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Thursday 19 April 2018
Eleven Indicted and Arrested in SweepRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. - Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Arthur D. Peralta announce that the eleven defendants listed below have been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury in Macon and have been arrested during a multi-agency operation. An arrest and an indictment are only allegations of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
JUSTIN ELLIOTT, aged 24, of Macon, GA, is charged with Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. If convicted, Mr. Elliott faces a maximum sentence of 10 years, a maximum $10,000 fine, or both.
JOSHUA SCOTT, aged 28, of Macon, GA, is charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Mr. Scott faces a maximum sentence of 10 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both, if convicted.
NATHANIEL GORDY, aged 30, of Macon, GA, was indicted for Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute (Count 1), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (Count 2), and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 3). If convicted, Mr. Gordy faces a maximum sentence of five years, a maximum $250,000 fine, or both, for Count 1; a maximum sentence of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, or both, for Count 2; and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a maximum $250,000 fine, or both, for Count 3.
WILLIE C. JOHNSON, aged 47, of Warner Robins, GA, is charged with Possession of Methamphetamine (Count 1), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (Count 2) and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person (Count 3). If convicted, Mr. Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both, on Counts 1 and 2; and a maximum of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both, on Count 2.
MILTON SEARCY, aged 28, of Macon, GA, is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (Count 1) and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon (Count 2). If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in Federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on each count.
MARCUS VEAL, aged 33, of Macon, GA, was indicted on February 14, 2018 for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, if convicted.
JOHN RANDALL, aged 32, of Macon, GA, was indicted on February 14, 2018 for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in Federal prison, a $250,000
fine, or both, if convicted.
TITUS KEYON SANDIFER, aged 38, of Macon, GA, was indicted on March 14, 2018 for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (Count 1), Possession of an Unregistered Firearm (Count 2) and Possession of a Firearm with Obliterated Serial Number (Count 3). If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on Counts 1 and 2, and a maximum 5 years, a $250,000 fine, or both, on Count 3.
AASIM MCCOY, aged 38, of Macon, GA, was indicted on February 14, 2018 for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, if convicted.
SHANTERIO WOOTEN, aged 29, of Macon, GA, is charged with Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person under Indictment. Mr. Wooten was sentenced under the first offender act on August 24, 2015 to six years’ probation for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Driving Under the Influence, Misdemeanor Obstruction, Criminal Trespass, False Name, and Driving With a Suspended License in Bibb County Superior Court. Mr. Wooten faces a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, if convicted of the current charges.
OSCAR ABRAM, aged 60, of Macon, GA, is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (Count 1); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 2); Possession with Intent to Distribute Hydrocodone (Count 3); Possession with Intent to Distribute Buprenorphine (Count 4) and Possession of Marijuana (Count 5). If convicted, Mr. Abram faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, on Count 1; Life, a $250,000 fine, or both, on Count 2; 20 years, a $1million fine, or both, on Count 3; 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, on Count 4; and 1 year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both, on Count 5.
The operation was conducted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood, which is designed to reduce violent crime through forming partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors. Those participating in this joint operation include the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Bibb County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; United States Probation; Georgia Department of Community Supervision and Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly S. Easterling is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
El Salvadoran Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MILTON OMAR SANCHEZ, age 43, a native of El Salvador, pled guilty yesterday to a one-count Indictment charging him with illegal reentry of a removed alien.
According to the court documents, SANCHEZ was previously removed from the United States on July 13, 2004. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on September 13, 2017, and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
SANCHEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle set sentencing for July 18, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
Eight Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges, Passport Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging CAMERINO SANCHEZ-VENEGAS, age 27, of Mexico, FRANCISCO VEGA-MARTINEZ, age 35, of Mexico, EDGAR SOLIS-PEREZ, age 38, of Mexico, DAVID DELACRUZ-GRAJALES, age 21, of Mexico, GIOVANNI SORROSA-IBARRA, age 36, of Mexico, JUSTO RUFINO SANDRES-SOLIS, age 32, of Honduras with illegal reentry of a deported alien.
Additionally, a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned an indictment charging JOSE DOLORES HERNANDEZ-AGUILAR, age 37, of Mexico, with illegal reentry of an alien subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction.
Furthermore, a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned an indictment charging RAMON ESTEBAN PAEZ-JEREZ, age 58, of the Dominican Republic, with passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, SANCHEZ-VENEGAS, found in Robeson County, VEGA-MARTINEZ, previously deported twice and found in Wake County, SOLIS-PEREZ, previously deported four times and found in Wake County, DELACRUZ-GRAJALES, previously deported three times and found in Wake County, SORROSA-IBARRA, previously deported five times and found in Wake County, and SANDRES-SOLIS, previously deported one time and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of illegal reentry of an alien subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction, HERNANDEZ-AGUILAR, previously deported one time and found in Wilson County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of twenty years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of passport fraud and aggravated identity theft, PAEZ-JEREZ, would face maximum penalties of twelve years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of State.
Eastern Panhandle man guilty of drug distribution and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Gregory Keith Clinton, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, was found guilty today by a jury of drug and firearm charges, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
After a three-day trial and two hours of deliberations, a jury found Clinton, age 57, guilty of one count of “Armed Career Criminal Act,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base,” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride.” He was also found guilty of one count of “Possession of Cocaine Base” and one count of “Possession of Cocaine.” Clinton, having previously been convicted of three felony drug charges, illegally possessed a .45-caliber pistol and possessed crack cocaine and coke in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties in July 2016.
“I appreciate the hard work of our dedicated trial team. We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who violate our drug and firearm laws. Our community is safer today because of the jury’s verdict,” said Powell.
Clinton faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the first count, and faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the each of the “Possession with Intent to Distribute” counts. Clinton also faces up to one year incarceration and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 for each of the possession counts. 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 Anna Z. Krasinski and Special Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth D. Grant, also with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.District Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Northwest Washington BankRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Davis, 40, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to robbing a bank in the Dupont Circle area of Northwest Washington last fall, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to bank robbery. The Honorable Timothy J. Kelly scheduled sentencing for July 12, 2018. Davis faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a likely range of 37 to 46 months in prison and potential financial penalties. The judge ordered that Davis be detained pending sentencing.
According to court documents, on Nov. 7, 2017, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Davis entered a branch of TD Bank in DuPont Circle, wearing a baseball hat and one latex glove. Davis approached the teller counter and handed the teller a handwritten note that stated “I have a bag full of explosives hand over the $ now or die.” The teller pulled $500 from the cash register and handed it over. Davis placed the money in his canvas bag and left the bank branch.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department arrived immediately after the robbery and searched the area. Davis attempted to flee by entering the DuPont Circle Metro station. MPD Officers arrested Davis on the lower level platform of the station while he was waiting for a Metro train. He possessed $490 of the $500 he stole from the TD Bank branch.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin L. Rosenberg, who prosecuted the case.
District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Arkansas Compounding Pharmacy and its CEO to Prevent Distribution of Adulterated DrugsRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against defendants Cantrell Drug Company (Cantrell), and James L. McCarley Jr., Cantrell’s co-owner and Chief Executive Officer. The injunction permanently enjoins the defendants from distributing adulterated drugs in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The entered permanent injunction stems from a complaint the Department filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas on Feb. 28, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That complaint alleged, among other things, that the defendants distributed adulterated drugs in interstate commerce.
As part of the permanent injunction, defendants cannot resume manufacturing, processing, or distributing drugs until they comply with specific remedial measures. Those measures include submitting a remedial plan to FDA, which will provide for an independent expert to conduct inspection(s) of defendants’ facility, ensure defendants implement all recommended corrective actions, and ensure that defendants’ manufacturing and distributing of drugs will be in conformity with current good manufacturing practice. The permanent injunction provides that defendants cannot resume manufacturing, processing, or distributing drugs until FDA notifies them in writing that defendants appear to be in compliance with the ordered remedial measures.
“Compounding pharmacies have a responsibility to ensure that they process drugs in a manner that meets the legal standards necessary to ensure the safety and quality of such drugs,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with FDA to ensure that doctors and patients can rely on the protections in the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.”
According to the complaint filed by the Department on Feb. 28, defendants’ drugs were adulterated because they were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been contaminated or may have been rendered injurious to health. The complaint also alleged that defendants’ drugs were adulterated because defendants failed to comply with current good manufacturing practice regulations.
Cantrell initiated voluntary recalls of drug products in 2016 and 2017. The 2016 recall, initiated due to lack of sterility assurance, involved 29 lots of unexpired sterile drug products. The 2017 recall, also due to a lack of sterility assurance, encompassed all lots of unexpired sterile drug products that Cantrell had compounded and distributed between Feb. 16, 2017, and July 19, 2017.
“The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act is designed to protect the public health,” said U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “This enforcement action demonstrated our commitment to ensuring that when deficiencies are identified, they are properly addressed.”
“As a public health agency, the FDA is committed to fully implementing the regulatory framework set forth by Congress that helps ensure compounded drugs are made under appropriate production standards,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “FDA is committed to taking action against compounders who do not comply with the requirements set forth in federal law.”
The government is represented by Trial Attorney Raquel Toledo of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon S. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel, Litigation, Jennifer Kang of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel’s Food and Drug Division.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edar.
Department of Defense Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Co-Worker on Military BaseRead the Press Release
A Department of Defense civilian employee pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing a co-worker while on a temporary duty assignment to the U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka, Japan in January 2016.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes for the Western District of Washington and Special Agent in Charge Ron Beltz of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s (NCIS) office in Bremerton, Washington made the announcement.
Michael S. Cerera, 36, of Port Orchard, Washington, pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Richard Creatura of the Western District of Washington. Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 9.
In pleading guilty, Cerera admitted that on or about Jan. 23, 2016, while a civilian employee of the Department of Defense in Yokosuka, Japan, he engaged in sexual contact with a female co-worker when she was physically incapable of declining participation in, or communicating her unwillingness to engage in, that sexual contact because she was asleep. Specifically, Cerera admitted that in the early morning, he was present in the victim’s hotel room and climbed into her bed while she was unconscious. The victim woke to discover that, without her permission, Cerera had pushed her shirt up and was kissing or licking her right side and had placed one hand down the back of her underwear and digitally penetrated her vagina.
NCIS investigated the case. Trial Attorney Rami S. Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grady Leupold of the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.Delaware Man Sentenced for Federal Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Delaware man was sentenced to 5 years for a federal firearm violation, announced United States Attorney Michael B. Stuart. Jeffrey M. Burris, 41, of Wilmington, Delaware, formerly of Nettie, West Virginia, pled guilty in September 2017 to a single count of possessing firearms which were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Stuart commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“As I’ve said before, I strongly support the Second Amendment, but those who break our gun laws will pay a heavy price,” said United States Attorney Stuart.
On May 10, 2017, the West Virginia State Police contacted ATF agents to advise that troopers were called to the Burris's residence in Nettie in response to a domestic disturbance call received from Mrs. Burris. Mrs. Burris advised 911 operators that Burris was taking and concealing evidence in the woods behind their residence. Upon arrival at the residence, officers indicated they could hear an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in the woods behind the residence. Mrs. Burris met officers in the driveway and advised that Burris was hiding evidence in the woods, and Burris had a firearm in his possession.
Officers proceeded to the woods in an attempt to locate Burris. Unsuccessful in locating Burris, officers returned to the residence and spoke with Mayra Burris, who advised that after Burris learned officers were at the residence earlier in the day regarding an ATF tip alleging he possessed illegal firearm silencers, Burris became angry. Burris loaded items onto his ATV and took them into the woods to hide.
While speaking with Mrs. Burris, officers heard and observed an ATV coming from the woods. The ATV was driven by Burris. Officers made contact with Burris and observed he was armed with two pistols and an AR-style rifle. Officers secured Burris, secured the weapons for officer safety, and placed Burris into custody.
On May 11, 2017, ATF agents and WVSP troopers returned to the Burris residence. The agents searched over 30 acres of property owned by Burris. During a search of the residence, officers seized several thousand rounds of ammunition from an upstairs attic area, along with additional marijuana paraphernalia found near a gun safe. In the wooded area surrounding the residence where Burris had initially fled to prior to his arrest the previous evening, officers discovered a black cylindrical container and a blue five-gallon bucket with a lid. Inside the bucket, officers found four homemade silencers with mounting hardware/adapters. Inside the cylindrical container, officers discovered a Cobray/Street Sweeper, 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun; an RPB Industries, Model M-10, 9-millimeter pistol with a partially obliterated serial number; a German MP40, 9-milliter machinegun, three firearm trigger assemblies and marijuana paraphernalia.
Fourteen of the approximately 70 firearms seized from the Burris property were required to be registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. None of the 14 were.
C. Haley Bunn and R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution. United States District Court Judge Irene C. Berger handed down the sentence.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Dallas Attorney Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Role in $26 Million Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Tshombe Anderson, 55, of Grand Prairie, Texas, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn to 120 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $26,572,458.93 in restitution for his role in a scheme he ran along with his family members from July 2011 to September 2015 to fraudulently obtain more than $26 million from the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Worker’s Compensation Program (OWCP), announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Anderson pleaded guilty in August 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Anderson agreed to forfeit $375,000 seized from his residence, a 2015 Mercedes, and his share of the $8,383,075 that was seized from 25 bank accounts. Anderson has been in custody since the time of his arrest in August 2015.
In addition to Anderson, his sister Lydia Bankhead, 63, his wife Brenda Anderson, 47, and his niece Lydia Taylor, 30, were also charged in the indictment returned in September 2015 and pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme.
“Tshombe Anderson and others conspired to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) of more than $26 million. Anderson stole patient information from over 200 injured federal workers and then used the information to fraudulently bill OWCP, enriching himself and others with taxpayer dollars intended for the treatment of injured federal workers. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard all Department of Labor programs,” said Steven Grell, Special Agent in-Charge of the Dallas Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“The sentence imposed today reaffirms the long-standing message that fraud committed against federal benefit programs is a serious crime and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Christopher Cave, Southern Area Field Office. “The USPS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who engages in these criminal activities.”
According to plea documents in the case, Tshombe Anderson worked as an attorney for Union Treatment Centers (“UTC”). Anderson and his wife, Brenda Anderson, opened a durable medical equipment company called Best First Administration (“BFA”). BFA was formed, initially, to provide durable medical equipment to patients referred to BFA from UTC. In July 2011, Tshombe Anderson and Brenda Anderson disassociated from UTC.
In April 2013, Tshombe Anderson agreed with Bankhead to open Union Medical Supplies and Equipment (“UMSE”). In August 2013, Tshombe Anderson opened Skycare Medical Supplies and Equipment (“SMSE”). Both companies were created in order to submit claims that were inappropriate to OWCP. The same medical information that BFA had received from UTC was used and billed to the same universe of claimants for duplicate, unwanted durable medical equipment that was not medically necessary, using outdated medical information. Tshombe Anderson continued to do so despite knowing that they were billing OWCP for items that were not associated with the claimant’s injuries and that claimants were often refusing or rejecting the durable medical equipment for which their company had billed.
Tshombe Anderson had access to the operating accounts for UMSE and routinely transferred large sums of cash from those accounts for his personal use or to launder through business accounts for a shell company called American Federal Union Claims Advocates, as well as accounts associated with his law office.
The total amount paid to OWCP for UMSE and SMSE was $26,572,458.93.
The DOL Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Dana and P.J. Meitl prosecuted.
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Couple Who Produced Child Pornography Get Decades in PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Sherri Smith and Joseph Williams were sentenced to 60 years and 80 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in exploiting multiple children to produce child pornography.
Smith, 48, of Osceola, Indiana, and Williams, 53, of Watervliet, were in a dating relationship and sexually exploited six children in their care and custody to produce multiple images of child pornography. The victims ranged in age from six months to fourteen years. Williams shared some of the images with an undercover police officer in Cincinnati via an encrypted messaging application, which led to their investigation and prosecution. Smith pleaded guilty on October 17, 2017 to two counts of production of child pornography. Williams pleaded guilty on December 7, 2017 to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
The government noted at sentencing that the behavior was depraved and represented ongoing, systemic, and horrific abuse of multiple children. Williams’s residence was, as Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jonker agreed, a "child pornography house of horrors." In sentencing the defendants, Judge Jonker noted that this case was "truly, if not the worst, then one of the two or three worst cases" he had seen and described the images Smith and Williams produced as disgusting and difficult to view.
U.S. Attorney Birge stated, "This prosecution and sentence demonstrates that this kind of depravity will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. My office will not tolerate the abuse and exploitation of children."
"The significance of these sentences underscores the importance of keeping innocent children safe from predators. It is our hope that each of the victims in this case can gain a sense of closure and begin the healing process," said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit FBI. "The FBI is committed to the arrest and prosecution of anyone who engages in such horrific behavior that endangers some of the most vulnerable members of our society."
This case was investigated by FBI offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, St. Joseph, Michigan, and South Bend, Indiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis M. Sanford prosecuted the case and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana assisted in the investigation.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Arvester Lamonica Anderson (47, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. Anderson pleaded guilty on February 1, 2018.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2017, Anderson and his roommate became involved in an altercation and the roommate, believing that Anderson had threatened him with a firearm, called the police. Officers from the Tampa Police Department responded and found a loaded pistol in Anderson’s closet. Anderson subsequently admitted to possessing the firearm. Due to his several prior felony convictions, Anderson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Chinese National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Chinese national was charged today in federal court in Boston with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Chun Lin Zhang, 41, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
According to court documents, Zhang was previously deported on July 17, 1999. Law enforcement officers discovered Zhang on Jan. 29, 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 two years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Zhang will be subject to deportation 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.
Charleston Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston felon who possessed a firearm in August 2017 was sentenced yesterday to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Vincent Deward Beatty, 40, previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
“As part of our ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime in our communities, my office is working with ATF and other law enforcement partners, to aggressively prosecute convicted felons that possess firearms,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “I strongly support the Second Amendment but convicted felons have forfeited the right to bear arms.”
On August 7, 2017, Beatty sold a Smith & Wesson .22 caliber pistol to an MDENT confidential informant for $200. Beatty admitted at his plea hearing that he had the gun in his possession at the time of the sale. Beatty is prohibited from possessing any firearms under federal law because of a 2007 felony conviction for aggravated assault in Union County, New Jersey.
Assistant United States Attorney Matt Davis was in charge of the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin, handed down the sentence.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Cape Cod Woman Charged with Mail FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cape Cod woman was indicted today in federal court in Boston in connection with a fraudulent lottery scheme.
Ashley Barrett, 25, of Hyannis, was indicted on seven counts of mail fraud. On March 29, 2018, Barrett was arrested and was released from custody on conditions.
According to the indictment, between September 2012 and January 2016, Barrett and others devised a scheme to defraud victims across the country by falsely representing to them that they had won millions of dollars in a lottery, and that, in order to receive their winnings, they had to pay a fee. The victims were directed to make payments to specific addresses. Between May and July 2015, one victim mailed Barrett seven checks totaling $23,600.
In March 2018, co-conspirator Peter Anthony Chin Jr. was indicted in connection with his role in the scheme.
The charging statute for mail fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Raymond Moss, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the 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.
California and Ohio Residents Sentenced to More than 5 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Residents of California and Ohio were sentenced to more than five years in federal prison today for trafficking more than fifteen kilograms of methamphetamine into Florida.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office; and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.
Ricardo Zavala, 24, of California, and Jeffery Clevenger, 65, of Ohio, were each sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, by Senior United States District Judge William J. Zloch. Previously, Zavala and Clevenger each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation to Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(b)(1)(A).
According to the court record, including information presented at the sentencing hearing, Zavala and Clevenger arranged to travel to the Southern District of Florida from California to sell more than fifteen kilograms of methamphetamine. The defendants traveled by car to a Broward County hotel with the methamphetamine, on November 20, 2017. The defendants subsequently transported the narcotics and were taken into custody.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and BSO. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz.
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.
California Man Sentenced on Sex and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that on April 18, 2018, Chief United States District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Montay Maurice Knight, a/k/a Fresh, age 35, of Indio, CA, to 6 years and 7 months in a federal prison, to be followed by five years supervised release, on charges of Transportation for Illegal Sexual Activity and Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Knight was further ordered to pay $200 in special assessments to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
This case came to the attention of law enforcement on March 4, 2017, when the Bismarck Police Department responded to the My Place hotel when, an adult female, called 911 and reported that her boyfriend, Montay Knight, had hit, choked and threatened to kill her. The victim said that approximately three months into her relationship with Knight, Knight began asking her for money that she earned by engaging in commercial sex acts after she met him. The victim further stated she had been “working” for Knight in California by engaging in commercial sex acts. All the money she earned from the commercial sex acts went to Knight. The victim reported there had been previous assaultive behavior by Knight. The victim said Knight traveled to North Dakota about four (4) or five (5) weeks before the beginning of March 2017, for the purpose of selling drugs. Knight then directed her to put an advertisement on Backpage.com for Bismarck, ND, to see what type of response the advertisement would receive. Because of the number of responses to the victim’s Backpage.com advertisement, Knight instructed the victim to come to Bismarck, ND.
Upon arrival to North Dakota in February 2017, the victim engaged in commercial sex acts and turned over all her earnings to Knight. Knight was arrested for aggravated assault and during the search of Knight, incident to his arrest, Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000) in cash was found and seized.
This case was investigated by the Bismarck Police Department, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.Special Assistant United States Attorney Dawn M. Deitz prosecuted the case.
California Man Found Guilty of Kidnapping Lyft DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shane Browne, 27, formerly of Beverly Hills, Calif., has been found guilty by a jury of federal kidnapping and narcotics charges stemming from an incident last December in which he ordered a Lyft driver at gunpoint to drive him more than 70 miles from Maryland to an apartment building in Washington, D.C.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Browne was found guilty on April 18, 2018 of charges of kidnapping and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The verdict followed a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Trevor N. McFadden scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2018. The charges carry a total statutory maximum of 25 years in prison. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Browne could face a possible range of 10 to 12 ½ years of incarceration.
At trial, the government’s evidence showed that on Dec. 11, 2017, Browne requested a ride using the Lyft smartphone application and ride-sharing service. The Lyft driver picked Browne up at approximately 3:20 p.m. at the Calvert House Apartments, in the 2400 block of Calvert Street NW. The driver drove Browne 72 miles to a Red Roof Inn in Aberdeen, Md.
After arriving in Aberdeen at approximately 5:20 p.m., the two parted ways at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant, with the Lyft driver having grown suspicious of Browne and indicating that he would not provide a round trip. Within approximately 30 minutes, Browne returned to the Lyft vehicle with a suitcase that he did not have at the start of the trip. Browne placed the suitcase in the trunk, and requested a return trip, which the driver refused to provide.
Ultimately, Browne entered the Lyft vehicle and yet again requested a return trip, which the driver once again refused to provide. At this point, according to the government’s evidence, Browne took out a firearm, held it to the driver’s head, and ordered him to drive them back to the Calvert House Apartments. The driver then drove Browne and his suitcase to the Calvert House Apartments. Along the way, and as confirmed by Lyft business records, the driver managed to send an e-mail to Lyft that read, “Call the police I’m on [sic] trouble.”
At about 7:30 p.m., they arrived at the apartment building. Browne exited the vehicle and took his suitcase and entered the building. The driver, meanwhile, contacted OnStar and was subsequently referred to 911. MPD officers responded to the area at approximately 8:05 p.m. The officers monitored the building and ultimately detained Browne as he left a unit.
The following day, a search warrant was executed at the apartment, and law enforcement recovered approximately 78 pounds of marijuana in suitcases similar to the one that Browne had placed in the Lyft driver’s car, approximately $35,000 in cash, a cash-counting machine and other items. No firearm was recovered in the search.
Browne has been in custody since his arrest on Dec. 11, 2017.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director McNamara, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes MPD detectives, and the MPD officers who responded to the scene. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, the FBI’s Baltimore Division, the FBI Operational Technology Division, and the Harford County, Md. Sheriff’s Department.
They also commended the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Brown; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Tobin; Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Jeanette Litz, Catherine O’Neal, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Mary Downing; Legal Assistants Latoya Wade, Peter Gaboton, and Katie Cowley; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Criminal Investigator John Marsh; Sarah McClellan, Chief of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit, and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Vanore and Stephen J. Gripkey, who indicted and tried the case.
Calera Woman Sentenced to 6 Months, $70,000 Restitution for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Regina Lynn Trent, age 46, of Calera, Oklahoma was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment, 6 months home detention, and 3 years supervised release for three counts of Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The defendant was also ordered to pay $70,328.72 in restitution and the court entered an order imposing a money judgment in the amount of $70,328.72.
The Information alleged that on three separate occasions in 2015, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant unlawfully and for the purpose of executing a fraudulent scheme, caused to be transmitted by means of wire communication in interstate commerce writings, signs, signals, pictures, and sounds, ACH debits in various amounts, paid from Parity Trucking Company’s First Texoma National Bank checking account ending in xxx0886 and transferred to Comdata’s bank account ending in xxx1506 at Regions Bank in Nashville, Tennessee.
“The defendant’s fraudulent scheme deprived a small business owner of a significant amount of money,” said United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester. “Because of the hard work of the FBI and members of this office, the defendant’s crimes were thoroughly investigated, she was prosecuted, and will be held accountable. This office will make every effort to ensure that the defendant pays the restitution the Court has ordered to make the victim whole.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the non-paroleable sentence will be served.
Buffalo Man Sentenced on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Antoine Edwards, 42, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced to 66 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who handled the case, stated that on July 9, 2016, Buffalo Police Officers responded to a shots fired call in Buffalo. A female caller reported that a male fired a gun into the air and then fled. When officers arrived at the scene, the caller identified the shooter as the defendant and gave the officers his address, and a description of his vehicle, as well as a physical description. The woman stated that she and Edwards were arguing when he fired shots in the air.
Later that night, officers saw the defendant’s car and performed an investigative stop. As they approached the vehicle, officers saw three open liquor bottles in the center console, a cup and a black Taser box. Officers asked the defendant if he had any weapons in the car and the defendant responded that he had a Taser. Edwards was removed from the car and the Taser was taken away.
A drawstring bag on the driver’s seat contained a loaded gun, powder cocaine, and a scale containing white residue.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Rashawn Brown, 31, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, crack cocaine and fentanyl. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $20,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that on four occasions between March 31, 2017, and April 24, 2017, the defendant sold crack cocaine to an undercover officer working with the Lackawanna Police Department. On one occasion, Brown also sold both fentanyl and crack cocaine to the undercover officer.
The defendant was previously convicted in September 2012 in Erie County Court of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, a felony.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, and the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Michel.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 1, 2018, before Judge Arcara.
Bristol Woman Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Medicaid ProgramRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Chief State’s Attorney Kevin T. Kane announced that RONNETTE BROWN, 45, of Bristol, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for defrauding Connecticut’s Medicaid program.
On May 26, 2017, a jury found Brown guilty of 23 counts of health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to the evidence at trial, Brown owned and operated WeMPACT, LLC, a social services business with offices in Bristol and Torrington. Between August 2010 and April 2014, Brown billed Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were not performed. In addition to that scheme, Brown separately conspired with Beverly Coker and another unnamed individual to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that represented Coker had performed the services when, in fact, the services were provided by unlicensed individuals, or were not provided at all.
According to court documents and statements made in earlier court proceedings, Coker, a licensed clinical social worker, owned and operated New Beginnings Family Center, LLC, in Hartford. On April 8, 2016, Coker, of Windsor, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, admitting that between October 2010 and November 2011, she engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicaid by permitting Brown and another individual to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services using Coker’s Medicaid provider number. The services were either performed by unlicensed individuals or not performed at all. Under the scheme, Coker kept 30 percent of the proceeds, and paid the remaining 70 percent to Brown and the other individual. As part of her plea, Coker admitted to defrauding Medicaid of approximately $214,555 through the scheme.
Judge Bolden ordered Brown to pay restitution in the amount of $2,033,962.
Brown has been released on a $100,000 bond since her arrest on May 23, 2016. Judge Bolden order her to report to prison on May 31, 2018.
Coker awaits sentencing. Three other individuals were charged and convicted of health care fraud offenses stemming from this investigation.
This matter has been jointly investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office. U.S. Attorney Durham also thanked the Connecticut Department of Social Services for their role in identifying the fraudulent scheme and supporting the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and Attorney General’s Office meet regularly as part of The Medicaid Fraud Working Group. The Working Group also includes representatives from the Connecticut Department of Social Services; the Connecticut Department of Public Health; the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the FBI. The Working Group reviews pending issues and cases, identifies trends that might indicate fraudulent activity, and coordinates efforts for maximum results.
This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Sheldon and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Brazilian Couple Indicted in ATM Skimming SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian couple was indicted in federal court in Boston in connection with an ATM skimming operation.
Alexandre Kawamura, 42, was indicted today on two counts of using a counterfeit access device, four counts of possessing device-making equipment, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. On April 12, Karem Kawamura, 25, was indicted on one count of aiding and abetting the use of a counterfeit access device. The Kawamuras were charged by complaint on March 30, 2018, and are both currently in custody.
According to the complaint affidavits, the ATM skimming equipment consisted of devices attached to ATM card slots that recorded bank account information on the magnetic strips of debit cards that unwitting victims inserted into ATMs, combined with pinhole cameras that captured the victims entering their PINs on ATM keypads. Alexandre Kawamura was caught on ATM security video placing and removing skimming devices on drive-up ATMs at Eastern Bank branches in Saugus, Stoneham, and Medford between Feb. 24 and March 16, 2018. On two occasions, when he drove up to the ATMs to check on the devices, Karen Kawamura was in the car.
On March 16, 2018, a bank customer called local police to report that he had found and removed a skimming device from the drive-up ATM at the Eastern Bank branch in Stoneham. Police responded and discovered that the pinhole camera was still attached to the ATM. They set up surveillance while bank security personnel monitored the ATM’s security video, and shortly before 11 pm, Alexandre Kawamura drove up to the ATM in a rental car, looked around for the skimming device, never inserted a card into the machine, and then drove off. Stoneham Police stopped Alexandre Kawamura’s car shortly thereafter. Mr. Kawamura had a Brazilian passport in his true name, but had rented the vehicle under an alias.
The same alias was embossed on a credit card in Alexandre Kawamura’s possession when he was arrested, but the bank account information contained in the magnetic strip of the card belonged to a bank customer whose debit card had been compromised at one of the Eastern Bank ATMs the day before. Eastern Bank records showed that, on the day of Mr. Kawamura’s arrest, purchases were made on the bank customer’s account at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Medford. The store’s security camera recorded the defendants shopping at that store during the time when the bank customer’s account was used to buy a shirt, jacket, and hat.
After Mr. Kawamura was arrested, federal agents located Ms. Kawamura at an Extended Stay America in Woburn. On March 30, agents executed a search warrant for the room used by Ms. Kawamura and found the shirt, jacket, and hat that had been purchased at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
The charge of using a counterfeit access device provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of device-making equipment provides for a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, to run concurrently with any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aiding and abetting the use of a counterfeit access device provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; Medford Police Chief Leo Sacco; Milton Police Chief John E. King; Saugus Police Chief Domenic J. DiMella; Stoneham Police Chief James T. McIntyre; and Woburn Police Chief Robert J. Ferullo Jr. made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictments are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bradenton Man Sentenced for Trafficking CarfentanilRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Kevon Melendez (22, Bradenton) to five years and three months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute carfentanil and cocaine. He pleaded guilty on January 12, 2018.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2017, law enforcement officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office were searching for a fugitive when they observed the fugitive riding in the backseat of a car Melendez was driving. As the officers approached the vehicle, they smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the car. The officers observed Melendez with a scale between his legs. As an officer was removing Melendez from the car, he observed Melendez drop a plastic bag containing several substances. Those substances later tested positive for cocaine (27.99 grams) and carfentanil (approximately 11 grams). Melendez also had $580 on his person.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed “Hot Batch.” The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Boston Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for failing to register as a sex offender.
Rodney Anderson, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to a year and a day in prison and five years of supervised release. In December 2017, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender.
Anderson is required to register as a sex offender in Massachusetts based on a North Carolina state court conviction for second degree rape in 1986. According to court documents, shortly following his release from custody in 2014 for his 1986 conviction, Anderson left North Carolina for Massachusetts. When he arrived, he failed to report to authorities, but was tracked to a residence in Boston.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; U.S. Marshal John Gibbons of the District of Massachusetts; and Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Lelling’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Boston Man Charged with Selling Crack Cocaine on the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Campus in BedfordRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was charged today in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to distribute crack cocaine on the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center campus in Bedford.
Demone Coleman, 39, was indicted on four counts of distributing cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine. In October 2017, Coleman and two others, Michael Sexton and Austin Wilkerson, were charged in a criminal complaint. Coleman was arrested in December 2017 and has been held in custody since.
According to court documents, in January 2017, a cooperating witness reported to law enforcement that Coleman was selling crack cocaine to an individual residing at the VA Medical Center. On four occasions in 2017 Coleman provided crack cocaine to his contact at the VA, who then sold it to the cooperating witness on the VA Medical Center campus in Bedford.
Coleman faces a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Sean Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Albert Angelucci, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Shawn Kelly, Chief of Police of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service, Bedford VA Medical Center, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bank Robber SentencedRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CASEY JOHNSON, age 27, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to one count of Bank Robbery with a Firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2113(a) and (d) and 2. The defendant admitted to his participation in the December 2014 robbery of a J.P. Morgan Chase drive-up location in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced JOHNSON to six years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Following the completion of his sentence, JOHNSON will be on supervised release for a period of three years.
The U.S. Attorney Evans wishes to thank the hard work of the FBI’s Violent Crime Unit in investigating this matter. The case was handled by prosecutors Myles Ranier and David Haller.
Baltimore City Man Indicted for Possessing A Firearm That Discharged and Injured A Baltimore City Police OfficerRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Allen Johnson, age 35, of Baltimore City, Maryland, on charges relating to his possession of a firearm that discharged while Baltimore City Police Officers were placing him into custody. Johnson was prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time because he had sustained at least one previous felony conviction. The indictment charges Johnson with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) - Baltimore Field Division; and Commissioner Darryl D. De Sousa of the Baltimore City Police Department.
On November 29, 2017, officers of the Baltimore City Police Department received information that Johnson was in the 800 block of Bridgeview Avenue in Baltimore City and was armed with a firearm hidden in his waistband. Police officers responded to the 800 block of Bridgeview Avenue and observed Johnson. Officers approached Johnson and asked him if he was in possession of a firearm. Johnson then turned away from the officers and reached for his waistband. One of the officers grabbed Johnson from behind as Johnson continued to reach for his waistband. The police officer wrestled Johnson to the ground and, during the struggle, the firearm that was in Johnson’s possession discharged, striking the police officer in his right hand. Other officers were able to utilize Taser devices to subdue Johnson and place him under arrest. Subsequent to his arrest, Johnson was searched and police officers retrieved numerous vials of narcotics. The injured police officer was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the ATF and Baltimore City Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys John W. Sippel, Jr. and Patricia C. McLane, who are prosecuting this case.
Anchorage Woman, Inmate Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl in PrisonRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that an Anchorage woman, who is an inmate at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center (HMCC), pleaded guilty yesterday to distributing fentanyl to other inmates while in prison.
Dorothy Elizabeth Lantz, 36, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline to an indictment alleging three counts of distribution of a controlled substance. The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 9, 2018, at 11:00 a.m.
According to court documents, on October 30, 2017, Lantz, an inmate of the Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC), was transferred from Anchorage Correctional Complex to HMCC, while carrying fentanyl inside her body. When she arrived at HMCC that afternoon, Lantz distributed a quantity of fentanyl to another HMCC inmate, and distributed a quantity of fentanyl to two other HMCC inmates the next day, October 31, 2017. In all, between October 30 and October 31, 2017, four HMCC inmates collapsed after taking fentanyl, and one of those inmates collapsed two separate times during that time period. All four inmates were resuscitated and survived. DOC personnel were able to recover .38 grams of fentanyl from one of the HMCC inmates who overdosed after taking fentanyl. The investigation revealed that Lantz had traded the drugs to her fellow HMCC inmates in exchange for commissary items.
The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million, or both, on the charges. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted the investigation, with assistance from DOC’s Professional Conduct Unit, which led to the charges in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea W. Hattan.
Amherst Man Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Umar Adeyola, 48, of Amherst, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O’Donnell, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant founded, organized, and managed the HEART Foundation, a not-for-profit organization intended to assist area youths, and Heart Community Alliance (“HCA”), a related for-profit organization, intended to provide clinical services, such as counseling and psychotherapy, to youths. Through his role with those organizations, Adeyola engaged in two major fraud schemes.
The first scheme involved attempts by the defendant, on behalf of HCA, to defraud private insurance companies Blue Cross Blue Shield, Independent Health, and Univera. Adeyola arranged for the submission of false and fraudulent bills for office visits using the names and/or provider numbers of healthcare providers who had not actually rendered the services claimed. The bills falsely represented that the services had been rendered by properly licensed and credentialed social workers when, in fact, the services had actually been provided by other individuals, including interns. The scheme included the submission to the same insurance companies of bills for services which purported to have been rendered by a social worker who was actually hospitalized and/or deceased on the dates of service claimed.
In addition, Adeyola falsified documents in response to an audit of HCA by Independent Health. During the course of the audit, the defendant made materially false statements to representatives of Independent Health, with respect to the deceased social worker who he claimed had rendered services at HCA.
The second scheme involved Adeyola’s theft of government funds in the form a federally funded grant received by the Heart Foundation. Specifically, in April 2013, the Heart Foundation was selected to be a recipient of a Department of Labor grant, administered by the Latino Coalition, an entity in California. Adeyola submitted in excess of 30 false and fraudulent reimbursement requests for grant funds, resulting in payment of approximately $135,000 to the Heart Foundation.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, under the direction of Peter Nozka, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Region; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Lyons; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott Lampert.Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2018, before Judge Vilardo.
Akron Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lonnie Brown, 47, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, announced United States Attorney Michael B. Stuart. He was caught with a firearm in September 2016 and selling fentanyl in February 2017. Stuart praised the investigative efforts of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department STOP Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
“Felons, guns and drugs do not mix,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Guys like Brown are a danger to the safety of our citizens and law enforcement officers and should be locked up.”
On September 26, 2016, officers with the Charleston Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a Honda Accord in Charleston. Brown fled the vehicle on foot. During the search of the vehicle, officers located a Glock, Model 27, caliber .40 semi-automatic pistol in the floorboard where Brown had been sitting. Brown was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because he had been convicted in 2015 in Montgomery County, Ohio for possession of heroin.
On February 15, 2017, agents with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team used a confidential informant to make a controlled buy of heroin from the defendant. The buy occurred at 602 Randolph Street, Apartment B, in Charleston. The defendant provided the informant with suspected heroin. The substance tested positive for fentanyl.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
The drug prosecution is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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.
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Ahoskie Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison in Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today, RASHEM SANTA PERRY, 26, of Ahoskie was sentenced in United States District Court today. The charges stem from a search of the defendant’s residence on May 5, 2017.
Chief U.S. District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced PERRY to 120 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. PERRY has been validated as a high-ranking member of the United Blood Nation street gang. On May 4, 2017, Ahoskie Police Department Officers used a confidential informant to purchase marijuana from another individual from PERRY’s residence. The informant was also able to purchase a stolen .22 rifle. The following day, May 5, 2017, officers from the Ahoskie Police Department and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant at PERRY’S residence. The officers found PERRY running from a rear bedroom. In a closet in that bedroom was an AR-15 rifle and a partially loaded 30-round AR-15 magazine. A .40 caliber handgun was also seized from the residence. The rifle had been reported stolen in Ahoskie on April 29, 2017. The .40 caliber handgun was one of approximately 30 handguns stolen during the burglary of TAMZ Guns in Ahoskie on April 15, 2017. Subsequent to PERRY’S arrest, he attempted to obstruct the investigation by directing other gang members to have a 14-year-old boy take responsibility for the firearms.
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.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Ahoskie Police Department, the Down East Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney John Bennett is prosecuting the case.
Additional Charges Filed Against Alaska Woman Who Allegedly Defrauded Medical Practice of at Least $550,000Read the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that additional bank fraud charges have been filed against an Alaska woman who allegedly defrauded an Anchorage medical practice of at least $550,000.
Jill Diane Applebury, aka: “Jill Wetzsteon,” 53, d/b/a Applebury Accounting Services, and her husband Darin Wade Applebury, 53, both of Anchorage, have been named in a 53-count superseding indictment charging them with bank fraud, wire fraud, fraudulent transactions with an access device, and aggravated identity theft. The superseding indictment includes an additional 14 counts of bank fraud against Jill Applebury, which arose from a related scheme.
From the mid-1990’s until March 2013, Jill Applebury was the independent contractor bookkeeper for an Anchorage medical practice, which was owned and operated by an Anchorage physician. The superseding indictment alleges that from at least 2004 until March 22, 2013, Jill Applebury and Darin Applebury defrauded the Anchorage medical practice in several ways.
According to the superseding indictment, the additional bank fraud charges stem from May 2008 to January 2010, when Jill Applebury used the medical practice’s funds to pay her independent contractor Federal Income Tax Withholding on her nonemployee compensation without authority. Therein, Jill Applebury executed unauthorized and fraudulent transactions from the medical practice’s business bank account to the IRS, wherein the medical practice paid her IRS individual income tax without any reduction in her nonemployee compensation without the knowledge or consent of the medical practice.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Retta-Rae Randall and Andrea W. Hattan.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
6 Ohio Men Charged with Conspiring to Bring Drugs into PrisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has charged six individuals in a narcotics conspiracy involving the alleged smuggling of narcotics into an Ohio prison.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Warren County Sheriff Larry L. Sims announced the charges.
Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute narcotics, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Those charged include:
Name
Age
Residence
Joseph Brodbeck
59
Columbus
Alton Herron
46
Dayton
Gerry Branner
27
Cincinnati
William A. Lowery
30
London Correctional Institution
Daviontae Norvell
26
Dayton
Rodney J. Herron
27
Dayton
According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute Suboxone, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana inside London Correctional Institute.
Brodbeck was a contract employee of the prison’s food service company and worked in the prison kitchen. He allegedly smuggled narcotics in to inmates after purchasing the narcotics in various cities in Southern Ohio, including Middletown, Dayton and Springfield. Brodbeck’s co-defendants were each inmates of the facility at one point and allegedly paid Brodbeck for the narcotics.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy, who is prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
5 Members of Slip-And-Fall Scheme Charged with Defrauding New York City-Area Businesses and Their Insurance Companies of More Than $31.7 MillionRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging PETER KALKANIS, BRYAN DUNCAN, KERRY GORDON, ROBERT LOCUST, and RYAN RAINFORD with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain fraudulent insurance reimbursement and other compensation for fraudulent slip-and-fall accidents. The Indictment also charges PETER KALKANIS with one count of aggravated identity theft. The five defendants were arrested earlier this morning and will be presented today before United States Magistrate Stewart D. Aaron in Manhattan federal court. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants employed one of the oldest plays in the fraudster handbook – the fake slip-and-fall routine – to develop a network of ‘fall victims’ to obtain an astonishing $31 million in fraudulent insurance and compensation payouts. Allegedly, some of the ‘victims’ went as far as having unnecessary surgery to increase the likelihood of a higher settlement. Today, however, these defendants’ fraud careers are over, and they will be forced to answer for their alleged crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The intentional misrepresentation of an accidental slip and fall, and the subsequent defrauding of businesses and insurance companies, is a reprehensible crime in and of itself. But perhaps the most shocking allegation revealed today is the fact that additional incentives were offered for participants to undergo surgery in order to receive payment for their involvement. One thing is for sure – the alleged activity carried out by Kalkanis and his co-conspirators was no accident, and neither are our charges today.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Since 2013, the defendants have been engaged in a widespread fraud scheme through which the defendants defrauded businesses and insurance companies by staging slip-and-fall accidents and filing fraudulent lawsuits arising from those staged slip-and-fall accidents. The fraud scheme participants recruited individuals to stage slip-and-fall accidents at particular locations throughout New York City and to claim that they injured themselves as a result of their accidents. The recruited patients were directed to claim that they had injured themselves and to seek medical treatment.
After the staged slip-and-fall accidents, recruited patients were referred to specific attorneys who would file lawsuits against the owners of the accident sites and/or insurance companies of the owners of the accident sites (the “Victims”). The lawsuits did not disclose that the recruited patients had deliberately fallen at the accident sites or, in some cases, had not fallen at all. During the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants, together with others known and unknown, attempted to defraud the Victims of at least $31,791,000.
The recruited patients were also instructed to receive ongoing chiropractic and medical treatment from certain chiropractors and doctors. The fraud scheme participants advised the recruited patients that if they intended to continue with their lawsuits, they were required to undergo surgery. As an incentive to getting surgery, the recruited patients were offered a payment after they completed surgery as well as a percentage of any settlement payment from their lawsuit.
KALKANIS, a former chiropractor, was the organizer and leader of the scheme. As alleged in the indictment, KALKANIS paid his co-defendants to recruit patients into the scheme and transport the patients to medical and attorney appointments. KALKANIS also organized the recruited patients’ legal and medical appointments, and assisted in procuring the funding for the recruited patients’ medical treatment and lawsuits.
DUNCAN, GORDON, LOCUST, and RAINFORD helped recruit patients into the fraud scheme, transported patients to medical and legal appointments, identified potential accident sites, and coached recruited patients on faking their injuries.
* * *
KALKANIS, 70, Queens, New York, DUNCAN, 30, Queens, New York, GORDON, 34, Queens, New York, LOCUST, 52, Brooklyn, New York, and RAINFORD, 28, Queens, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. KALKANIS is also charged with one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a two year mandatory prison sentence. The maximum potential sentences and minimum sentence in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. Mr. Berman also thanked the National Insurance Crime Bureau for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas Folly, Alexandra Rothman, and Nicholas Chiuchiolo are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment and Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
35 Pounds of Suspected Methamphetamine Seized in Albany CountyRead the Press Release
On Friday, April 13, 2018, law enforcement in Albany County, Wyoming was conducting drug interdiction. As a result, police identified a vehicle they suspected contained controlled substances. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle that resulted in the location and seizure of approximately 35 pounds of suspected methamphetamine; one kilogram of suspected heroin and one kilogram of suspected fentanyl. This case remains under investigation.
15th Annual Project Sentry Logo/Meme Contest Winners AnnouncedRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today the winners of the United States Attorney’s Office 15th Annual Project Sentry Logo/Meme Contest. The winners are from the following schools:
K-2nd grade division winner: Samantha Bitts (Grade 2), Ocean Drive Elementary School, N. Myrtle Beach, SC
3rd-5th grade division winner: Ayden Downey (Grade 3), Ocean Drive Elementary School, N. Myrtle Beach, SC
6th-8th grade division winner: Alexia Hernandez (Grade 6), Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science, Winnsboro, SC
9th-12th grade division: Nia Lott (Grade 11), Strom Thurmond High School, Johnston, SC
Overall winner: Alexia Hernandez (Grade 6), Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science, Winnsboro, SC
Honorable mentions:
Nacyjai McKensey (Grade 6), St. James- Sumter Elementary and Middle School, McClellanville, SC
Emily Ulmer (Grade 7), Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School, Bamberg, SC
Samone Stevens (Grade 12), Strom Thurmond High School, Johnston, SC
Tamara Pendarvis (Grade 12), Garrett Academy of Technology, N. Charleston, SC
The winners were chosen from 104 entries from eight schools across South Carolina. Each division winner will receive a $50.00 award, with the overall winner receiving an additional $50.00 award. The winners will receive their awards during upcoming school award ceremonies. All of the students who participated will receive a Certificate of Appreciation for logo/meme submissions.
The statewide contest fosters an opportunity for South Carolina students to tell the entire state how they prevent gun violence in their school and focuses on deterrence of juvenile gun violence and ensuring secure school environments. The contest was open to students in all South Carolina schools.
The winning entries were selected by “The Insiders,” a select group of students from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, who travel throughout the state, encouraging troubled children and promoting community awareness of the prevalence and consequences of juvenile crime. The U.S. Attorney's Office coordinated with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association Foundation (SCLEOA) to provide the cash awards to the winners.
Project Sentry, which is part of the district’s Project Safe Neighborhoods/Project CeaseFire program, is a vital step in strengthening our ability to prevent gun crimes among our young people and to ensure a safe learning atmosphere for our children. For more information on the Project Sentry program and to view this year’s winning submissions (also attached) as well as winning logos over the years, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/sc/programs/logowinners.html
U.S. Attorney Beth Drake commended the students and their engagement on helping foster this very important dialogue. "Thanks to all of the students who participated and congratulations to our winners! The students demonstrated some real wisdom we can all learn from."
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samantha_bitts_k-2_winner.pdf ayden_downey_3-5_winner.pdf nia_lott_9-12_winner.pdf alexia_hernandez_overall_winner.pdf13 Members and Associates of A Transnational Criminal Organization Charged in Federal Court with Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Richard Conway, Chief of the Port Chester Police Department, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ, JOHNNY FERNANDEZ, JESUS GONZALEZ, JUAN HERNANDEZ, JUAN PABLO RENDON-INZUNZA, NICOLE MAISONET, GABRIEL ORTIZ, a/k/a “Bebe,” MARIA ROLON, EDGARDO RUIZ, a/k/a “Roro,” HECTOR SANCHEZ, a/k/a “Tito,” GILBERT TORRES, FABIOLA VEGA, and JOHN VIEIRA, a/k/a “John-John,” with firearms and narcotics offenses. The defendants have been charged as a result of their membership and participation in a transnational criminal organization that trafficked in firearms and narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine. Nine defendants were arrested or taken into federal custody on these charges today in various locations throughout the United States, namely Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. ORTIZ, who is in custody on state charges in Rochester, New York, will be transferred to federal custody as soon as possible. ROLON, GONZALEZ, and INZUNZA have not been arrested to date.
Six of the defendants – CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ, JOHNNY FERNANDEZ, JUAN HERNANDEZ, GILBERT TORRES, FABIOLA VEGA, and JOHN VIEIRA – were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith this afternoon in White Plains federal court. Three other defendants –EDGARDO RUIZ, NICOLE MAISONET, and HECTOR SANCHEZ – will be presented today in federal courts in Maryland and Massachusetts.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants operated a nationwide drug distribution network to push heroin and methamphetamine onto U.S. streets. Thanks to the dedicated work of the FBI and Port Chester Police, these defendants are behind bars and face significant prison time for their alleged crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The members of this criminal organization created a spider web of illegal drug sales, moving their drugs from south of the border and crisscrossing the states allegedly attempting covering their tracks. These are the types of operations contributing to the deadly epidemic of overdoses in our country, indiscriminately killing people of all ages and races. The FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and our law enforcement partners have created such a vital working relationship that we are having a significant impact in stopping the flow of illegal drugs at the source.”
Port Chester Police Chief Richard Conway said: “I'm very proud our Department’s role in this investigation, which is perhaps the largest scale operation we have ever undertaken. Today’s arrests represent an example to us all of what can be accomplished when agencies work together.”
According to the Indictment[1] unsealed today in White Plains federal court:
From 2017 to 2018, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ, JOHNNY FERNANDEZ, JESUS GONZALEZ, JUAN HERNANDEZ, JUAN PABLO RENDON-INZUNZA, NICOLE MAISONET, GABRIEL ORTIZ, MARIA ROLON, EDGARDO RUIZ, HECTOR SANCHEZ, GILBERT TORRES, FABIOLA VEGA, and JOHN VIEIRA participated in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The criminal organization trafficked in both heroin and methamphetamine. As part of the criminal organization, CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ and FABIOLA VEGA possessed firearms in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking and, together with co-defendants HERNANDEZ, RUIZ, and TORRES, participated in a conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license between 2017 and 2018.
* * *
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided in the attached table for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Port Chester Police Department. Mr. Berman also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Westchester County Police Department, and the Peekskill Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Olga Zverovich and Sam Adelsberg are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States v. Cristian Fernandez, et al.
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAXIMUM PENALTIES
Count One
Narcotics Conspiracy
CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ
JOHNNY FERNANDEZ
JESUS GONZALEZ
JUAN HERNANDEZ,
JUAN PABLO RENDON-INZUNZA
NICOLE MAISONET
GABRIEL ORTIZ, a/k/a “Bebe”
MARIA ROLON
EDGARDO RUIZ, a/k/a “Roro”
HECTOR SANCHEZ, a/k/a “Tito”
GILBERT TORRES
FABIOLA VEGA
JOHN VIEIRA a/k/a “John-John”
As to defendants CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ, GONZALEZ, INZUNZA, ORTIZ, RUIZ, SANCHEZ, VEGA:
Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison
As to defendants JOHNNY FERNANDEZ, HERNANDEZ, MAISONET, ROLON, TORRES, and VIEIRA:
40 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison
Count Two
Conspiracy to Deal in Firearms without a License
CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ
JUAN HERNANDEZ
EDGARDO RUIZ, a/k/a “Roro” GILBERT TORRES
FABIOLA VEGA
Five years in prison
Count Three
Firearms Offense
FABIOLA VEGA
Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison
Count Four
Firearms Offense
CRISTIAN FERNANDEZ
Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Wednesday 18 April 2018
Waterford Man Pleads Guilty to Accessing Child Pornography Web SiteRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Napier, age 34, of Waterford, New York, pled guilty today to accessing a child pornography web site available only through an anonymous Internet network.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his plea, Napier admitted that in 2015, he accessed Playpen, an online forum through which registered users advertised, viewed and distributed child pornography. Images and videos shared through the site were highly categorized according to victim age and gender, and type of sexual activity depicted.
Before the FBI seized the Playpen web site and shut it down, it was available only through an anonymous Internet network, which allowed users to access websites including Playpen without revealing their actual Internet Protocol address, geographic location, or other identifying information. Napier admitted that he logged into Playpen in order to access its child pornography content.
Napier, who is in custody, faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy on August 16, 2018. He also faces a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
U.S. Attorney David Joseph urges parents to attend parent drug prevention event at Byrd High SchoolRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph urges parents to attend the “Let’s Talk about Prevention” program to be held Thursday, April 19, at 6 p.m. at the C. E. Byrd High School auditorium in Shreveport. Refreshments will be served beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana (CADA) and the Caddo Parish School District to present the free event. The program begins with the showing of the film “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict,” followed by a panel discussion with the U.S. Attorney’s First Assistant Alexander C. Van Hook, Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Allison Bushnell, DEA Special Agent Will Green, CADA Executive Director Bill Rose, and Child/Family Psychiatrist Dr. Pamela McPherson.
“The threat of opioids to our youth is real and growing,” Joseph stated. “I’m asking parents to attend this event so they can obtain the tools necessary to protect their children from this epidemic. It is through education, awareness, and joining with law enforcement agencies, public and private organizations, and parents that we can help prevent the loss of life associated with this poison. Even if just one life is saved because of this program, it will have been a success.”
“Fentanyl is a newer synthetic opioid painkiller that is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “Drug dealers are adding fentanyl to heroin and to pills that look like other prescription drugs such as Xanax, which too often produces deadly results. The most important thing that parents can do is talk to their children about the dangers of these drugs and look for changes in their children’s lives. Education and awareness of the problem is key. That’s why the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA have been working closely with schools in the community to spread the word about the horrific consequences of addiction.”
“We created the ‘Let's Talk’ series to mash myths about addiction and educate our community about the prevalence of use across all social-economic sectors,” said CADA Executive Director Bill Rose. “We partnered with the U.S. Attorney's Office to produce this next parent prevention series in order to educate parents about the deadly impact of fentanyl use among adolescents and to provide resources for prevention.”
Reservations are helpful but not mandatory. Free CEHs will also be offered to addiction-specific professionals. To make a reservation or for more information, call CADA at 318-222-8511, email [email protected] or visit cadanwla.org. You can also call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 318-676-3600 and ask to speak to Tanya’ Porter.
U.S. Attorney Announces Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Robert M. Duncan, Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, has announced changes to the leadership team for his Office. The changes include creating an Executive Assistant United States Attorney position, promoting a new Criminal Chief, and replacing the manager of Ft. Mitchell Branch Office.
“I believe the changes I am announcing will help the Office continue to be successful and strong,” stated U.S. Attorney Duncan. “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead such an outstanding Office, with such dedicated public servants who are committed to the mission of justice. I especially want to thank the men and women listed below who have agreed to help me serve in leadership of the Office. I am confident that the leadership team will help me execute the priorities of the Department of Justice and continue to be of service to the citizens of the Eastern District of Kentucky.”
The changes listed below became effective on April 18, 2018.
Carlton S. Shier, IV – First Assistant United States Attorney
Mr. Shier will continue to serve as the First Assistant United States Attorney. He has served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney since April of 2013 and served as the Acting U.S. Attorney from January to November of 2017. As First Assistant, Mr. Shier will continue to serve as second in command and act as United States Attorney in the absence of U.S. Attorney Duncan. In addition to his executive duties, Mr. Shier will directly supervise the Administrative Division, Civil Division, the Community Relations functions, and the Litigation Support Unit.
Effective April 27, 2018, Mr. Shier will also serve as Acting Administrative Officer, until a new Administrative Officer is selected. Rhonda Trent, the current Administrative Officer, will retire on April 27, 2018, after more than 30 years of service with the government.
Mr. Shier joined the USAO in 2010, as the Chief of the Civil Division. Prior to joining the office, he served as the Deputy General Counsel for Kentucky’s health services agency, the Cabinet of Health and Family Services. He has also served as a state court prosecutor, both with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and the Fayette County Attorney’s Office, and worked in the private practice of law in Lexington. Mr. Shier received a J.D., in 1997, and an M.S., in Justice Administration, in 1994, from the University of Louisville. He received his undergraduate degree from Centre College, in 1992.
“I am very appreciative of Carlton’s assistance to me as I have transitioned to the job of U.S. Attorney,” stated U.S. Attorney Duncan. “Carlton has provided me with good advice, which I have, and will continue to rely on. Carlton has a wealth of experience, from serving as both the First Assistant and as the Acting U.S. Attorney. He is well respected for his legal skills and good judgment, and he is also a skilled administrator. I appreciate very much his willingness to take on expanded responsibilities and for his continued service to the Office.”
Kevin C. Dicken – Executive Assistant United States Attorney
Mr. Dicken will serve as the Executive Assistant United States Attorney. As part of his executive duties, he will directly supervise the Office’s Criminal Division, Fraud Division, Appellate Division, and two Branch Offices, in Ft. Mitchell and London. Mr. Dicken will also be involved in the District’s effort to reduce violent crime through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Since 2010, Mr. Dicken has served as the Criminal Chief. Prior to becoming Criminal Chief, Mr. Dicken served as Deputy Criminal Chief, supervising narcotics and white-collar crime, from 2007 to 2010. From 1998 to 2007, Mr. Dicken served as the Lead OCDETF Attorney. He joined the Office in 1995; and from then until 1998, he worked in the Office’s General Crimes Unit.
Prior to joining the Office, Mr. Dicken served from 1987 to 1995 as a law clerk for two magistrate judges, in the Eastern District of Kentucky: the Honorable James Cook and the Honorable James Todd. Mr. Dicken graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1986 and from Alma College, in Michigan, in 1983.
“Kevin is a skilled litigator and supervisor, and a respected leader within the Office,” stated U.S. Attorney Duncan. “Kevin’s background and expertise make him especially well-suited for this new role. I have relied on his advice throughout my career, and will continue to do so. I am excited for him and our Office, and appreciate very much his willingness to continue to serve in leadership.”
Ron L. Walker Jr. – Chief of the Criminal Division
Mr. Walker will serve as the Chief of the Criminal Division. Mr. Walker has served as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) since 1999, and previously served as the Deputy Criminal Chief and Lead Attorney for the OCDETF program. He is formerly a partner in the law firm of Brooks & Fitzpatrick, practicing in the areas of education law, family law, civil rights, constitutional rights, personal injury, criminal law, probate law, and litigation. Mr. Walker served as law clerk for Hon. George E. Barker, Judge, Fayette Circuit Court from 1987-1988. He is a 1984 graduate of Furman University and he received his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law, in 1987.
“Ron is a talented and respected prosecutor, both inside and outside the Office,” stated U.S. Attorney Duncan. “He has served for several years with distinction as Deputy Criminal Chief, and I believe his transition to the role of Criminal Chief will be seamless.”
Paul McCaffrey – Chief of the Fraud Division
Mr. McCaffrey will continue to serve as Chief of the Fraud Division, a hybrid unit comprised of white-collar criminal AUSAs, Affirmative Civil Enforcement AUSAs, and associated support staff. Mr. McCaffrey joined the United States Attorney’s Office in February 2010, from private practice with an international law firm, and previously served as Deputy Chief of the Fraud Division and as Chief of the Civil Division. In 2016, Mr. McCaffrey won an EOUSA Director’s Award, for Superior Performance as a Civil AUSA, for his work on a $40.9 million False Claims Act settlement involving unnecessary cardiac stents. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and Washington University School of Law.
Christine Corndorf - Deputy Chief of the Fraud Division
Mrs. Corndorf will continue to serve as the Deputy Chief of the Fraud Division. She will also supervise the Office’s Litigation Support Unit. Mrs. Corndorf is responsible for supervising and handling affirmative civil matters, including those that arise under the False Claims Act, Controlled Substances Act, and civil rights statutes. In her role as supervisor of the Office’s Litigation Support Unit, she oversees litigation support functions and leads the effort to manage the office’s discovery workflow. Mrs. Corndorf is a member of the EOUSA eLitigation Working Group, through which she serves as a mentor to other offices across the country on eLitigation issues. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she worked in private practice at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, in New York City, and at Fultz Maddox & Dickens, in Louisville, where she handled complex commercial litigation and internal investigations. Earlier in her career, she served as a law clerk for the Hon. Faith S. Hochberg in the District of New Jersey. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Stanford Law School.
Lee Gentry - Chief of the Civil Division
Mr. Gentry will continue to serve as the Chief of the Civil Division. He has been an AUSA for 26 years and has done criminal prosecutions and defensive civil litigation, asset forfeiture, and financial litigation. Mr. Gentry previously served as the branch supervisor of the London, Kentucky office and as Chief of the Civil Division. Prior to coming to the Office, he was in private practice and served as a part-time Assistant Commonwealth Attorney. Mr. Gentry is a retired 22-year veteran of the Army National Guard, where he served as a JAG officer and on active duty during the Iraq War.
Charles P. Wisdom Jr. – Chief of the Appellate Division
Mr. Wisdom will continue to serve as the Chief of the Appellate Division. He joined our Office in 1991; and since 1998, he has supervised the Office’s appellate practice. He served on an appellate working group, under the direction of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, from 2002 to 2009 and helped develop the Department of Justice’s appellate standards for United States Attorney’s Offices. Mr. Wisdom is a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Law and a former law clerk for the late U.S. District Judge, the Hon. Charles M. Allen.
Jason Parman – Branch Manager of the London Office
Mr. Parman will continue to serve as the Branch Manager of the London Branch Office. He has been an AUSA for ten years and has served as the London branch manager since 2013. Mr. Parman graduated from Eastern Kentucky University, with a degree in police administration, and from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Prior to joining the Office, Mr. Parman worked as a criminal defense lawyer in both federal and state court, before serving as a United States Probation Officer for five years.
Elaine Leonhard – Branch Manager of the Ft. Mitchell Office
Mrs. Leonhard will serve as the new Branch Manager of the Ft. Mitchell Office. She replaces Bob McBride who recently left government service for private practice, after a thirty-year career.
Mrs. Leonhard has served as an Assistant United States Attorney since 2006, prosecuting a wide variety of criminal cases, including violent crime, drug trafficking, immigration, child pornography, and white-collar crime. Prior to joining the Office, she clerked for U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning. Mrs. Leonhard graduated from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law, where she was a member and editor of the Northern Kentucky Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, in 2001.
“I am pleased to welcome Elaine to the leadership team,” said U.S. Attorney Duncan. “Elaine has had a wide range of experiences during her career with the Office, and I believe that she is well-suited for her new role.”
Hydee R. Hawkins – Senior Litigation Counsel
Mrs. Hawkins will continue to serve as the Senior Litigation Counsel. She has been an AUSA in the Eastern District of Kentucky since August of 2002. In addition to her duties as Senior Litigation Counsel, Mrs. Hawkins serves as the Criminal Discovery Coordinator and the Civil Rights Coordinator. She handles criminal and civil cases involving civil rights violations. Mrs. Hawkins previously worked at the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and the Kentucky State Police legal office. She moved to Kentucky nineteen years ago, after working as a local prosecutor in California. Mrs. Hawkins graduated from Oakland University, in Rochester, Michigan, in 1988 and received her J.D., from the University of San Diego School of Law, in 1991.
Other Office Points of Contact
In addition to the management team, the following AUSAs serve as Office points of contact for various Department of Justice priorities, including the opiate and opioid reduction efforts, Project Safe Neighborhoods program, the Project Safe Childhood program, immigration enforcement, and terrorism-related matters.
Todd Bradbury – Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Lead Attorney and Opioid Coordinator
Andrew Smith – Opioid Fraud and Abuse Healthcare Coordinator
Cynthia Rieker – Project Safe Neighborhood Coordinator
David Marye – Project Safe Childhood Coordinator
Andrew Boone – Anti-Terrorism Coordinator
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecutes criminal and civil matters on behalf of the United States of America and defends claims against the federal government in the 67 eastern-most counties of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Office employs a staff of approximately 45 AUSAs and 45 support staff and contractors.
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Two Whiteville Men Pled Guilty to Bank Robbery and Firing Weapons at Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court today, RASHAD DAVONTE YOUNG, 27, and JERAMIE ROSS VAUGHN, 30, of Whiteville, North Carolina pled guilty in Raleigh before United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle to one count of Bank Robbery and one count of Discharging a Firearm in Furtherance of a Bank Robbery.
On January 23, 2018, at approximately 3:35PM, YOUNG, VAUGHN, and two co-conspirators entered the PNC Bank in Lumberton, North Carolina where they held the PNC Bank employees and a customer at gunpoint while they stole over $40,000 in United States Currency. They were in the bank for approximately 10 minutes. When the Lumberton Police Department responded to the scene of the robbery, they observed a gray-in-color Saturn, matching descriptions given by witnesses, near the PNC Bank. They initiated a vehicle pursuit with the fleeing vehicle.
During the pursuit, VAUGHN was the getaway driver and YOUNG was seated in the back passenger seat. The perpetrators fired their weapons at law enforcement during the vehicle pursuit, striking six Lumberton Police Department vehicles and one Robeson County Sheriff’s Office vehicle. Specifically, at one point, while the Saturn was stopped, VAUGHN fired shots at law enforcement. YOUNG also fired at law enforcement using a Tech-9 gun. When the Saturn reached a convenience store in Lumberton, YOUNG jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot. VAUGHN continued to drive through Columbus County, where the vehicle was abandoned, and the remaining three perpetrators escaped into the woods.
The following day, approximately thirty hours after the robbery, VAUGHN was located by a homeowner in Lumberton. He was wet and cold, and was wearing the same clothing that was captured on the bank surveillance video. YOUNG was arrested during a traffic stop on January 25, 2018. Both individuals provided confessions to law enforcement about their roles in the robbery.
VAUGHN faces a sentence of not less than 20 years and up to life along with a fine up to $500,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release at sentencing.
YOUNG faces a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life along with a fine up to $500,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release at sentencing.
Daquan Madrid Pridgen and Demetris Sean Robinson have also been charged in connection with this case and their cases are pending.
Mr. Higdon commented: “We are pleased to have resolved the cases against these two defendants so promptly. Jeopardizing people’s safety and risking the lives of law enforcement officers will not be tolerated in this federal district. Two defendants have not yet concluded their cases and we look forward to presenting their cases to a trial jury in the near-future so we may see justice served come and all who are responsible are held responsible.”
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.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lumberton Police Department, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Peggah B. Wilson handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Two Stockton Men Charged with Unemployment Benefits Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 20-count indictment was unsealed today following the arrest of one of two defendants charged in an unemployment benefits fraud and an identity theft scheme, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
On March 22, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted John Michael “Mike” Herron II, 36, of Stockton, and Robert Joseph Maher, 39, formerly of Stockton, charging both with 18 counts of mail fraud, and one count each of aggravated identity theft. Maher is currently in custody.
According to court documents, from at least November 2010 through January 2018, Herron and Maher allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud the State of California by filing fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits. In furtherance of this scheme, the defendants created fictitious companies to act as employers, devised fictitious employees (by using the real identities of persons with and without their knowledge), and filed fraudulent claims with the California Employment Development Department, falsely claiming that the fictitious employees had been laid-off or fired from the fictitious employers they previously established.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the California Employment Development Department’s Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schuller Hitchcock is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the mail fraud charges. Each defendant also faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, which would run consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Two South Carolina Men Indicted for Concealing Opioid Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina--------United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that Charles Rayford Hunt, Jr., age 40, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was charged in a multi-count indictment with misprision of felony in connection with concealing the distribution of cocaine and heroin the use of which resulted in death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 4. The indictment alleges that on or about January 30, 2017, Hunt disposed of the body of a victim of a drug overdose and did not as soon as possible make known the same to an appropriate authority.
Hunt is additionally charged with aiding and abetting the possession of the drugs that led to the overdose. Jose Anthony Ortiz, Jr., age 38, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was also charged with misprision of felony for his role in destroying the personal effects of the overdose victim.
The maximum penalty Hunt and Ortiz could receive for the currently pending charges is a fine of $250,000.00 and/or 3 years imprisonment. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Everett McMillian of the Florence office for prosecution. The investigation is ongoing.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in these Indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Two Men Apprehended at the Emancipation Gardens Post Office Plead Guilty to Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Tommy Ramirez, 29, of the Dominican Republic and Ramon Clavel, 55, of Haiti, plead guilty today in District Court before District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez, to possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
According to court documents, on February 12, 2018, Ramirez instructed Clavel to present himself at the Emancipation Gardens post office to claim a package that contained a white powdery substance. The white powdery substance was sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) laboratory and testing confirmed to be one kilogram of cocaine, a controlled substance.
Ramirez and Clavel face a minimum sentence of five years and a fine of $250,000.00. Sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2018.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Services (USPIS), and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
Two Fayetteville Men Sentenced to 10 Years for Stealing FirearmsRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced BRIAN LAMAR MARTIN, 22, of Fayetteville and KEYWONOUS ROGERS, 22, of Fayetteville to 120 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
MARTIN and ROGERS were named in a 2-count indictment filed on May 17, 2017 charging both defendants with possession of a firearm by felon and possession of a stolen firearm. On November 6, 2017, MARTIN pled guilty to one count of Possession of a Firearm by Felon. On December 4, 2017, ROGERS also pled guilty to one-count of Possession of a Firearm and by Felon.
On September 14, 2016, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a residence in St. Pauls, North Carolina after receiving a call for service that the victims of the residence had been robbed. The victims advised that ROGERS and an unidentified male, later determined to be MARTIN, initially were invited into the residence, however, once they were inside, MARTIN brandished a firearm while ROGERS stole eighteen guns from a safe in the residence. As they fled the scene, their vehicle overturned into a ditch, where one of the firearms was abandoned and recovered by law enforcement.
On September 21, 2016, ATF agents went to a residence in Fayetteville, North Carolina where ROGERS had been staying. The homeowner provided consent to search the residence, and the agents recovered two of the stolen firearms. ROGERS confessed that he had stolen several firearms on September 14, 2016.
On April 16, 2017, the victims identified the second perpetrator as MARTIN after seeing his picture on the news after he had been arrested for First Degree Murder. MARTIN subsequently confessed to pointing a firearm at the victims, and assisting in stealing the eighteen guns. Both MARTIN and ROGERS are convicted felons.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office conducted the criminal investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney Peggah B. Wilson handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Tsaile Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – Earlier this month, Douglas Dane Jones, 41, of Tsaile, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by lifetime supervised release with mandatory sex offender registration and conditions. Jones had previously pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor and production of child pornography.
Jones sexually abused the victim over the course of several months in 2017. Jones also produced child pornography. The victim’s family brought the matter to the attention of law enforcement authorities. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation promptly began an investigation, which led to Jones’ arrest and prosecution. Jones and the victim are both members of the Navajo Nation, and the abuse occurred both within the Navajo Nation Reservation and outside of it, including in the city of Chandler, Ariz.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chandler Police Department, with the assistance of other federal, state, and tribal agencies. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-08031-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-042_ Jones
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Three Southwest Kansas Men Convicted of Plotting to Bomb Somali Immigrants in Garden CityRead the Press Release
Three men from the southwest Kansas area were convicted today on charges of conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants lived, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division John Gore; Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division John Demers; U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kansas City Division Special Agent in Charge Darrin E. Jones.
After a four-week trial, a federal jury convicted Patrick Eugene Stein, 49, of Wright, Kansas, Curtis Allen, 50, of Liberal, Kansas, and Gavin Wright, 49, of Beaver County, Oklahoma, on one count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of conspiracy to violate the housing rights of their intended victims. Both conspiracies stemmed from the defendants’ plot to blow up the apartment complex in an effort to kill the Somali Muslim immigrants who lived there. The jury also convicted defendant Wright of lying to the FBI.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that the defendants plotted, over the course of several months, to attack an apartment complex that contained a mosque at 312 W. Mary Street in Garden City, Kansas, where Muslim immigrants from Somalia lived and worshipped. Evidence during trial established that the defendants held numerous meetings to plan the attack and took significant steps – including making and testing explosives – toward implementing their plan. During an eight-month-long FBI investigation, a confidential source, whom the government credited for thwarting the attack and saving the lives of innocent victims, recorded numerous conversations during which the defendants discussed and refined their plan. As the plan solidified, the defendants discussed obtaining four vehicles, filling them with explosives and parking them at the four corners of the apartment complex to create an explosion that would be sure to level the building and kill its occupants.
During the course of the investigation, defendant Stein also met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a black market arms dealer, in an effort to obtain a bomb. During one of the meetings, Stein took the agent to see the apartment building that the defendants were planning to destroy.
At their sentencing hearing on June 27, the defendants will face up to life in federal prison.
“The Department of Justice is resolute every day in fighting terrorist threats to the United States, both foreign and domestic," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "The defendants in this case acted with clear premeditation in an attempt to kill people on the basis of their religion and national origin. That's not just illegal—it's immoral and unacceptable, and we’re not going to stand for it. Today's verdict is a significant victory against domestic terrorism and hate crimes, and I want to thank everyone who helped bring the defendants to justice—the dedicated professionals with our National Security and Civil Rights Divisions, our United States Attorney's office in Kansas, the FBI, and our state and local partners. Law enforcement saved lives in this case."
“We are fortunate that law enforcement agents thwarted the defendants’ plan to bomb and shoot innocent, peaceful Muslim immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney McAllister. “The jury’s verdicts are a vindication of outstanding investigative work and prosecution. Terrorists, whether they be foreign or domestic, must be stopped and punished according to the law. Today’s verdicts are a victory for the rule of law, civil rights, and national security.”
“As law enforcement, we are charged with and have an obligation to take action and protect the public whenever an individual expresses a desire to commit violence,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Darrin E. Jones of the Kansas City Division. “Allowing an individual intent on killing people to proceed without a government response is not an option and will never be an option. Law enforcement, working with our partners, must continue to detect, disrupt and deter attacks to our nation, against our citizens and our freedom. The dedication and efforts of the FBI Agents and law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly to investigate and build this case was apparent throughout the trial. Today's verdict emphasizes their commitment to keeping all of our communities safe and from harm.”
Gore, Demers, McAllister, and Jones commended the following law enforcement agencies and prosecutors for their exceptional and exemplary efforts investigating and prosecuting this important case: the FBI, the Liberal Police Department, the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Garden City Police Department, the Dodge City Police Department, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and National Security Division. The case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi and Trial Attorneys Risa Berkower and Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division and supported by Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Appellate Attorney Danielle Tarin of the Office of Law and Policy.
Three Southwest Kansas Men Convicted of Plotting to Bomb Somali Immigrants in Garden CityRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three men from the southwest Kansas area were convicted today on charges of conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants lived, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division John Gore; Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division John Demers; U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kansas City Division Special Agent in Charge Darrin E. Jones.
After a four-week trial, a federal jury convicted Patrick Eugene Stein, 49, of Wright, Kansas, Curtis Allen, 50, of Liberal, Kansas, and Gavin Wright, 49, of Beaver County, Oklahoma, on one count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of conspiracy to violate the housing rights of their intended victims. Both conspiracies stemmed from the defendants’ plot to blow up the apartment complex in an effort to kill the Somali Muslim immigrants who lived there. The jury also convicted defendant Wright of lying to the FBI.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that the defendants plotted, over the course of several months, to attack an apartment complex that contained a mosque at 312 W. Mary Street in Garden City, Kansas, where Muslim immigrants from Somalia lived and worshipped. Evidence during trial established that the defendants held numerous meetings to plan the attack and took significant steps – including making and testing explosives – toward implementing their plan. During an eight-month-long FBI investigation, a confidential source, whom the government credited for thwarting the attack and saving the lives of innocent victims, recorded numerous conversations during which the defendants discussed and refined their plan. As the plan solidified, the defendants discussed obtaining four vehicles, filling them with explosives and parking them at the four corners of the apartment complex to create an explosion that would be sure to level the building and kill its occupants.
During the course of the investigation, defendant Stein also met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a black market arms dealer, in an effort to obtain a bomb. During one of the meetings, Stein took the agent to see the apartment building that the defendants were planning to destroy.
At their sentencing hearing on June 27, the defendants will face up to life in federal prison.
“The Department of Justice is resolute every day in fighting terrorist threats to the United States, both foreign and domestic," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "The defendants in this case acted with clear premeditation in an attempt to kill people on the basis of their religion and national origin. That's not just illegal—it's immoral and unacceptable, and we’re not going to stand for it. Today's verdict is a significant victory against domestic terrorism and hate crimes, and I want to thank everyone who helped bring the defendants to justice—the dedicated professionals with our National Security and Civil Rights Divisions, our United States Attorney's office in Kansas, the FBI, and our state and local partners. Law enforcement saved lives in this case."
“We are fortunate that law enforcement agents thwarted the defendants’ plan to bomb and shoot innocent, peaceful Muslim immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney McAllister. “The jury’s verdicts are a vindication of outstanding investigative work and prosecution. Terrorists, whether they be foreign or domestic, must be stopped and punished according to the law. Today’s verdicts are a victory for the rule of law, civil rights, and national security.”
“As law enforcement, we are charged with and have an obligation to take action and protect the public whenever an individual expresses a desire to commit violence,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Darrin E. Jones of the Kansas City Division. “Allowing an individual intent on killing people to proceed without a government response is not an option and will never be an option. Law enforcement, working with our partners, must continue to detect, disrupt and deter attacks to our nation, against our citizens and our freedom. The dedication and efforts of the FBI Agents and law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly to investigate and build this case was apparent throughout the trial. Today's verdict emphasizes their commitment to keeping all of our communities safe and from harm.”
Gore, Demers, McAllister, and Jones commended the following law enforcement agencies and prosecutors for their exceptional and exemplary efforts investigating and prosecuting this important case: the FBI, the Liberal Police Department, the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Garden City Police Department, the Dodge City Police Department, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and National Security Division. The case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi and Trial Attorneys Risa Berkower and Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division and supported by Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Appellate Attorney Danielle Tarin of the Office of Law and Policy.
Three More Defendants Charged in Fraud Scheme Involving Small Business ContractsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced today that three defendants agreed to plead guilty to an Information charging them with federal crimes related to a long-term fraud scheme led by Brian L. Ganos involving government-funded contracts intended to benefit small businesses. The three defendants are James E. Hubbell (age: 50) of Sussex, WI, Jorge Lopez (age: 57) of Worthington, Minnesota, and Telemachos Agoudemos (age: 43) of Big Bend, WI.
According to the charges, the scheme involved Ganos, Hubbell, and others operating construction companies with straw owners who qualified as a disadvantaged individual or as a service-disabled veteran, but who did not actually control the companies. The scheme participants fraudulently obtained small business program certifications to win millions of dollars in government-funded contracts to which they were not entitled. Specifically, the following is alleged:
- Nuvo Construction Company, Inc. (Nuvo”) was misrepresented to be majority-owned and controlled by Lopez to obtain certifications as a Small Disadvantaged Business from the U.S. Small Business Administration and as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise from Milwaukee County. In reality, Lopez worked full-time for a different entity in Minnesota and did not actually control Nuvo.
- C3T, Inc. was misrepresented to be majority owned and controlled by Agoudemos to obtain verification as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. In reality, for long stretches, Agoudemos had virtually no involvement in C3T.
Hubbell and Lopez agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by virtue of the scheme in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. Agoudemos agreed to plead guilty to making false statements to federal agents in order to conceal that C3T, Inc. did not qualify as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001. The maximum penalties for these offenses is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Earlier this month, on April 3, 2018, charges were filed against four defendants in two cases that are related to today’s charges. First, in Case No. 18-CR-62, an indictment was filed charging Brian L. Ganos (age: 57) of Muskego and Mark F. Spindler (age: 56) of Menomonee Falls, and the business Sonag Company, Inc. with crimes related to the fraud scheme. The indictment also alleged that Ganos engaged in money laundering with proceeds from the scheme. The indictment included a forfeiture notice indicating that the United States seeks to forfeit a condominium located in Winter Park, Colorado; the office building used by the companies at 5500-5510 West Florist Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible; and more than $2.2 million seized from two bank accounts. Each of those assets is subject to civil forfeiture actions filed by the United States.
Second, in Case No. 18-CR-64, Nicholas Rivecca agreed to plead guilty to an Information charging him with conspiring with Ganos and others to use Nuvo’s DBE status to win government-funded concrete orders. Rivecca and Ganos were the co-owners of Sonag Ready Mix, LLC, which is alleged to have filled the concrete orders in Nuvo’s name.
The following agencies are participating in the investigation that led to these charges: the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General; Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Investigations Division; Defense Contract Audit Agency; and U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command Major Procurement Fraud Unit.
The cases are being prosecuted by United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger and Assistant United States Attorney Zachary J. Corey. The related civil forfeiture cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott J. Campbell.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
Statement from Attorney General Sessions on the Passing of Former First Lady Barbara BushRead the Press Release
Today Attorney General Jeff Sessions released the following statement on the passing of former first lady Barbara Bush:
“Barbara Bush was a symbol around the country—and across the world—of dignity, humanity and strength,” Attorney General Sessions said. “She spoke her mind and used her position and her popularity to advocate for causes that benefit all of us, like literacy and civil rights. In many ways, Barbara formed the core of the Bush family, projecting without affectation her own dignity and grace whatever the events around her. It was an honor for me to continue to serve as United States Attorney under President Bush. I join the rest of the country in offering my condolences to the Bush family and in lifting them up in prayer at this difficult time.”