical technician on a patient at the scene of a motor vehicle accident in the United States. The tourniquet malfunctioned when the tension rod snapped, making it impossible to tighten.
Orange Notices are used for reporting counterfeit devices under Project Safety Net. The first such Orange Notice was issued on February 2017, concerning automotive air bags, both original manufactures’ equipment and/or counterfeit devices discovered by law enforcement personnel.
The IPRC Center coordinates investigations of sources of merchandise that infringe intellectual property rights to identify organizations and individuals that produce, smuggle, or distribute such merchandise. The center conducts and coordinates training with other domestic and international law enforcement agencies on investigative best practices. INTERPOL Washington is a member of the IPRC.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General, INTERPOL Washington serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent pleaded guilty today to devising a wire fraud scheme that defrauded SunTrust Mortgage and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) of over $40,000, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Shauna Kay N. Sutherland, 37, of Corpus Christi, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. of the Southern District of Florida.
According to admissions in the plea agreement, Sutherland defrauded SunTrust Mortgage and Freddie Mac into allowing a short sale of her property in Gainesville, Georgia, to a family friend who acted as a straw purchaser. Sutherland falsely represented that there were no hidden agreements and requested forgiveness of over $40,000 owed on the mortgage due to her purported financial hardship. Based on those material representations, SunTrust Mortgage and Freddie Mac accepted the short sale offer, with the family friend “purchasing” the property for approximately $34,000, in exchange for SunTrust Mortgage and Freddie Mac releasing Sutherland from her outstanding debt. Freddie Mac, which had by then purchased the mortgage, calculated a total loss of more than $42,000 as a result of this transaction.
In reality, however, Sutherland admitted that pursuant to the secret agreement with her family friend, Sutherland herself provided the purchase money for the short sale using funds wired to her by her mother. Sutherland remained the de facto owner of the property, collected rent from tenants and paid for maintenance. Sutherland adopted the straw purchaser’s identity to communicate by email about the property and signed that person’s signature on relevant documents. She also used the straw purchaser’s bank account as a conduit for financial transactions related to the property. Sutherland, through the straw purchaser, later sold the property in 2013 and used the proceeds to buy another property in Florida.
Sutherland will be sentenced on June 29 before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. of the Southern District of Florida.
ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case with assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility. Trial Attorneys Luke Cass and Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.H-1B Tech Staffing Company Owner Sentenced to Prison for Collecting Illegal Filing Fees from Visa RecipientsRead the Press Release
Ramesh Venkata Pothuru, who collected over $450,000 in illegal filing fees and related expenses from more than 100 fraudulent visas and employer-sponsored green cards for nonimmigrant workers from his native India, was sentenced Thursday to one year and one day in prison by U.S District Judge John R. Padova.
On January 9, Pothuru, former owner and operator of Virgo Inc. and Isync Solutions, Inc., pled guilty to wire fraud and visa fraud for his role in the scheme.
The investigation disclosed that between 2010 and 2013, Pothuru collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in filing fees from workers he was sponsoring under the H-1B nonimmigrant worker visa program. Federal regulations prohibit employers from soliciting payments from H-1B nonimmigrant workers to cover the costs associated with filing fees, which fees are required by law to be borne by the sponsoring U.S. employer. In addition, many of the H-1B nonimmigrant workers were also recipients of employer-sponsored permanent foreign labor certification applications filed by Pothuru with the Department of Labor. Permanent foreign labor certification filings typically involve costs of over several thousand dollars in addition to the filing fees; Pothuru unlawfully collected both from the employees.
Pothuru collected these illegal fees and expenses from the employees he sponsored for H-1B visas and green cards through direct payments to his personal bank accounts. He subsequently submitted false applications in which he did not identify the fees that he collected from the nonimmigrant workers and swore that he did not collect.
“The defendant not only collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from these nonimmigrant workers, but he also made millions by operating his fraudulent business based on workers who received these visas,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain. “The defendant took advantage of these workers from his home country and also undermined the integrity of the H-1B visa and green card programs. This sentence serves both as a deterrent and as protection from a defendant who has already demonstrated a stunning disregard for the law.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to making sure that those who commit visa fraud face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Joseph S. Ugarte, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office (“DSS”). “The strong relationship we enjoy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world is vital towards ensuring the integrity of U.S. travel documents and protecting greater U.S. interests.”
This is a joint investigation with U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Jordan.
Fraudster Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane, WA - Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jin Chul “Jacob” Cha, age 41, of Tustin, California, who pleaded guilty on January 11, 2018 to Conspiracy to Defraud the Government and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, was sentenced today. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. imposed a 51–month term of imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. Judge Mendoza will determine restitution at a later date.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, Cha was a member of a conspiracy involving Gen-X Energy Group, Inc. (Gen-X), a renewable energy company formerly located in Pasco and Moses Lake, Washington. Between October of 2012 and March of 2015, Cha and his co-conspirators falsely claimed the production of more than 9,400,000 marketable renewable energy credits, which they then sold for more than $6,000,000, and filed false claims with the IRS for $2,506,094 in excise credit refunds. Throughout this period, much of the renewable fuel claimed to be produced at the Gen-X facilities was either not produced or re-processed multiple times.
“The defendant, Mr. Cha, has been sentenced to spend years in prison for his role in a multi-million dollar conspiracy to defraud the renewable fuels program,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This prosecution, which is part of a broader effort involving the Gen-X Energy Group, shows there are serious consequences for this kind of fraudulent conduct. I applaud the work of the federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel involved in bringing down this criminal enterprise.”
Joseph H. Harrington said, “I commend the tenacious and thorough efforts of investigators from IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute fraud and other white collar crimes in the Eastern District of Washington."
"Today Mr. Cha and the Gen-X Energy Group are being held accountable for their massive and complex $65 million fraud," said Darrell Waldon, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation." Along with our law enforcement partners IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute white collar criminals who pursue illegal schemes to steal from the U.S. taxpayer."
“The defendant defrauded taxpayers and biofuels companies out of millions of dollars,” said Susan Bodine, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This case shows that EPA and its law enforcement partners will prosecute those who seek to profit by breaking the law.”
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Washington State Patrol and the Los Angeles Port Police Department Hazardous Materials Investigations Unit. The case was prosecuted by Scott T. Jones, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington; Karla G. Perrin, EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel and Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington; and Adam Cullman and Thomas Franzinger, Trial Attorneys, Environmental Crimes Section, United States Department of Justice.
Four Teenagers Plead Guilty to Multiple Charges Arising from Two Carjackings and Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four teenagers, all from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a series of violent crimes committed earlier this year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
The four defendants were charged as adults because of the nature of the crime. They include Darius McNeal, 17, Deandre Bullock, 16, Deonta King, 17, and Javon Coe, 17. The pleas took place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
McNeal pled guilty to two counts of armed robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to 10 years in prison. Bullock pled guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. King pled guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of armed robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. The Honorable Todd E. Edelman scheduled a sentencing hearing for these defendants for July 20, 2018.
Coe pled guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of robbery, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to ten years in prison. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno scheduled his sentencing for July 20, 2018.
McNeal, Bullock, King, and Coe pled guilty to an incident that took place shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2018, at the Benco Shopping Center located at East Capitol Street SE and Benning Road SE. According to the government’s evidence, the victim parked his Jeep Compass in front of a carry-out restaurant at the shopping center and went inside the store to pick up food. As the victim returned to his vehicle and got back into the driver’s seat, McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual approached his vehicle. McNeal approached the passenger side. Bullock, King, and Coe approached the driver side and worked together to pull the victim from the driver’s seat of his vehicle, drag him to the ground, and assault him. King took the victim’s keys from his hand. Coe, who had a handgun, tried to take the victim’s cellphone, but the victim refused to let go of it. McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual got into the victim’s vehicle and drove away.
McNeal, Bullock, and King also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, 2018, near Johnson Middle School in the 3100 block of Bruce Place SE. According to the government’s evidence, McNeal communicated with the victims about buying a pair of shoes through the application OfferUp and told the victims to come to the school. When the victims arrived, McNeal and another member of the group approached them and asked to see the shoes for sale. One of the victims showed the shoes and asked for the money. King and Bullock then approached. Bullock was wearing a mask and had a black and silver handgun with a laser sight on it. Bullock ordered one of the victims out of the car and to the ground at gunpoint. King ordered the other victim out of the driver’s seat of the car, demanded her car keys, and took her phone. One of the victims struggled with Bullock over the gun, while the other defendants told Bullock to “shoot him.” The gun went off, firing one round that hit McNeal in the leg. The victims ran away, and McNeal, Bullock, King, and another individual got into the victims’ vehicle and followed them.
Finally, Coe also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 4:15 p.m. on March 9, 2018, in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE. Coe, who was with a group of people, approached the victim, who was a classmate, and put him in a chokehold. The victim was able to throw Coe to the ground. Coe then got up, pulled a gun from his waistband, racked the slide, and pointed it at the victim, ordering him to turn over whatever he had. Coe took the victim’s iPhone 6 Plus before fleeing.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff.
Founder of “NXIVM,” a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Actor Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Actor Allison Mack was arrested this morning on an indictment unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging her and Keith Raniere, also known as “Vanguard,” with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy. Mack will be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak. Raniere was previously arrested on a complaint and ordered detained. Raniere will be arraigned on a date to be determined.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged in the indictment, Allison Mack recruited women to join what was purported to be a female mentorship group that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants’ benefit. This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting predators who victimize others through sex trafficking and forced labor.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the FBI for leading the investigation, and thanked the New York State Police, the FBI Albany Field Office, the New York State Office of the Attorney General, the New York State Department of Health and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York for their assistance.
“Today we announce an additional arrest, and an indictment, in a case that brought to light an inconceivable crime,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “As this pyramid scheme continues to unravel, we ask anyone who might have been a victim to reach out to us with information that may further our investigation.”
Nxivm and The Source
According to court filings, during the past 20 years, Raniere established a series of purported self-help programs within his umbrella organization “Nxivm” (pronounced NEX-i-um). Nxivm is based in Albany, New York and has operated centers in the United States, Mexico, Canada and South America. Nxivm maintains features of a pyramid scheme, as its courses cost thousands of dollars each and participants (“Nxians”) are encouraged to pay for additional classes and to recruit others to take classes in order to rise within the ranks of Nxivm. A number of Nxians were residents of the Eastern District of New York when they were recruited, and Nxivm has held promotional recruiting events in Brooklyn. Mack is credited in publicly available materials with co-creating a Nxivm program, called The Source, which recruited actors.
As detailed in court filings, in 2015, Raniere created a secret society within Nxivm called “DOS,” an acronym that stands for a Latin phrase that loosely translates to “Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions,” or “The Vow.” DOS operated with levels of women “slaves” headed by “masters.” Slaves were expected to recruit slaves of their own (thus becoming masters themselves), who in turn owed service not only to their own masters but also to masters above them in the DOS pyramid. Raniere stood alone at the top of the pyramid. Other than Raniere, all members of DOS were women. Mack is one of the women in the first level of the pyramid immediately below Raniere.
Mack and other DOS masters recruited DOS slaves by telling them that they were joining a women-only organization that would empower them and eradicate purported weaknesses that the Nxivm curriculum taught were common in women. Mack and other DOS masters concealed Raniere’s status at the top of the pyramid from new recruits.
As a pre-condition to joining DOS, women were required to provide “collateral,” which included highly damaging information about friends and family members, nude photographs and/or rights to the recruit’s assets. DOS slaves were told that their collateral could be released for any number of reasons, including telling anyone about DOS’s existence or leaving DOS. Many DOS slaves were branded on their pelvic areas using a cauterizing pen with a symbol which, unbeknownst to them, incorporated Raniere’s initials. During the branding ceremonies, slaves were required to be fully naked, and a master would order one slave to film the branding while the others restrained the slave being branded.
According to court filings, Mack directly or implicitly required her slaves, including Jane Does 1 and 2, as identified in the Indictment, to engage in sexual activity with Raniere. In exchange for this, Mack received financial and other benefits from Raniere. Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 believed that if they did not participate in those activities with Raniere, their collateral would be released.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of the crimes charged, Raniere and Mack each face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Moira Kim Penza and Tanya Hajjar are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Karin Orenstein is in charge of the forfeiture portion of the case.
The Defendants:
KEITH RANIERE (also known as “Vanguard”)
Age: 57
Residence: Waterford, New YorkALLISON MACK
Age: 35
Residence: Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-204 (NGG)
If you have information regarding this case, or you believe you or a family member may have been a victim, please contact the FBI at 212-384-1000.
Former Mexican Governor Extradited to the Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, the former governor of the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and a former PRI Party candidate for Mexican President, has been extradited to the United States. Ruvalcaba is charged in a Brownsville indictment which includes allegations of racketeering, drug smuggling, money laundering and bank fraud.
U.S. Attorneys Ryan K. Patrick and John F. Bash, of the Southern and Western Districts of Texas, respectively, made the announcement along with Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Acting Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui of IRS - Criminal Investigation (CI) and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI.
In April 2017, Yarrington was captured in Italy while traveling under an assumed name and false passport and other identification documents. He was taken into custody on a provisional arrest warrant based on the indictment returned in May 2013. Although Yarrington contested his extradition, Italian authorities recently authorized his extradition to the United States.
He has now arrived in the Southern District of Texas to face the charges and is expected to make his initial appearance Monday, April 23 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Ronald Morgan in Brownsville.
He was charged in the Brownsville Division of the Southern District of Texas following an investigation that spanned several years. The indictment alleges Yarrington, 61, and Fernando Alejandro Cano Martinez, 61, the owner of a Mexican construction firm, conspired to violate the provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute. The two men are also charged with conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to make false statements to federally insured U.S. banks.
Yarrington is also separately charged with a conspiracy to violate the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act, two substantive bank fraud counts and a conspiracy to structure currency transactions at a domestic financial institution. Cano is separately charged with three counts of bank fraud.
“HSI aggressively pursues transnational criminal organizations that pose a threat to the U.S. national security, to include corrupt public officials who use their position and influence to further the illicit activity,” said Folden. “HSI is committed to upholding the rule of law and investigating those involved in criminal activity and bringing the illicit gains of these crimes to the U.S.”
“This case highlights the impact multiple agencies can have when they join forces. DEA, HSI, IRS-CI and FBI along with our state, local and international law enforcement partners will continue to work together and pursue those who threaten our country through the smuggling and distribution of illegal and dangerous drugs such as cocaine,” said Glaspy. “This extradition sends a global message that those accused of leveraging their political positions to conduct drug trafficking and other criminal activity will be brought to justice.”
“This investigation took law enforcement above and beyond its traditional role in financial crimes,” said Tsui. “The apprehension of Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba underscores IRS-CI’s commitment to assist our law enforcement partners, both foreign and domestic, and follow the money trail across the globe to unravel this and other complex financial investigations.”
Yarrington served as governor of Tamaulipas from 1999 to 2004. Tamaulipas lies along the southern border between the United States and Mexico directly across from Brownsville and Laredo.
According to the indictment, beginning in approximately 1998, Yarrington received large bribes from major drug traffickers operating in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, including the Gulf Cartel. In return, Yarrington allegedly allowed them to operate their large scale, multi-ton enterprises freely, which included the smuggling of large quantities of drugs to the United States for distribution. From 2007 to 2009, Yarrington allegedly became involved in the smuggling of large amounts of cocaine through the Port of Veracruz into the United States.
Yarrington also collected bribes from commercial operations in Mexico, according to the indictment. Cano operated Materiales y Construcciones Villa de Aguayo, S.A. de C.V., a construction firm in Tamaulipas that received significant public works contracts during Yarrington’s term as governor. The indictment alleges Cano, in turn, paid bribes to Yarrington to include the acquisition of real estate in front names for him.
The indictment further alleges Yarrington also received control over stolen public funds in the latter part of 2004. Portions of those funds were allegedly used to buy a Sabreliner 60 airplane in January 2005. As part of that purchase, $300,000 was transferred to a bank account in the United States. Another portion of the allegedly stolen funds, $5 million Mexican pesos, was transferred to Cano in the spring of 2005, according to the indictment.
The indictment further alleges that starting in approximately 1998, Yarrington, and later to include Cano, became involved in the acquisition of valuable assets in the United States, using front names and business entities established starting in 2005 to disguise the true ownership of the assets. The assets allegedly included bank accounts, residences, airplanes, vehicles and real estate in Bexar, Cameron, Hidalgo and Hays Counties, many of which were acquired via allegedly fraudulent loans from banks in Texas. According to the indictment, bank accounts established in front names at Texas banks were used to receive and disburse money to carry the ongoing costs of the assets, such as loan costs and condo fees.
The indictment identifies numerous specific front entities involved in the scheme, each of which allegedly applied for multi-million dollar fraudulent loans at Texas banks, which Cano allegedly personally guaranteed. The indictment details a total of more than $7 million in transfers into the U.S. accounts of the front entities.
Additional entities were created and used to apply for other loans to fund the purchase of still other assets, according to the indictment. Numerous currency transactions were allegedly conducted at First National Bank, headquartered in Edinburg, Texas, in a structured manner in amounts at or below $10,000 in order to evade the filing of Currency Transaction Reports by the bank.
Cano is not in the custody of the United States and a warrant remain outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 956-542-5811. Persons calling from Mexico should call 001-800-010-5237.
The RICO and money laundering charges each carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison, while conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries as possible punishment up to 30 years. The drug conspiracy charges carry a term of imprisonment of at least 10 years. The currency structuring charges carry a possible five-year-term of imprisonment.
The indictment also includes a notice of forfeiture. Some of the assets identified in the indictment already have been seized and forfeited to the United States in civil forfeiture actions over the course of the investigation, to include approximately 46 acres in Bexar County, a condo on South Padre Island, a 2005 Pilatus airplane and residences in Hidalgo and Hays counties.
The investigation leading to the indictment has been conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in Brownsville, San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi and New York and has included agents and officers with HSI, DEA, IRS-CI, FBI and the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition in this matter. The United States government also acknowledges with gratitude the significant assistance received from the government of Mexico in the course of this investigation. Additionally, the United States acknowledges the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, HSI-Rome, HSI-Mexico City, the Italian Ministry of the Interior (particularly Interpol Rome and the Central Operations Service of the Italian National Police) and the Italian Ministry of Justice in Yarrington’s extradition.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie K. Hampton, Jody Young, Karen Betancourt and Jon Muschenheim are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.Former Deputy Chief of Lake County Sheriff’s Department IndictedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Daniel Murchek, 57, of Schererville, Indiana was indicted for making false statements to federal authorities, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
United States Attorney Kirsch said, “Mr. Murchek lied to FBI agents who sought truthful information from him in connection with what was then an ongoing public corruption investigation of which he was aware. Mr. Murchek did so purely to protect his self-interest and conceal his criminal conduct from the FBI. Mr. Murchek was a police officer, sworn to uphold the law, at the time he told the lies, making his conduct particularly egregious.”
“Public corruption is a priority of my Office. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute public corruption across the Northern District of Indiana. Citizens demand, and in fact deserve, honest public service from their elected and appointed officials. I encourage anyone with information about possible corruption in their town or city to report it to me or to the FBI.”
According to documents in this case, at all times relevant to the indictment, the FBI was investigating public officials and towing businesses for bribery activity, among other things. Also, at times relevant to indictment, Murchek was a candidate for Lake County Sheriff in the 2018 sheriff’s election.
On November 10, 2016, federal agents executed search warrants at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and at the home of John Buncich, who then was the elected Lake County Sheriff. On November 14, 2016, Murchek was interviewed by the FBI about Lake County towing contracts and donations made to Murchek’s campaign for Lake County Sheriff by specific firms towing for Lake County Sheriff’s Department. At the time of the interview, Murchek was Deputy Chief of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, a position that he had held since 2011. During this interview, agents specifically asked Murchek about contributions from Person A and whether any of those contributions were structured to avoid Indiana campaign finance laws. During this interview, Murchek denied he had received a structured campaign donation through Person A. Indiana finance law prohibited persons from knowingly accepting a political contribution made by one person in the name of another, commonly known as a structured campaign contribution. Indiana finance law also prohibited corporate political contributions to candidates seeking local offices in excess of $2,000 during a 1-year period.
In fact, during the investigation, Person A recorded conversations with Murchek and others. During these recorded conversations, Murchek explained how to structure campaign contributions to avoid Indiana campaign finance laws. Specifically, Murchek explained that an individual could structure campaign donations by giving money to another person who could then write a check to the campaign committee to conceal from whom the donation actually was made. On September 23, 2016, Person A met with Murchek for the purpose of donating money to Murchek’s campaign. Person A explained to Murchek that Person A gave $500 to one of his employees, and the employee then wrote a check for $500 to Murchek’s campaign, which check Person A provided to Murchek on that date. Person A specifically told Murchek that the contribution was actually from Person A and not from whom the check was written. Person A further told Murchek that Person A structured the donation as Murchek directed to avoid Indiana campaign finance laws and to “stay under the radar.”Murchek stated in part that he was “all good with that.” During these conversations, Murchek also indicated that he would reduce the number of companies on the sheriff’s approved tow list, which action was intended, at least in part, to benefit Person A.
Along with this Indictment, a plea agreement relating to making the aforementioned false statements has been filed. Murchek’s initial court appearance has been scheduled for today at 9:45AM before U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Martin. A date for the plea hearing is not yet scheduled.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. This case will be handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Benson.
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Federal Jury Finds Ironton Man Guilty of Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the conviction of ROGER ERIK SPLETTSTOESZER, 53, for distributing, receiving and possessing video and image files containing child pornography. SPLETTSTOESZER was charged in a six-count indictment on June 22, 2017, and, on April 19, 2018, was found guilty on all counts by a federal jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
As proven at trial, from at least April through September 2015, SPLETTSTOESZER, who owned and operated a computer repair business called Deepsystems in Aitkin, Minnesota, used the internet to search for, receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography. During that time period, undercover investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (“BCA”) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), discovered multiple known child pornography files on the Ares peer-to-peer network. Investigators determined that the files were from a computer with an IP address assigned to Deepsystems. Based on the undercover downloads, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant on Deepsystems, seizing multiple computers. Following a forensic review of the computers, investigators found that the devices contained, in total, more than 35,000 photos and 400 videos of child pornography.
As set forth at trial, SPLETTSTOESZER was previously investigated in 2011 in Crow Wing County for distributing child pornography via a peer-to-peer network and possessing thousands of child pornography files. Additionally, in 1999, SPLETTSTOESZER was charged in Crow Wing County with four counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree for sexually assaulting and raping two children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Aitkin Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Hudleston and Miranda E. Dugi are prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
ROGER ERIK SPLETTSTOESZER, 53
Ironton, Minn.
Convicted:
- Distribution of child pornography, 4 counts
- Receipt of child pornography, 1 count
- Possession of child pornography, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Federal Indictment Charges Former Credit Union President & CEO with Embezzlement and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has indicted Saundra Torrence, a/k/a Saundra Scales, 61, of Charlotte, for her role in defrauding a Charlotte-based credit union of more than $375,000 in the aftermath of the financial crisis, announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Murray is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero, of the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP).
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from 1985 to August 2012, Torrence was the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of First Legacy Community Credit Union (FLCCU), which is headquartered in Charlotte. In the fall of 2010, FLCCU received $1,000,000 as part of a program under the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which allowed the Treasury Department to make investments in certain financial institutions that provided credit and financial services to underserved populations and communities.
The indictment alleges that Torrence abused her position as FLCCU’s President and CEO by, among other things, making false entries in the books and records of the credit union, misapplying and stealing funds from the credit union, and fraudulently using the identity of at least one third party victim to obtain a loan from FLCCU. Torrence’s wrongdoing caused FLCCU to suffer significant losses while she personally received more than $110,000 from the misconduct, exposed the credit union to the risk of additional losses, and caused regulatory action against FLCCU.
Specifically, the indictment alleges that, during the relevant time period, Torrence approved the payment of compensation to herself and others without authorization and contrary to the policies of FLCCU. This included compensation for unused sick leave, compensation for the sale of GAP insurance in connection with automobile loans, and other uncategorized compensation. The indictment also alleges that much of this compensation was not reported as taxable income, which caused underreporting and underpayment of federal and state income and/or employment taxes.
The indictment further alleges that Torrence fraudulently obtained a loan from FLCCU in the name of at least one third-party victim, K.H. In connection with this loan, Torrence falsified documentation and circumvented FLCCU policies and reporting requirements. The indictment also alleges that Torrence improperly transferred funds between and among various third-party accounts at FLCCU and her own accounts at FLCCU. On certain occasions, Torrence improperly transferred the proceeds of loans given by FLCCU to third parties into her own accounts. To conceal her wrongdoing, Torrence falsified documents and made and caused false entries in the books and records of FLCCU. These false entries caused FLCCU’s reported financial results to be inaccurate.
Torrence is charged with 13 counts of theft and embezzlement from a financial institution; 19 counts of making or causing false entries; and one count of fraudulent participation. Each of the charged counts carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation of the case was handled by the FBI and SIGTARP. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
El Departamento de Justicia Resuelve una Denuncia de Discriminación Relacionada con la Inmigración contra una Empresa de TejasRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con Themesoft Inc. («Themesoft»), una empresa con sede en Tejas que ofrece servicios de asesoría y contratación a clientes en el sector tecnológico. El acuerdo resuelve la investigación por parte del Departamento para determinar si dicha empresa había discriminado a un inmigrante con autorización para trabajar al negarse a permitirlo a seguir como candidato en su proceso de contratación, en contra de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés).
La investigación del Departamento, la cual se inició como respuesta a una denuncia de un trabajador, reveló que Themesoft había discriminado a un asilado por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía al negarse a tramitar su solicitud porque no era residente permanente legal, ciudadano estadounidense o titular de una visa H-1B. Los asilados, al igual que ciudadanos y nacionales de los EE. UU., refugiados y residentes permanentes legales, disponen de autorización permanente para trabajar. Por lo tanto, generalmente se les prohíbe a los empleadores discriminarlos con base en su estatus de ciudadanía. La investigación también reveló que Themesoft había solicitado documentos migratorios específicos de aquél trabajador debido a su estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía, a pesar de que la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe tal conducta.
Conforme al acuerdo, Themesoft pagará sanciones civiles por la alegada discriminación por motivos del estatus de ciudadanía y las prácticas documentales injustas. Asimismo, Themesoft publicará notificaciones para informar a los trabajadores acerca de sus derechos al amparo de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, capacitará a su personal y se someterá a los requisitos de Departamento en cuanto a supervisión y declaración durante tres años. Durante la investigación del Departamento, Themesoft acordó indemnizar al trabajador con pagos retroactivos y le ofreció un trabajo. Según el acuerdo del Departamento, Themesoft se ve obligado a pagar al trabajador oportunamente el balance de los $12.000 de pagos retroactivos que todavía le debe.
«Los empleadores no deben discriminar ilícitamente a los asilados», declaró el Fiscal General Auxiliar en funciones, John Gore, de la División de Derechos Civiles. «Este acuerdo sirve como recordatorio de que aquellas empresas que recomienden a trabajadores a clientes que son terceras partes deben ser conscientes de sus obligaciones antidiscriminatorias».
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), que pertenece a la División, es responsable de aplicar la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, esta ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas; las represalias y la intimidación.
Para más información sobre protecciones contra la discriminación en el empleo en virtud de las leyes migratorias, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800‑255-7688 (1‑800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); matricúlese para un seminario en línea gratuito; mande un correo electrónico a [email protected] o visite la página web de la IER en inglés o español.
Aquellos postulantes o empleados que creen haber sido sometidos a otros requisitos documentales por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen, o a la discriminación por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión deben llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores para pedir ayuda.
East Chicago Woman Sentenced to 204 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND –Melinda Milton, 37, of East Chicago, Indiana was sentenced by District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 204 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release following her conviction by guilty plea to one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, Milton ran a prostitution business for several years by advertising females for escort services on the website Backpage.com. Between February and October 2015, Milton recruited three minor females between the ages of 15 and 16 to perform commercial sex acts for one of Milton’s regular customers. Between December 2014 and May 2015, Milton also defrauded and coerced a 21-year old female to work for Milton as a prostitute. Among other tactics, Milton supplied the adult victim with drugs and caused her to fear for her safety in order to make her more compliant.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Hammond Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Abizer Zanzi, David Nozick and Dean Lanter.
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Dominican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Casimiro Zapata-Martinez, 50, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
According to court documents, Zapata-Martinez was previously deported on April 8, 2002. Law enforcement officers discovered Zapata-Martinez on April 11, 2018, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of no more than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Zapata-Martinez will face deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting this case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Stabbing Death of Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Larry Fearn, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, who was holding their infant child at the time of her death last September, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Fearn pled guilty in January 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 22 years in prison. The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced Fearn accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, Fearn will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, at approximately 9:50 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Seventh District were dispatched to an apartment in the 3000 block of 30th Street SE for the report of a domestic violence assault. Upon their arrival, officers observed an apparent pool of blood in front of the apartment building door. After opening the building’s front door, officers discovered the victim, Paula Coles, 31, lying on her back inside the front door entrance of the building and suffering from apparent stab wounds to the right side of her face, her chin, her left breast, and above her rear right shoulder. Also located was a baby who was covered in Ms. Coles’s blood and had sustained a cut on his hand requiring stitches. The baby, who was approximately 11 months old at the time of the stabbing, was learned to be the child of Fearn and Ms. Coles, and he was in the arms of Ms. Coles during the stabbing.
The District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services attempted life-saving measures, but Ms. Coles was pronounced dead soon after their arrival. An autopsy by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later identified 10 different wounds about her face, neck, thorax, and her right upper arm and shoulder.
The government’s investigation revealed that Fearn and Ms. Coles had at one point been in a romantic relationship and that Ms. Coles had a history of domestic -related calls for service involving the defendant. In July of 2017, Fearn had been arrested for assaulting Ms. Coles, their child, and another individual. The following day, he was arrested again for violating a stay-away order issued by the Court. Both of these incidents occurred at Ms. Coles’s residence.
Fearn pled guilty on Aug. 17, 2017, to attempted second-degree cruelty to children and simple assault. He was sentenced the same day to serve 75 days of incarceration. He was released on Sept. 15, 2017. As condition of his probation, he was ordered to stay away from Ms. Coles. However, following his release, he returned to her residence and began residing there.
Less than 12 hours before the murder, on Sept. 26, 2017, Ms. Coles called 911 to report an argument had erupted between Fearn and an individual with whom she was now romantically involved. Evidence showed that Fearn fled the scene after Ms. Coles called 911. He continued to call her throughout the night, however, and several witnesses overheard him telling Ms. Coles that he would kill her.
The following morning, at approximately 9 a.m., after Ms. Coles had dropped her older children off at school, the evidence showed that she returned to her apartment to find that Fearn had returned. She notified her current boyfriend that Fearn was in her unit and requested, via text, that he call the police for her. At some point, he called Ms. Coles back, but all he could hear was a scream and a thump before the phone cut off. He then called other neighbors in the building, who informed him that Ms. Coles had been stabbed and was laying in the hallway of the building. Several neighbors then saw Fearn running from the entrance way of the building.
Fearn was arrested on Sept. 28, 2017, and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu expressed appreciation for the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Safe Shores – D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center.
U.S. Attorney Liu acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura R. Bach and Michelle D. Jackson, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews and Lornce Applewhite. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.
Colombian National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Colombian national was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Alejandro Suarez, 45, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
According to court documents, Suarez was previously deported on July 26, 2000. Law enforcement officers discovered Suarez on March 22, 2018, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Suarez will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting this case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Central Falls Resident Detained on Child Pornography Production, Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An investigation and arrest by members of the Central Falls Police Department has resulted in the detention of a Central Falls man charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with production and possession of child pornography. Jose A. Cortes, a.k.a. “Jose Cortez,” 38, was ordered detained on Thursday following his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
According to information presented to the court, it is alleged that an investigation by Central Falls Police revealed that Cortes allegedly took sexually explicit photographs of a toddler in various stages of undress, involved in a sex act, and a lascivious display of the toddler’s genitals. During the investigation, Central Falls Detectives executed five court authorized search warrants and seized several electronic devices and digital storage devices. A preliminary forensic examination of some of the devices by Central Falls detectives, with the assistance of Rhode Island State Police, revealed more than a thousand images and videos of child pornography.
The investigation into Cortes’ alleged criminal activity began in November 2017, after the toddler’s mother reported to police that she had become aware of the photos from a friend of Cortes.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation 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.
Jose Cortes’ arrest and detention are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Central Falls Police Chief Colonel James J. Mendonca, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Michael S. Shea.
This Project Safe Childhood case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance in the prosecution of this matter.
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California Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Renewable Fuel FraudRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and United States Attorney Joseph H. Harrington for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jin Chul “Jacob” Cha, 41, of Tustin, California, who pleaded guilty on January 11, 2018 to conspiracy to defraud the government and conspiracy to commit wire fraud was sentenced today. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. imposed a 51-month prison term to be followed by a three-year term of court supervision after he is released from prison.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, Cha was a member of a conspiracy involving Gen-X Energy Group, Inc. (Gen-X), a renewable energy company formerly located in Pasco and Moses Lake, Washington. Between October 2012 and March 2015, Cha and his co-conspirators falsely claimed the production of more than 9,400,000 marketable renewable energy credits, which they then sold for more than $6,000,000, and filed false claims with the IRS for $2,506,094 in excise credit refunds. Throughout this period, much of the renewable fuel claimed to be produced at the Gen-X facilities was either not produced or re-processed multiple times.
“The defendant, Mr. Cha, has been sentenced to spend years in prison for his role in a multi-million dollar conspiracy to defraud the renewable fuels program,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This prosecution, which is part of a broader effort involving the Gen-X Energy Group, shows there are serious consequences for this kind of fraudulent conduct. I applaud the work of the federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel involved in bringing down this criminal enterprise.”
“I commend the tenacious and thorough efforts of investigators from IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division,” said U.S. Attorney Harrington. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute fraud and other white collar crimes in the Eastern District of Washington."
“The defendant defrauded taxpayers and biofuels companies out of millions of dollars,” said Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This case shows that EPA and its law enforcement partners will prosecute those who seek to profit by breaking the law.”
"Today, Mr. Cha and the Gen-X Energy Group are being held accountable for their massive and complex $65 million fraud," said Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon of IRS Criminal Investigation." Along with our law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute white collar criminals who pursue illegal schemes to steal from the U.S. taxpayer."
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Washington State Patrol and the Los Angeles Port Police Department’s Hazardous Materials Investigations Unit. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Adam Cullman and Thomas Franzinger for the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant United States Attorney Scott T. Jones for the Eastern District of Washington, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel and Special Assistant United States Attorney Karla G. Perrin for the Eastern District of Washington.
Business Owner Who Lied in Bankruptcy Proceedings Pleads Guilty to PerjuryRead the Press Release
The operator of a business that abused bankruptcy filings to get drivers licenses reinstated pleaded guilty to perjury this week in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. Between 2012 and 2017, TRACY J. TALLY, 46, of Poulsbo, Washington, admits she unlawfully provided legal advice and assisted people with filing fraudulent bankruptcy forms. When questioned under oath in a deposition with a United States Trustee, TALLY falsely denied such activities. TALLY faces up to five years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan on July 13, 2018.
According to records filed in the case, TALLY operated a business identified as ‘No More Drivin’ Dirty.’ For a fee, TALLY would assist clients with filing false bankruptcy forms, which were subsequently used to exploit a provision that allowed motor vehicle drivers to seek reinstatement of their licenses from the Washington State Department of Licensing upon submitting proof that a bankruptcy proceeding had commenced. The bankruptcy petitions were false and the bankruptcy proceeding was typically abandoned once the license was reinstated. In February 2017, TALLY was questioned under oath about whether she had provided unauthorized legal advice to clients. TALLY claimed she had not, even though she knew at the time she made the statement that she had given such advice to hundreds of clients.
As part of her plea agreement, TALLY will pay restitution totaling $2,100 to four clients and $15,000 to the United States Trustee. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a three-year term of probation. The ultimate sentence is up to Judge Bryan.
The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Grady Leupold.
Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal firearm offense, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jeffrey Alpaugh, 46, of Beckley, West Virginia, entered his guilty plea to dealing firearms without a license. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beckley Police Department.
“To keep guns out of the wrong hands and to protect our Second Amendment rights, we will aggressively prosecute individuals like Alpaugh that violate our gun laws,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Alpaugh admitted that from in or about February 2017, to on or about October 30, 2017, at or near Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia, within the Southern District of West Virginia and elsewhere, he willfully engaged in the business of dealing firearms affecting commerce without a license. Specifically, during that timeframe he offered firearms for sale at flea markets and gun shows in Raleigh and Monroe Counties on almost a weekly basis. At all relevant times, Mr. Alpaugh was not licensed under the provisions of Chapter 44 of Title 18 of the United States Code as a manufacturer, importer, or dealer in firearms. On October 30, 2017, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at defendant’s home and seized 152 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Any and all such firearms and ammunition will be forfeited and abandoned by him as set out in the plea agreement.
Alpaugh faces up to 5 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 25, 2018. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the plea hearing.
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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Barbour County man admits to firearm chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jerry Lee Beohm, Jr., of Philippi, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearm charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Beohm, age 43, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Beohm, who was previously convicted of two felonies in Barbour County Circuit Court, admitted to having a .40 caliber pistol, a .380 caliber pistol, a .410 caliber derringer, and a 12-gauge shotgun. The crime occurred in August 2015 in Barbour County.
Beohm faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Bank Robber IndictedRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that STEPHEN J. SCOTT, age 31, was indicted for one count of Bank Robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a). The defendant is alleged to have robbed the First American Bank and Trust at 1800 Veterans Boulevard, Metairie, Louisiana, on April 9, 2018.
If convicted, SCOTT faces a maximum of twenty years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
The U.S. Attorney also advises that an indictment is only a charging document, and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the hard work of the FBI’s Violent Crime Unit and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The case is being handled by AUSA Myles Ranier.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
April 20, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Al Samuel Lawson, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland to 14 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor related to the trafficking of a 15-year-old female and a 16-year-old female for prostitution in Maryland.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger of the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to Lawson’s plea agreement, on February 10, 2016, members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force were conducting a proactive operation in search of juveniles engaging in prostitution. After making contact with two identified adult prostitutes, the females stated that they knew of a minor female who was currently engaging in prostitution. The women showed the Task Force members an advertisement on the website Backpage.com of another adult female that was known to be working as a prostitute with the minor female. Task Force members reviewed this advertisement and identified the adult female, Female 1, as a known prostitute with whom they had numerous previous contacts.
Task Force members approached the younger female and identified her as a fifteen-year-old juvenile, Minor 1. Internet advertisements for prostitution on the website Backpage.com identified Minor 1 under the name “Asia.” Minor 1 admitted to law enforcement that she had been prostituting for approximately one month at the direction of Lawson. Investigators identified several other females, including another minor female, Minor 2, who also engaged in prostitution at the direction of Lawson, starting when she was fifteen years old.
Female 1 was contacted and informed that her “date” was outside in a pickup truck and Female 1 came outside to meet them. A Baltimore County Police detective acting in an undercover capacity, spoke with Female 1 in his vehicle and she agreed to give him oral sex for $100. Female 1 directed the detective to drive to the hotel next door so they could “do it”. At that time, the detective identified himself as law enforcement and Female 1 was arrested for solicitation of prostitution.
Minor 1 admitted to law enforcement that she had been prostituting for approximately one month at the direction of Lawson. Investigators identified several other females, including another minor female, Minor 2, who also engaged in prostitution at the direction of Lawson. Minor 2 started doing prostitution dates when she was fifteen years old.
Some of these prostitution encounters engaged in by Minor 1, Minor 2, and other females at the direction of Lawson occurred at the residence of Lawson’s co-defendant, Nichole Carey, in Essex, Maryland.
Minor 1 reported that she, and the other women, gave 50% of the money from the prostitution encounters to Lawson and that Lawson knew the two victims were minors.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended FBI Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Ayn Ducao, Rachel Yasser and Michael Cunningham, who prosecuted the case.