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25 May 2018
Retired Army Colonel and Former Government Contractor Sentenced to Prison for Role in Bribery Scheme at Fort GordonRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: Calvin Devear Lawyer, 60, a retired Colonel in the United States Army, and Dwayne Oswald Fulton, 58, a former employee of a defense contracting firm, were sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen, Jr., to 60 months’ imprisonment each for their roles in a bribery and kickback scheme. Both of the Defendants reside in Augusta, Georgia.
According to the evidence presented during their guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Fulton and Lawyer also made false representations to the United States Army and the Small Business Administration (“SBA”), which resulted in Lawyer’s company, known as CREC group, to be awarded 8(a) status under the SBA’s business development program. After fraudulently obtaining that status, beginning in 2008 and lasting almost a decade, Lawyer, Fulton and others conspired to pay cash bribes to coconspirator Anthony Roper, who was then an active duty Colonel in the United States Army, in in exchange for Roper steering the award of over $20 million in U. S. Army contracts to Lawyer and others. Further, when law enforcement caught on to their scheme, Fulton, Lawyer and others conspired to obstruct justice by creating false and fraudulent documents as part of an effort to cover up Lawyer’s bribe payments to Roper.
In addition to a sentencing of 60 months’ imprisonment, Lawyer and Fulton were also sentenced to serve a term of 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Lawyer was also sentenced to pay a $100,000 fine, and Fulton was sentenced to pay a $50,000 fine. Lawyer has already returned over $5 million to American taxpayers. The Court orally approved an order of forfeiture against Fulton totaling $1,273,440.00.
United States Attorney Bobby L. Christine stated, “As a result of dramatic efforts by law enforcement and superb leadership at Fort Gordon, Lawyer and Fulton are now held accountable. To all would be fraudsters who think bribery in government contracting a get rich scheme, let these prison sentences be a lamp unto their feet.”
“These sentencings send a powerful message that fraud has no place in government contracting,” said Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “As evidenced in this case, fraud victimizes not only the government but the individuals involved as well. I hope that today's sentence sends a strong message that we will bring all of our resources to bear in order to protect the U.S. government.”
“These sentencings should serve as a stern warning to public officials and contractors doing business with the Department of Defense - the Defense Criminal Investigative Service will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who engage in bribery, corruption, and other illegal acts. These defendants deliberately manipulated the DOD procurement process to divert and steal precious taxpayer dollars for their own personal gain, and will now face the consequences. DCIS will continue to work with our investigative partners to protect the integrity of DOD programs that provide critical products and services for our Warfighters,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office.
“Corruption and willful misrepresentation of business relationships are egregious actions and bear significant consequence,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent-in Charge Kevin Kupperbusch. “The conspiracy engaged in by the defendants, deprived legitimate disadvantaged companies of federal contracting opportunities. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their leadership and dedication throughout this investigation.”
The joint strike force that led to these convictions and Lawyer’s settlement involved agents, investigators, and auditors from the Department of Justice, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Army Criminal Investigation Command (Major Procurement Fraud Unit), and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General. The case was investigated by Special Agent Preston T. Johnson of the U. S. Army, Criminal Investigations Division; Special Agent Randall J. Temples of the U. S. Department of Defense, Criminal Investigative Service; and, Special Agent Bryan M. Cofer of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General.
For any questions, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Danial Sporrer, age 42, was sentenced on May 22, 2018, to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sporrer was charged on February 23, 2017. The charge related to Sporrer illegally possessing a slam-fire weapon, described as a metal cylindrical device comprised of two sections which accepted conventional .410 caliber ammunition, in Rapid City on February 13, 2017.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Daniel Pacheco, age 35, was sentenced on May 22, 2018, to 4 years of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Pacheco was charged on April 21, 2017. The charge related to Pacheco, a previously convicted felon, illegally being in possession of a Jennings, Model J-22, .22 caliber pistol in Rapid City on April 19, 2017.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Sleeping Woman on a Las Vegas to Pittsburgh Flight in August 2016Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three months in a halfway house, one year of supervised release, and a $5,000 fine, on his conviction of simple assault on an aircraft, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton imposed the sentence on Wei-Ming Shi, 59, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on August 18, 2016, Shi was a passenger on Southwest flight number 2888 from Las Vegas to Pittsburgh. An adult female (hereinafter referred to as the victim) was seated next to Shi during the flight. The victim fell asleep. While the victim was asleep, Shi placed his hands underneath the dress of the victim. Shi placed his hand on the inner thigh of the victim, her upper buttocks, and her lower back.
The victim awoke in response to this conduct of Shi. She notified a flight attendant as to what had occurred and had her seat changed. At no time did the victim consent to Shi’s conduct or give him permission to touch her in the manner described.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Walton stated that Shi’s behavior was "repulsive and cannot be tolerated."
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Shi.
Pittsburgh Fentanyl Dealer Gets 10-Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh’s Allentown neighborhood has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months’ imprisonment and eight years supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Khalifa Cochran, age 37.
According to information presented to the court, the charges in this case resulted from a wiretap investigation conducted by the FBI and other law enforcement partners. During the investigation, the defendant was intercepted over a wiretapped phone discussing drug transactions. In connection with the investigation, on April 18, 2017, officers recovered 105 grams of fentanyl from the defendant’s car. Additional quantities of fentanyl were recovered from the defendant’s house during the execution of a search warrant on the same day.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak stated that this sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary to achieve the goals of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya Sulia Goodman and Caitlin A. Loughran prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Brighton Police Department, the Wilkinsburg Police Department, and the Cranberry Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Cochran.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced for Accessory to Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Accessory to Second Degree Murder was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Fred Quiver, a/k/a Fred Brings Plenty, age 32, was sentenced on May 21, 2018, to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Quiver was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in January 2016. The charge related to Quiver covering up the homicide of Emily Bluebird and hiding her body to prevent his and his co-defendant’s apprehension, trial, and punishment.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Kathryn Rich prosecuted the case.
Quiver was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Philadelphia Woman Charged with Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia woman was charged May 24 by indictment with five counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government funds, and one count of social security fraud, announced United States Attorney William M. McSwain.
According to the indictment[1], Cassandra Boone, 67, created a second identity to continue working while she simultaneously received disability benefits under her real name. The defendant’s alleged actions resulted in government losses totaling approximately $121,690.
“When someone defrauds the system, we’re all victims,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “We have to preserve the integrity of our Social Security system, and one way we do that is stopping those who are gaming the system for their own benefit.”
If convicted, defendant Cassandra Boone faces a maximum sentence of 115 years’ incarceration, a period of supervised release, full restitution to the government, and a fine.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania State Police, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher E. Parisi.
[1] An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Using Multiple Identities to Apply for Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Julian Washington, 71, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged May 24 by superseding indictment with four counts of wire fraud, one count of theft of government funds, and one count of social security fraud, announced United States Attorney William M. McSwain.
According to the superseding indictment[1], the defendant used multiple identities to apply for Social Security benefits. The defendant’s alleged actions resulted in a loss to the government of approximately $20,310.
If convicted, defendant Julian Washington faces a maximum sentence of 95 years’ incarceration, a period of supervised release, full restitution to the government, and a fine.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania State Police, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher E. Parisi.
[1] An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Philadelphia Man Charged in Connection with Convenience Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia man was charged May 24 in connection with armed robberies of convenience stories, announced U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain.
Tyrone Evans, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and three counts of the use and carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the indictment[1], the defendant, along with codefendants who were charged separately, committed three gunpoint robberies of convenience stores in Philadelphia in June of 2017.
“We work very hard to reduce violent crimes like these,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “And we have to make sure that those who use firearms when committing crimes pay a severe penalty. The safety of our communities depends on it.”
If convicted, defendant Tyrone Evans faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, including a mandatory minimum sentence of 57 years, as well as full restitution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher E. Parisi.
[1] An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Owners of Tech Support Scams in South Florida and Costa Rica Charged with Federal Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Federal fraud charges were filed this week against owners of two businesses that allegedly conducted an international tech support scam, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Michael Austin Seward, 31, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, and Kevin James McCormick, 45, of Delray Beach, Florida, were named in a superseding indictment that charges them and their former vice president, Grant Clark Wasik, 35, of Boynton Beach, Florida, with 13 counts of wire fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the indictment, Seward and McCormick owned and operated two tech support scam businesses: Client Care Experts, LLC ("Client Care"), based in Boynton Beach, Florida,1 and ABC Repair Tech, based in Costa Rica. From approximately November 12, 2013, through at least December 9, 2016, the two companies allegedly combined to defraud more than 40,000 people across all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, several U.S. territories, all ten Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, and several other foreign countries. At least 57 victims of the alleged scams were located in 22 counties within the Southern District of Illinois, with multiple victims in both St. Clair and Madison Counties. The charged scheme allegedly took in over $25,000,000.
According to the superseding indictment, the defendants purchased pop-up advertisements, which appeared without warning on consumers’ computer screens and locked up their browsers. These pop-ups falsely informed the victims that serious problems, such as viruses or malware, had been detected on their computers. The pop-ups also usually warned the victims that they were at serious risk of losing their data and instructed them to call a toll-free number. When the victims called the numbers shown on their screens, they were connected to Client Care salespersons.
The salespersons allegedly convinced the victims to allow them to have remote access to their computers. Once they had accessed the victims’ computers, the indictments charge, the salespersons examined routine computer functions and processes and then tried to convince the victims that these functions and processes were evidence of problems. The salespersons also ran a system analyzer program on the victims’ computers, but no matter what the program showed, the salespersons allegedly still tried to convince the customers that their computers had serious problems. According to the indictment, the salespersons also concealed from the victims that they could make the pop-ups go away by unplugging or rebooting their computers, and that the pop-ups which had frozen their computer screens were actually advertisements paid for by Client Care.
The superseding indictment alleges that ABC Repair Tech operated substantially the same scheme from its location in Costa Rica.
Seward is alleged to have been the chief executive officer of Client Care, with McCormick as his chief financial officer. Both men allegedly had an ownership interest in Client Care and ABC Repair Tech and oversaw the operations of both entities. Wasik allegedly worked as one of the supervisors on the sales floor (known as a "Team Leader") before being promoted to sales manager and eventually vice president. Trial for all three defendants is set to begin on July 23, 2018, at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois, though a defense motion has already been filed seeking to have the case transferred for convenience to East St. Louis, Illinois.
Since April 2017, fourteen other employees of Client Care / ABC Repair Tech have been charged with federal fraud violations in the Southern District of Illinois:
Joseph Ralph Aievoli, IV, 25, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson
Cory Steven Bachman, 25, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson
Andrew Douglas Broad, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Director of Recruiting and Training
Ryan Stocker Carr, 23, of Mount Laurel, NJ – Team Leader
Joshua Dennis Cortez, 37, of Lake Worth, FL – Director of Recruiting and Training
Nicholas James Davidson, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson
Patrick M. Dougherty, 35, of Boynton Beach, FL – Salesperson
Tatum Elyse Espenshade, 26, of West Palm Beach, FL – Salesperson
Eric M. Iannaccone, 32, of Monroe Township, NJ – Sales Manager
Anthony Vincent Ludena, 29, of Boca Raton, FL – Salesperson
Robert Thomas McCart, 32, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader
Timothy James Miller, II, 27, of Schwenksville, PA – Salesperson
Jonathan Matthew Richardson, 27, of Lake Worth, FL – Salesperson
Kyle Evan Swinson, 26, of Boynton Beach, FL – Team Leader
All of the defendants against whom indictments have been returned have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Under the SCAMS Act, because the crimes allegedly took place in connection with telemarketing and victimized ten or more persons over the age of 55, the maximum penalty is 30 years imprisonment. The defendants can also be ordered to serve up to five years of supervised release after any term of imprisonment, pay a fine of up to $250,000, and pay restitution to the victims.
Seward, Wasik, and McCormick are also charged with thirteen counts of wire fraud. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, supervised release of up to three years, and restitution.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Ten of the defendants charged to date have already pled guilty. On March 8, 2018, Ryan Carr was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $20,384.86. Joshua Cortez was sentenced on May 3, 2018, and ordered to serve 18 months in federal prison and to pay $3,034 in restitution. The remaining defendants who have been convicted have not yet been sentenced.
These cases are part of an ongoing investigation by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Verseman, Ranley R. Killian, and Nathan D. Stump.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office is cooperating with the federal investigation. In addition, the Florida Attorney General’s Office brought a civil enforcement action against Client Care for the purpose of ending the fraudulent activities at that business.
The Federal Trade Commission has been working for some time to shut down illegal tech support scams. For more information about the FTC’s "Operation Tech Trap," please go to https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2017/05/ftc-federal-state-international-partnersannounce-major-crackdown.
Orlando Woman Convicted of Social Security and Medicaid FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury today found Sundardai Jadnauth (67, Orlando) guilty of two counts of theft of government property. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 15, 2018. Jadnauth was indicted on October 26, 2016.
According to evidence presented at trial, Jadnauth received Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) and Medicaid benefits between 2011 and 2015, because she lied to the Social Security Administration. Jadnauth told the agency that she lived alone, had no assets, and earned no income. In fact, Jadnauth and her husband lived together in a house they had purchased for $67,000 in cash, in 2010.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan W. Hill.
Operation Tin Panda Takedown Results in 36 ConvictionsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Beginning in the early morning hours of Dec. 6, 2017, over 300 law enforcement agents and officers executed a coordinated takedown codenamed Operation Tin Panda. To date, this major operation has resulted in the conviction of 36 individuals on federal firearms and drug charges.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office began Operation Tin Panda in the Spring of 2017. In collaboration with federal and local law enforcement, investigators and prosecutors began jointly investigating Blood gangs and other drug distributors involved in violent crime and other criminal activity in Northern Virginia. Multiple criminal acts were tied to gang and drug activity, including homicide, malicious wounding, robbery, shootings, and drug and firearms distribution. During the course of this investigation, more than 40 individuals throughout Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and California, who were illegally selling firearms and controlled substances or were involved in other criminal acts, have been arrested on federal firearms and drug charges.
Operation Tin Panda also resulted in the seizure of over 95 firearms, $150,000 in cash, nine vehicles with an estimated value of over $300,000, and approximately 3 pounds of cocaine base, 10 pounds of cocaine, 7 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, 5 pounds of heroin, 4 pounds of ecstasy, 227 pounds of marijuana, and 79 pounds of THC.
Operation Tin Panda was led by the ATF’s Washington Field Division and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Prince William County Police Department, Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax County Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Stafford County Sherriff’s Office, Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, King George County Sheriff’s Office, Caroline County Sheriff’s Office, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Prince George’s County Police Department, Maryland, and the Metropolitan Police Department, provided significant assistance during the operation.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carina A. Cuellar and Colleen E. Garcia are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Tin Panda. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER.
Please see the included table, which lists the name, age, hometown, respective charge(s), and resulting or potential sentence for each federal defendant who has been convicted.
Name, Age
City
Conviction(s)
Result
Tarvell Vandiver, 29
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base, 5 kilograms or more of Cocaine, 100 grams or more of Heroin, and Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces 20 years on September 28.
Jerry McAllister, 42
Laurel, Maryland
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Sentenced to 60 months.
Rashourn Niles, 37
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 280 grams or more of Cocaine Base, 5 kilograms or more of Cocaine, and 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life on August 31.
Chennor Bah, 30
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life on June 15.
Tavon Bailey, 27
District Heights, Maryland
Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Faces a maximum of 10 years on June 1.
Brandon Edler, 23
Fredericksburg
Conspiracy to Distribute 28 grams or more of Cocaine Base, Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years on June 8.
Mark Ketter, 39
Alexandria
Conspiracy to Distribute 100 grams or more of Heroin.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years on June 22.
Ishmil Hardwick, 25
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life on August 24.
Michael Lederer, 31
Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
Faces a maximum of 10 years on September 14
Sade Anglin, 28
Woodbridge
Maintaining a Drug Premise.
Faces a maximum of 20 years on August 3.
Cory Patterson, 34
Fredericksburg
Conspiracy to Distribute one kilogram or more of Heroin, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking.
Sentenced to 15 years.
Nasiru Carew, 35
Dale City
Conspiracy to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of Marijuana and THC.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life on August 24.
Nathaniel Bruce Cobbold, 27
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC.
Faces a maximum of 20 years on June 1.
Jamar Cox, 30
Hyattsville, Maryland
Use and Carry of Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life on June 8.
Robert Evans, 27
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute THC.
Faces a maximum of 20 years on June 29.
Deion Wright, 25
Alexandria
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life on June 22.
Kelvin Bennett, 27
Washington, D.C.
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life on June 15.
Ezana Demisse, 25
Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life on June 1.
Izeah Williams, 31
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC.
Faces a maximum of 20 years on June 15.
Tayvon Patterson, 24
Elkridge, Maryland
Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and THC, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life on June 1.
Devon Byrd, 26
King George
Possession of THC with the Intent to Distribute, and Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life on June 1.
Samantha Winter, 22
Culpepper
Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm, False Statement to a Licensed Firearms Dealer.
Faces a maximum of 25 years on July 20.
Alpha Kamara, 20
Woodbridge
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 60 months.
Orean Anthony Hayden, 29
Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 60 months.
Tavon Ferguson, 24
Triangle
Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 27 months.
Raheem Kelly, 39
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 28 grams or more of Cocaine Base.
Faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years on July 27.
Bryan Matthews, 19
Alexandria
Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 60 months.
Anthony Lozada, 18
Woodbridge
Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 10 years.
Kaitlyn McCabe, 19
Woodbridge
False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm.
Faces a maximum of five years on June 22.
Derek Harden, 22
Woodbridge
False Statements During the Purchase of a Firearm.
Faces a maximum of 10 years on June 29.
Bassam Hassan Ramadan, 31
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life on June 22.
Marcus Andrei Harris, 27
Washington, D.C.
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Use and Carry of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Sentenced to 15 years.
Frederick Preston Gaarsoe Turner, 36
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute, two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Faces a mandatory minimum of 40 years and a maximum of life on June 29.
Cydrick Delrosario, 58
Springfield
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
Sentenced to 132 months.
Teodoro Gonzales, 37
Woodbridge
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of a Mixture of Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Sentenced to 108 months.
Shannon Marie Sisney, 44
Virginia Beach
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
Sentenced to 50 months.
Luthgardo Roque Arao, 47
Alexandria
Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine.
Sentenced to 120 months.
Offenders Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses in PikevilleRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Yesterday, in proceedings at the U.S. District Court in Pikeville, Chief Judge Karen K. Caldwell sentenced the following defendants for drug trafficking and firearms convictions, in three separate cases.
Jeffrey Isaac, 61, of Melvin, Ky., was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, and 3 years of supervised release, after he was convicted by a jury of conspiring to distribute oxycodone pills and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The proof at trial established that Isaac was a leader of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Leroy Little, 67, of Pike County, Ky., was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, and 3 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
Brandy Watts, 35, of Fisty, Ky., was sentenced to just over 3 years’ imprisonment, and 3 years of supervised release, after she pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Watts and her boyfriend, Justin Slone, were found in possession of several schedule II controlled substances and multiple firearms. Slone was previously convicted and sentenced.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Darrell Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington-Fayette County Division of Police, jointly announced the sentences.
The cases are 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, local strategies to reduce violent crime.
Ocala Woman Charged in Federal Court with Snap Fraud and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Lateasha Monique Perry (34, Ocala) with seven counts of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud and two counts of theft of government funds. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison on each of the fraud counts, and up to 10 years on each of the theft counts.
SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a national program established to alleviate hunger and malnutrition among lower income families. According to evidence presented in federal court, from June 2013 through February 2016, Perry received federally funded SNAP benefits via a debit card. Although these benefits only can be redeemed for certain basic food items, she repeatedly cashed out hundreds of dollars of her benefits by purchasing little or no merchandise and, instead, received large amounts of cash from store personnel. This practice is strictly prohibited under the program’s rules and federal law. By analyzing SNAP redemption data from the store, agents identified Perry as the person with the highest number of fraudulent transactions. The estimated loss to the federal government exceeds $30,000, including more than 97 suspected transactions.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
North Bay Marijuana Distributor Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Charles T. Woods pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco today to tax fraud for underreporting income from his marijuana distribution business, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf. The plea was accepted by the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge.
In pleading guilty, Woods, 44, of Santa Rosa, Calif., admitted he engaged in marijuana distribution in 2012, 2013, and 2014, and to knowingly and willfully filing U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns for those years that underreported income from his marijuana distribution. For all three years, Woods consistently reported business gross receipts on his tax returns of under $85,000 per year despite earning hundreds of thousands of dollars more. To evade bank currency transaction reporting requirements and conceal his income, Woods deposited more than $1 million into numerous bank accounts under his control in amounts less than $10,000. Combined, Woods failed to report more than $1.1 million in gross receipts from his marijuana distribution business, which resulted in a tax loss of $466,707 to the United States.
Woods was charged by information on April 25, 2018, with two counts of willfully making and subscribing false tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of 26 U.S.C § 7206(1). Pursuant to today’s plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to one count and the second count will be dismissed.
Judge Illston scheduled Woods’ sentencing hearing for September 14, 2018. The maximum statutory penalty for willfully a violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1) is three years in prison and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney José A. Olivera is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation.
Newport Man Charged with Pharmacy Burglary and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that, on May 23, Daniel Greenwood, age 42, was arraigned in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, in connection with a federal indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in October 2017 and with committing a burglary of the Kinney Drugs in Cambridge, Vermont that same month. Greenwood, who is currently serving a sentence in Massachusetts, entered pleas of not guilty to the two charges. At the time of offenses, Greenwood had absconded from state supervision and was a fugitive during late 2017. He was arrested in late 2017 in Massachusetts and charged in connection with the offense for which is currently serving a sentence.
According to court records, the firearms possession charge relates to a burglary of a residence in Thetford, Vermont, on October 21, during which Greenwood attempted to steal the homeowner’s hunting rifle. The homeowner, however, arrived home during the burglary and forcibly took back his rifle as Greenwood was fleeing the scene. Greenwood has a prior federal firearms conviction, according to the charges. The pharmacy burglary charge is a federal crime because Greenwood is alleged to have stolen over $500 in controlled substances during the burglary, which occurred on the night of October 15 when the pharmacy was closed.
The firearms charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years in jail, three years of supervised release, and $250,000 fine, and the pharmacy burglary charge carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in jail, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the indictment contains merely allegations against Greenwood and that he is presumed innocent until and unless convicted of the charges. “Greenwood’s arraignment demonstrates ATF’s commitment to targeting prohibited individuals from possessing and trafficking firearms” said Kenneth Kwak, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Boston Field Division. “ATF will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to eliminate these types of crimes and keep our communities safe.”
U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan added: “this case reflects our commitment to prioritize prosecution of violent crime and unlawful firearms offenses. Prohibited persons must be on notice that they will be targeted for federal prosecution, especially if their conduct involves endangering Vermonters in their own homes. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners at all levels to demonstrate zero tolerance for such offenses.”
The indictment against Greenwood was the culmination of a multi-agency investigation. The collaborative effort was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Vermont State Police, with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, United States Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, the Newport Police Department, the Lamoille and Orleans County Sheriff’s Departments, and the Holyoke, Massachusetts, Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Van de Graaf is prosecuting the case. Greenwood is represented by Attorney David McColgin.
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.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Federal CaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A New York man who helped obstruct a federal drug conspiracy case in 2017 pled guilty today in federal court in Huntington, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Kevin Fritz Lamerique, 34, entered his guilty plea to aiding and abetting an attempt to obstruct and impede an official proceeding. United States Attorney Stuart commended the work of the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
“Evading arrest is a serious crime. Aiding and abetting evasion of arrest is equally serious,” said United States Mike Stuart. “Lamerique made an incredibly bad decision when he attempted to aid a federal defendant in evading arrest and now faces a lengthy prison term himself.”
From at least February of 2016 to June of 2017, members of the conspiracy obtained quantities of methamphetamine and heroin from California which were mailed to the Huntington and Cross Lanes areas. The drugs would then be distributed to customers in Cabell, Putnam, and Kanawha counties. During the investigation, agents executed multiple search warrants in Cabell and Kanawha counties and seized almost 10 pounds of crystal methamphetamine along with multiple firearms and ammunition.
Lamerique admitted that after an indictment was returned in Huntington charging various members of the conspiracy, he initiated contact with a charged defendant at the direction of another person. During various contacts, Lamerique delivered messages and instructions to the charged defendant. Lamerique also arranged and participated in contacts between the charged defendant and the other person to aid the charged defendant’s evasion of arrest.
Lamerique faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on August 27, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is responsible for the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CANTRELLE BRUMFIELD, age 46, of New Orleans, pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
According to court documents, in August of 2015, Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) identified BRUMFIELD as a distributor of heroin. Between August and September of 2015, a DEA Special Agent, working in an undercover capacity, made two controlled purchases of heroin from BRUMFIELD. To further their investigation, DEA Special Agents obtained a wiretap on BRUMFIELD’S phone in an attempt to identify BRUMFIELD’S drug trafficking associates. In March of 2016, a DEA Special Agent contacted BRUMFIELD to arrange another controlled purchase of heroin. Special Agents arrested BRUMFIELD while he was in route to meet the undercover Special Agent. Inside of BRUMFIELD’S vehicle at the time of his arrest was approximately 28 grams of heroin. After receiving consent to search BRUMFIELD’S residence, Special Agents found and seized 24 grams of heroin from BRUMFIELD’S residence.
BRUMFIELD faces a minimum term of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon set sentencing for Thursday, August 30, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney André Jones is in charge of the prosecution.
Myrtle Beach Man Pleads to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Michael Jamal Grice, age 35, of Myrtle Beach, plead guilty this week in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 924(e). United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the United States Probation Office.
Evidence presented in court established that on June 1, 2017, an officer with the Myrtle Beach Police Department was on patrol when he observed Grice make an improper right-hand turn from Canal Street onto Highway 501. A traffic stop was conducted and upon approaching, the officer smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was searched and police located a stolen Springfield 9mm handgun.
Grice is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior convictions. Grice has a prior state conviction for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and a prior federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Grice faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Myrtle Beach Police Department and was prosecuted as part of Project CeaseFire, a joint federal, state and local initiative focused upon aggressively prosecuting firearm cases in an effort to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and reinstituted PSN nationwide. Special Assistant United States Attorney David P. Caraker, Jr., of the Florence office handled the case. Caraker is employed by the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office as a Senior Assistant Solicitor, and undertook this case in a joint effort with federal authorities to prosecute firearm cases.
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Morgan City man pleads guilty to not reporting more than $250,000 on tax returnRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Morgan City man pleaded guilty Wednesday to failing to report more than $250,000 in income on his 2012 tax return.
Victory Nam Ho, 39, of Morgan City, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of filing a false tax return. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, Ho engaged in stock transactions and made $251,196 in 2012, but when he filed his taxes, he reported $14,742 as his income. As a result, he paid no income tax that year, which resulted in a loss of $69,167 to the U.S. Treasury.
The defendant faces up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, restitution and a $100,000 fine. The court set an August 31, 2018 sentencing date.
The IRS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger is prosecuting the case.
Michigan Man Charged with Multiple Counts of Heroin DistributionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced a federal indictment charging RAYMOND ANTHONY POOLE, 43, with multiple counts of heroin distribution. POOLE made his initial appearance on May 23, 2018, before Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to the indictment, from April 1, 2016, through February 13, 2017, POOLE distributed and attempted to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department, the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, and the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting this case.
Defendant Information:
RAYMOND ANTHONY POOLE, 43
Detroit, Mich.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to distribute heroin, 1 count
- Distribution of heroin, 5 counts
- Attempted distribution of heroin, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Family Dollar RobberiesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for committing two armed robberies affecting interstate commerce. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on September 20, 2016, Tony Holmes, 24, used a sawed-off shotgun to rob two Family Dollar locations within three hours. There were several customers and employees at each location when Holmes robbed the stores.
Holmes pled guilty on March 1, 2018, to two counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce and one count of brandishing a short-barreled shotgun during a crime of violence.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "The violent crime rate in Memphis is unacceptably high. Business owners have a fundamental right to be safe from armed robbers who terrorize our communities with their lawlessness. This sentence sends a clear message that there will be a real and significant consequence for such violence, and we will no longer allow gun crime to rule our streets."
On May 24, 2018, U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., sentenced Holmes to 20 years imprisonment and five years supervised release to begin after incarceration.
The Safe Streets Task Force investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Rogers prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf.
Massachusetts Woman Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD –United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced that Michell DeJesus, 38, of Lowell, Massachusetts was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.
Documents filed with the court established that DeJesus participated in a drug trafficking organization between April 2016 and September 2016. DeJesus took orders for heroin from customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and directed runners for the organization to make deliveries to those customers.
DeJesus previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin.
“The distribution of heroin and other dangerous drugs presents a substantial risk to public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “We will continue to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to identity and prosecute those who profit from the sale of these deadly substances.”
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in the Granite State,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Those responsible for distributing lethal drugs like heroin to the citizens of New Hampshire need to be held accountable for their actions. DEA is committed to aggressively pursuing Drug Trafficking Organizations or individuals who are coming from out of state to distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
This matter was investigated by the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; the Massachusetts State Police; the Haverhill Police Department; the United States Marshals Service; the New Hampshire State Police; the Manchester Police Department; the Lawrence Police Department; the Lowell Police Department, the Methuen Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.
This case was supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies
supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Thomas Joyner, 23, of Greenbelt, Md., was sentenced today to a 16-year prison term for killing a man in broad daylight in September 2016 in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Joyner pled guilty in February 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a prison sentence of 16 years. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson accepted the plea and sentenced Joyner accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, Joyner will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at about 1:50 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2016, Joyner was in the area of the 2500 block of Pomeroy Road SE, and he was armed with a gun. Prior to the shooting, Joyner was coming down from the top of the stairs that led from Elvans Road to Pomeroy Road and got into an argument with the victim, Joe Cook, over a quantity of marijuana. Joyner than brandished his firearm and shot Mr. Cook in the back. After shooting Mr. Cook, Joyner walked past him, then turned and shot him several more times. Mr. Cook, 35, was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived on the scene and was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital. An autopsy identified 16 different gunshot wounds on his body.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Joyner confessed to associates both verbally and on social media that he had shot Mr. Cook.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Shooting That Killed One Man, Wounded AnotherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demarius Jackson, 25, of Hyattsville, Md., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a shooting in Northwest Washington last year that killed one man and injured another, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Jackson pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence between 13 and 16 years in prison. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2018.
According to a factual proffer submitted at today’s hearing, the shooting took place at approximately 2:50 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2017. The shooting, in the 3500 block of Water Street NW, in the Georgetown area, followed a verbal altercation between the victims and the occupants of a vehicle. The vehicle was operated by an associate of Jackson’s. The interaction continued for about five minutes and concluded when Jackson walked up to one victim, Kennedy Amaya-Olivares, and shot him three times. He then chased after the other victim, shooting at him multiple times and striking him twice in the torso. Mr. Amaya-Olivares, 19, was shot once in the back of the head and once in the chest. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Jackson was arrested on Sept. 12, 2017, in Morgantown, W. Va., and extradited to the District of Columbia. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lornce Applewhite, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Maryland Man Found Guilty of 16 Charges in Domestic Dispute That Led to Police Pursuit Across Downtown WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Smith, 29, of Oxon Hill, Md., has been found guilty by a jury of multiple charges stemming from a violent domestic dispute that led to a high-speed police pursuit last Labor Day weekend that continued along busy streets of the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced today.
Smith was found guilty on May 24, 2018, of seven counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, three counts of destruction of property, and one count each of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, felony threats, carrying a dangerous weapon, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a collision, and fleeing police. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Milton C. Lee scheduled sentencing for July 27, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, Smith and the victim were involved in a romantic relationship that ended in August 2017. They have a child in common. Between Aug. 30, 2017 and Sept. 1, 2017, Smith’s conduct led the victim to obtain a temporary protection order against him. Despite that order, on Sept. 1, 2017, Smith came to the victim’s home, kicked in the door, took her car keys, and stole her car, a Dodge Avenger.
Two days later, on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, the victim, desperate to get back her car, agreed to meet Smith at a restaurant in the 1600 block of North Capitol Street NW. When she got there, Smith refused to give her car back. He started to take off with the car, and the victim jumped into the back seat because she did not want to lose it again. While in the car, Smith tried to stab victim with a knife, while telling her, “Our daughter isn’t going to have a mother anymore.” She was able to break the knife and hop out of the moving car at New Jersey Avenue and K Street NW. There, she used a bystander’s phone to call 911.
One hour later, at approximately 3 p.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) located Smith and the car at 5th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NE. When they tried to conduct a traffic stop, Smith took off. An MPD watch commander authorized a pursuit that continued for approximately 3.4 miles. During the chase, Smith caused four collisions, including striking a police officer who was involved in the pursuit. Smith was arrested at about 3:15 p.m. at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW after he attempted an illegal turn into oncoming traffic and collided with a car carrying a woman and her two children. Smith has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who responded to and investigated the case from MPD’s First and Fifth Districts. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. She acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Marcus-Kurn, Mark O’Brien, Chrisellen Kolb, and Suzanne Curt; Paralegal Specialists Brenda Williams and D’Yvonne Key; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia, Ron Royal, and Paul Howell, and Victim/Witness Advocate Lu Lan.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bianca Forde and Ryan Creighton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Lawyer Who Helped Payday Lenders Collect Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Unlawful Debt Sentenced to 8 Years’ Imprisonment and Fined $50,000Read the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – A Delaware attorney who spent nearly a decade helping clients collect hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal payday loans was sentenced Friday to eight years in federal prison, fined $50,000 and ordered to forfeit more than $356,000 in criminal proceeds
Wheeler K. Neff, 69, of Wilmington, was convicted in November of racketeering, conspiracy, and fraud charges. A jury found that Neff and his co-defendant, Charles M. Hallinan, 77, of Villanova, conspired to collect more than $490 million in debt from small short-term loans that were commonly known as “payday loans,” because the customers were supposed to pay them back with their next paychecks.
U.S. District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno ordered Neff to report to prison in 45 days. Hallinan is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2018.
Between 1997 and 2013, Hallinan owned, operated, and financed numerous companies that issued and collected debt from loans that had annual interest rates typically exceeding 780 percent. In Pennsylvania, it is a crime to charge more than 25 percent annual interest on such loans, and more than a dozen other states have interest rate limits of 36 percent or less.
“Payday loans prey on those who can least afford it. That’s why they are illegal in Pennsylvania and many other states,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain. “This defendant has never shown a hint of remorse for his actions nor sympathy for his victims, and during trial he told one lie after another. Perhaps a sentence like this will give him time to seriously consider the lives he has impacted.”
Neff drafted sham contracts designed to give the false impression that Hallinan’s companies were owned by Indian tribes that could claim “sovereign immunity” from laws they did not like. In 2011 and 2012, Neff engaged in a similar scheme with another payday lender, Adrian Rubin, 61, of Jenkintown. In return, Neff received hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in legal fees.
“As an attorney, Mr. Neff should realize that a civilized society requires obedience to the law, including those laws he didn’t happen to like,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain.
Neff also helped Hallinan defraud nearly 1,400 people who had brought a class action lawsuit in Indiana against one of Hallinan’s companies. Neff conspired with Hallinan to make it appear that his company had no assets, employees, or officers, and was owned by an Indian chief living in Canada in order to entice the plaintiffs to accept a discounted settlement on their claims.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark B. Dubnoff and James Petkun.
Jefferson County Felon Solicited Others to Purchase Guns Since He Was Prohibited from Buying ThemRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Peter Digiacomo, 31, formerly of Brockway, Pa., pleaded guilty to four counts before Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on various dates between July 2016 and March 2017, Digiacomo recruited straw purchasers to buy a total of 20 guns, and acquired one additional stolen gun which he later transferred to another individual. Digiacomo admitted to investigators that since he cannot purchase firearms due to prior convictions, including one for domestic violence, he solicited others to purchase firearms. The straw purchasers provided false information on federal forms in order to facilitate the purchase of the firearms. Due to his prior conviction, Digiacomo is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.
Chief Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for August 30, 2018. The law provides, at each count, for a maximum sentence of not more than ten years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses, and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Judge Conti ordered the defendant to remain detained pending sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter and prosecute gun crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with a detective from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Inmate in Boone County Sentenced to 300 Months for Drug Trafficking that Resulted in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky., — Chad H. Prodoehl, 35, of Independence, Ky., was sentenced today, to 300 months in federal prison, by United States District Judge David L. Bunning, for conspiracy to distribute carfentanil resulting in death.
Prodoehl was convicted in December 2017, following a three-day trial. The evidence at trial established that, while he was an inmate at the Boone County Jail work camp, in Burlington, Ky., Prodoehl conspired with others to smuggle drugs into the work camp. Prodoehl was permitted to leave the camp on work release; and on October 15, 2016, he brought drugs, including carfentanil, back to the camp and distributed them. Several inmates used the drugs and one inmate, Timothy Marcum, overdosed and died as a result.
Under federal law, Prodoehl must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for five years.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the DEA and Boone County Sheriff’s Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Elaine K. Leonhard and Anthony J. Bracke.
Indiana Man Charged in SDTX with Laundering Proceeds of $7 Million International Investment Scam Through Used Car DealershipRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - An Indiana man was arrested yesterday in Indianapolis in connection with allegations he laundered the proceeds of an international advance-fee scheme through a used-car dealership he owned and operated. The scam allegedly involved false promises of investment funding by individuals impersonating U.S. bank officials to victims around the world, who were told they had to make certain payments before they could supposedly receive their funding. In some cases, the perpetrators allegedly met with the victims at local U.S. embassies or consulates and fabricated U.S. government documents to make the victims believe the U.S. government was sponsoring the investment agreements. Proceeds of the scheme were allegedly laundered through U.S. bank accounts and diverted back to the scheme’s perpetrators in Nigeria.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas (SDTX), Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office and Inspector General Steve A. Linick of the U.S. Department of State made the announcement.
Tochukwu Nwosisi, 47, of Indianapolis, was charged in a superseding indictment filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of concealment money laundering. The superseding indictment includes charges against five other individuals who were previously charged in an indictment filed in February 2018 in connection with the same scheme. Nwosisi made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.
According to the superseding indictment, Nwosisi owned and operated a used car dealership in Indianapolis called Indyrides LLC. As part of his alleged involvement in the conspiracy, Nwosisi received international and domestic wire transfers from victims of the advance-fee scheme into his business bank accounts. The victims were under the impression that such payments were necessary to receive their investment funding. Nwosisi allegedly used the victims’ payments to, among other things, pay himself a portion of the funds and purchase vehicles that he then shipped to the scheme’s perpetrators in Nigeria. As banks closed his accounts for suspicious activity, Nwosisi continued to open new bank accounts to receive payments from victims.
The FBI and Department of State - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Suzanne Elmilady is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. SDTX AUSA Kristine Rollinson is handling the forfeiture matters.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Indiana Man Charged with Laundering Proceeds of $7 Million International Investment Scam Through Used Car DealershipRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An Indiana man was arrested yesterday in Indianapolis in connection with allegations that he laundered the proceeds of an international advance-fee scheme through a used-car dealership he owned and operated. The scam allegedly involved false promises of investment funding by individuals impersonating U.S. bank officials to victims around the world, who were told they had to make certain payments before they could supposedly receive their funding. In some cases, the perpetrators allegedly met with the victims at local U.S. embassies or consulates and fabricated U.S. government documents to make the victims believe the U.S. government was sponsoring the investment agreements. Proceeds of the scheme were allegedly laundered through U.S. bank accounts and diverted back to the scheme’s perpetrators in Nigeria.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office and Inspector General Steve A. Linick of the U.S. Department of State made the announcement.
Tochukwu Nwosisi, 47, of Indianapolis, was charged in a superseding indictment filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas with one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of concealment money laundering. The superseding indictment includes charges against five other individuals who were previously charged in an indictment filed in February 2018 in connection with the same scheme. Nwosisi made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.
According to the superseding indictment, Nwosisi owned and operated a used car dealership in Indianapolis called Indyrides LLC. As part of his alleged involvement in the conspiracy, Nwosisi received international and domestic wire transfers from victims of the advance-fee scheme into his business bank accounts. The victims were under the impression that such payments were necessary to receive their investment funding. Nwosisi allegedly used the victims’ payments to, among other things, pay himself a portion of the funds and purchase vehicles that he then shipped to the scheme’s perpetrators in Nigeria. As banks closed his accounts for suspicious activity, Nwosisi continued to open new bank accounts to receive payments from victims.
The charges in the superseding indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Department of State Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady of the Southern District of Texas. Forfeiture is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristine Rollinson of the Southern District of Texas.
Hedge Fund Founder Pleads Guilty to Fraud in Connection with Bribery of Former Correction Officers Union LeaderRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of MURRAY HUBERFELD to wire fraud conspiracy in connection with funds used to bribe the former president of the nation’s largest municipal correction officers union. Specifically, HUBERFELD, founder of the Platinum Partners hedge fund (“Platinum”), pled guilty to conspiring with an intermediary, Jona Rechnitz, to cause the fund to pay $60,000 to Rechnitz’s company by falsely representing that the money was payment for courtside tickets to eight New York Knicks basketball games. Instead, as HUBERFELD knew, the actual purpose of the payment was to reimburse Rechnitz for having paid Norman Seabrook, then-president of the Correction Officer’s Benevolent Association (“COBA”), for Seabrook’s efforts to get COBA to invest millions of dollars in Platinum. HUBERFELD pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Murray Huberfeld caused his former hedge fund to pay tens of thousands of dollars to a criminal partner in order to enable another crime – paying off the head of the correction officer’s union for the investment of millions of its members’ funds. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to fight fraud and corruption.”
According to the Superseding Information, Superseding Indictment, Indictment, and Complaint filed in this case, other public filings, statements made during the plea proceeding, and evidence and testimony presented at trial proceedings in October and November of 2017:
HUBERFELD was the founder of Platinum, a hedge fund that he continued to help operate unofficially even after his formal affiliation with the fund had ceased. In late 2013, HUBERFELD and Rechnitz, a real estate businessman who was an acquaintance of HUBERFELD, sought to attract public and institutional investors to the fund. At or around that time, Rechnitz told HUBERFELD that a contact of his – COBA President Norman Seabrook – would likely invest COBA’s money in Platinum. Over the next few months, Seabrook caused COBA to invest approximately $20 million of its funds into Platinum, including $15 million from a retirement benefits program funded by the City of New York that invests money for correction officers’ retirements.
In or around December 2014, arrangements were made to pay Seabrook personally for the millions of dollars the Union had invested over the course of that year. Rechnitz paid Seabrook $60,000 in cash, delivered to Seabrook in a men’s luxury handbag. HUBERFELD and Rechnitz then arranged for Platinum’s management company to receive a fraudulent invoice for $60,000 – generated by Rechnitz – that, on its face, billed Platinum for eight pairs of courtside tickets to New York Knick games given to Platinum by Rechnitz, who owned Knicks season tickets. In truth, and as HUBERFELD knew, the reason given to Platinum was false, and no Knicks tickets had changed hands. The real purpose of the payment was to reimburse Rechnitz, who had paid Seabrook for his efforts in securing COBA’s investments. Three days later, Platinum issued Rechnitz a $60,000 check.
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HUBERFELD, 57, of Lawrence, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The charge carries a maximum term of five years in prison. HUBERFELD is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 2018. The maximum potential penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Trial against Seabrook, on charges of (i) conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, (ii) the substantive offense of honest services wire fraud, and (iii) the substantive crime of wire fraud with respect to COBA’s right to control its assets, is scheduled to commence on July 30, 2018, before Judge Hellerstein. As to Seabrook, the charges in the various charging instruments are merely allegations, and Seabrook is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department, Internal Affairs Division.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Martin S. Bell, Russell Capone, and Lara Pomerantz are in charge of the prosecution.
Hawaii man sentenced to more than six years in prison for conspiracy to ship a ton of marijuana to Ohio from Hawaii, California and Oregon, and then launder the drug profitsRead the Press Release
A Hawaii man was sentenced to more than six years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to ship a ton of marijuana to Ohio from Hawaii, California and Oregon, and then launder the drug profits, law enforcement officials said.
William B. Murphy, 38, of Kealakekua, Hawaii, was sentenced to 80 months in prison. He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to launder money.
Murphy is the last of six people to be sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. The others are: Michael W. Spellman, of Kealakekua, Hawaii, and formerly of Geauga County; Peter Reichert, of Lyndhurst; Dustin Robinson, of East Liverpool; Young Hee Park, of Broadview Heights, and So Young Park, of Kealakekua, Hawaii.
According to court documents:
Murphy grew marijuana in Hawaii and procured marijuana in Hawaii, California and Oregon and had it shipped to people in Ohio.
Michael Spellman packaged the marijuana inside five-pound foil coffee bags, which also contained loose coffee beans, and mailed them to various addresses in Northeast Ohio, including a location in Shaker Heights. Murphy paid Spellman $100 for each package he mailed.
Reichert received packages of marijuana in Northeast Ohio, including in Chester Township, mailed from Hawaii, California and Oregon, for further distribution. Robinson received packages of marijuana in Pennsylvania mailed from Hawaii and California.
Robinson also mailed bulk cash to Spellman from East Liverpool. Murphy and Spellman had drug profits mailed to them at several post office boxes in Hawaii and California.
Young Hee Park received cash payments in Ohio from various marijuana customers and then mailed the cash to Murphy in Hawaii. Park mailed the packages containing cash from 25 different post offices in Northeast Ohio to avoid suspicion.
Spellman opened a bank account at Fifth Third Bank in Mentor. He and Murphy directed people in Ohio to deposit cash into the account from at least 15 different bank branches, in order to avoid detection. They used a similar arrangement with accounts opened at PNC Bank.
The defendants deposited at least $348,000 in cash into the accounts between 2014 and 2016. They used the accounts to pay for living expenses and other purchases, including airline tickets from flights between Cleveland and Hawaii totaling $40,959; drones from Drones, Inc. totaling $13,062; a greenhouse in Hawaii for $10,632; a Honda ATV for $11,170, and other purchases.
Overall, Murphy, Spellman and the other conspirators caused approximately 1,113 packages containing marijuana to be shipped to Northeast Ohio between 2014 and 2016. Additionally, they caused approximately 965 packages containing bulk cash to be mailed from Ohio to Hawaii, California and Oregon.
Spellman was previously sentenced to 34 months in prison. Reichert was sentenced to 20 months in prison. Robinson was sentenced to 28 months in prison
“This group mailed thousands of pounds of marijuana to Greater Cleveland from the West Coast and then laundered nearly $350,000 in drug profits,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “The leaders of this conspiracy paid for a lavish lifestyle with drug money, but now it will cost them federal prison.”
“From coast to coast the IRS will take every step to ferret out those who attempt to launder the proceeds of illegal drug profits,” said Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office. “The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very distribution of their illegal drugs. Without these ill-gotten gains, the traffickers could not finance their organizations.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Howell following an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service and the Lake County Narcotics Agency.
Hancock County woman sentenced for making a false statementRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Nichole P. Northcraft, of New Cumberland, West Virginia, was sentenced to six months probation for making a false statement when applying to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Small Business and Capital Ownership Development Program, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Northcraft, 44, pled guilty to one count of “False Official Writings.” Northcraft, as a minority, made a false claim about business ownership to benefit from the SBA’s program in February 2018.
The Small Business Administration operates programs to assist socially or economically disadvantaged business operators. The businesses must be unconditionally owned and controlled by the qualifying individuals in order to comply with federal law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr. prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Grand Jury Indicts Man on Federal Carjacking and Firearm Charges for Allegedly Stealing Vehicles at Gunpoint in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a Chicago man on carjacking and firearm charges for allegedly stealing multiple vehicles at gunpoint last month.
EARRIOUS MOORE, 24, stole three cars, attempted to steal two others, and twice discharged a handgun during a series of crimes in Chicago on April 26, 2018, according to a ten-count indictment returned Thursday. The indictment charges Moore with three counts of carjacking, two counts of attempted carjacking, three counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Moore was originally charged in a criminal complaint last month. The firearm charges in the indictment each carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while each attempted carjacking is punishable by up to 25 years due to the alleged firearm discharge during the attempts, and each carjacking by up to 15 years. Arraignment in U.S. District Court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department; and Celinez Nunez, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
The case was investigated by the Vehicular Hijacking Task Force, a joint federal and state initiative consisting of officers, agents and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chicago Police Department, ATF, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Illinois State Police, and suburban police departments.
“Carjacking is a senseless act of violence that has no place in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Our office is committed to working closely with CPD, ATF and other law enforcement partners to pursue and prosecute violent offenders. The carjacking and gun charges announced today are the direct result of that strong partnership.”
“Today's federal indictment sends a very clear message of just how serious we are taking carjackings throughout Chicago,” said Superintendent Johnson. “U.S. Attorney Lausch continues to be a formidable partner to the Chicago Police Department and shares our commitment and dedication to holding individuals accountable and keeping our streets safe.”
“There is no place in our society for violent criminals targeting innocent people,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Nunez. “Chicago is a great city. Citizens and visitors have the right to feel safe and ATF will continue to work closely with the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to restore peace and bring violent criminals to justice.”
According to the indictment, Moore carjacked two sport-utility vehicles and a sedan, and attempted to carjack two other vehicles. He brandished a loaded .40-caliber pistol during all three carjackings, and he discharged the pistol during the two attempted carjackings. In the final attempted carjacking, an individual sitting in a Mercedes-Benz in the 1400 block of North Lake Shore Drive was shot and wounded and subsequently treated at a hospital, according to the criminal complaint previously filed in the case. Moore ran away from that vehicle and was apprehended by Chicago Police Department officers in the lobby of a nearby building, the complaint states.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Kutcher.
Goldsboro Man Arrested for Distribution of Fentanyl Which Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that DONTE TERRILL KORNEGAY, A/K/A “BOSTON,” was arrested yesterday, May 24, 2018.
KORNEGAY was named in an Indictment filed on May 22, 2018, charging him with distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and death, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. If convicted of the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death charge, he would face a minimum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a $1,000,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
Mr. Higdon commented: “The United States Justice Department and the United States Attorneys’s Office are aggressively pursuing distributors of heroin and fentanyl. These drugs pose a serious danger to the people of Eastern North Carolina and we intend to remove that danger as part of our effort to “Take Back North Carolina” from the drug traffickers and violent criminals.”
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Investigation of this case is being conducted by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Wilmington Resident Office. Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron is representing the government.
Former Employee Charged with Defrauding HondaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged Charles Michael Stratton, 61, of Fairborn, Ohio, with multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering in an indictment returned here yesterday and filed today.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges.
According to the indictment, Stratton served as the Facilities Manager for Honda of America Manufacturing, Inc. in Marysville, Ohio from 2008 until March 2015. In his role, he oversaw various vendor contracts, including those for security services, janitorial services, food service and uniform/laundry on behalf of Honda.
Acrux Investigation Agency, located in Lakeview, Ohio, provided physical and personal security services for Honda. Surmount, also located in Lakeview, was a subsidiary of Acrux and provided monitoring services to Honda.
It is alleged that Stratton executed a scheme to defraud Honda using Acrux and Surmount by creating multiple purchase orders for payments in amounts just under $100,000, a threshold in which additional oversight and approval is required. Using these purchase orders, as well as the main labor contract, Stratton allegedly caused Acrux and Surmount to submit false invoices to Honda and instructed them to keep the money in a “future fund.” Money allocated to the future fund was then used, in part, to pay Stratton directly or through his organization, SAFE. Springfield Area Fastball Elites, Inc. (SAFE) was an Ohio non-profit created by Stratton to support local baseball teams; however, SAFE lost its classification as a 501(c)(3) in 2010.
Stratton is also charged with defrauding at least three other Honda vendors through the solicitation of donations for SAFE between 2012 and 2014, when it no longer held its tax-exempt status. Stratton received multiple donation checks, which he would either deposit in part to the SAFE bank account, while keeping a portion of the donation in cash for himself, or deposit the donation check entirely into his personal account. Only a fraction of the funds received through donations were actually spent in furtherance of SAFE’s mission.
Stratton is charged with 38 counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and money laundering carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, and Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica W. Knight and Peter K. Glenn-Applegate, who are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Former Child Psychologist Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography and Contempt of CourtRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Kenneth Allen Breslin was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for possessing child pornography and contempt of court, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge, following the entry of a guilty plea on March 1, 2018.
According to his guilty plea, Breslin, 69, of Berkeley, Calif., admitted to possessing well over 600 images and videos of child pornography on a variety of electronic devices at his former Lafayette residence and former psychology office in Orinda, including visual depictions of prepubescent children being subjected to sadistic conduct. While released on bond in this case, Breslin, a former child psychologist, also admitted possessing over 300 images and videos of child pornography, with some files depicting prepubescent children being subjected to sadistic conduct.
Further, Breslin admitted he willfully violated conditions of his pretrial release in this case. As a condition of his release, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Corley ordered Breslin not to use a computer or access the internet. Nevertheless, Breslin: repeatedly accessed the internet through an Apple iPhone 6; used a laptop computer to access and possess child pornography images and videos; and used a thumb drive to access and possess child pornography material. Breslin was eventually detained pending trial in this case following his violations of pretrial release.
“We applaud today’s sentence as a reflection of our work to seek justice and protect the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tse. “These cases would not succeed but for the cooperation of many of our law enforcement partners. We are grateful to Homeland Security Investigations, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, and the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.”
“A lengthy prison sentence is appropriate for these crimes, which involve repeatedly and willfully violating the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Spradlin. “What’s most disturbing about this particular case is that Breslin was in a position of public trust as a psychologist and had worked extensively with children in the past. HSI will do whatever it takes to continue investigating these types of crimes to hold people accountable for children being victimized here or abroad.”
On January 18, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a three-count superseding indictment charging Breslin with two counts of possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B), and one count of criminal contempt of court, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 401(3).
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordered Breslin to serve a 5-year period of supervised release following his custodial sentence. Breslin voluntarily agreed to pay restitution totaling $85,000 to 13 victims in this case, and agreed to deposit that money into the court’s registry prior to his guilty plea, so that the victims will receive the money even while Breslin is serving his sentence. Further, as part of his release conditions, Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordered Breslin to register as a sex offender and participate in sex offender-specific treatment.
Breslin has been in custody since he was remanded due to his pretrial release violations in September of 2017, and he will begin serving the sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall is prosecuting the case with assistance from Vanessa Quant. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, and the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft and Fraud in Scheme Involving Fake Purchases at Fictitious RestaurantsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man, who now resides in Melrose, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to making fraudulent charges using stolen credit card information for purchases at fictitious restaurants that he and his co-conspirators created, all in an effort to defraud the credit card processing companies who paid the fraudulent charges.
Charles J. Pedoto, 67, formerly of Naples, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, two counts of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Sept. 6 2018.
From April 9, 2014 to May 14, 2014, Pedoto and his coconspirators created fictitious restaurants, including Marshalls Steakhouse, Carroll Steak, Richards Steakhouse, MJ Fox Pub, and Robertson Steak, and opened bank accounts in the names of these fictitious restaurants. Pedoto and his coconspirators obtained stolen credit and debit card account numbers and information and then created counterfeit access devices (i.e. debit and credit cards) by re-encoding the magnetic strips from the cards. They then charged purchases at their fictitious restaurants and submitted the fraudulent transactions to credit card processing companies. After the fraudulent transactions were processed and the funds were transmitted to the restaurants’ accounts, Pedoto and his coconspirators withdrew the funds and mailed the proceeds for later pick-up by Pedoto under a fraudulent Massachusetts identification card in the name of Francis P. Rosen.
On May 9, 2014, law enforcement conducted a trash pull at Pedoto’s Naples, Fla., residence, which revealed multiple receipts indicating numerous credit card charges made at the fictitious Robertson Steak. The trash pull also revealed a white plastic card that had two credit card numbers encoded on the magnetic strip, one of which had a fraudulent charge to Carroll Steak and the other a fraudulent charge to Robertson Steak. Two credit card processing companies suffered losses totaling $160,395.
The charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of access device fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. 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; Stephen A. Marks, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Jeff Kelly, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Fort Myers Resident Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Five Men Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Following Investigation of Drug Sales in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Five people, all from Washington, D.C., have pled guilty to federal charges following an investigation into the distribution of drugs near a recreation center in Southwest Washington.
The guilty pleas, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, were announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The pleas followed an investigation targeting drug sales in the area near the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, in the 200 block of N Street SW. The investigation began in early 2017 after authorities noticed an increase in drug sales and violent activity in the area, which is in MPD’s First Police District. According to the government’s evidence, in addition to the area near the recreation center, drug sales took place in various alleys and corners, including near a church in the 1300 block of First Street SW, near a food market in the 1300 block of Half Street SW, and near a convenience store in the 1100 block of South Capitol Street SW.
The drug trafficking activity admitted to by the defendants took place within a one-block radius of the corner of Half Street SW and Q Street SW, one block west of Nationals Stadium.
Those pleading guilty include
Raymond Boston 26. He pled guilty on May 16, 2018, to one count of conspiring to distribute PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
Damion Littman, 32. He pled guilty on May 21, 2018, to one count of distribution of PCP and also faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
Morriko Washington, 24. He pled guilty on May 22, 2018, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a mandatory sentence of five years and a statutory maximum of life in prison.
Jerome Fuller, 33. He pled guilty on May 22, 2018, to one count of distribution of PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
Kione Banks, 20. He pled guilty on May 23, 2018, to one count of conspiring to distribute PCP and faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison.
According to court documents, Boston sold $1,500 worth of PCP and heroin on behalf of co-defendant Antonio Spencer on June 21, 2017. Boston was also in possession of crack cocaine when he was arrested on March 22, 2018. Littman sold both PCP and crack cocaine on Feb. 24, 2017. Washington sold more than 100 grams of PCP on four separate occasions in August, October, and November of 2017. Washington was also in possession of a firearm and additional crack cocaine when he was arrested on March 22, 2018. Court documents relating to Fuller stated that he sold crack cocaine and PCP on July 20, 2017 and Aug. 10, 2017. According to court documents, Banks sold $1,300 worth of PCP and crack cocaine on behalf of Spencer on May 12, 2017
Three defendants remain charged and all have pled not guilty. They include Antonio Spencer, 24, his brother, Maurice Spencer, 19, and Davon Warren, 21, all of Washington, D.C.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Legal Assistant Katie Cowley. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin L. Rosenberg and William Schurmann of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section, who are investigating and prosecuting the matter.Five 69’er Motorcycle Club Members Indicted on Federal Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Christopher Brian Cosimano, a/k/a “Durty,” (30, Gibsonton), Michael Dominick Mencher, a/k/a “Pumpkin,” (51, Tarpon Springs), Allan Burt Guinto, a/k/a “Big Beefy,” (27, Brandon), Erick Richard Robinson, a/k/a “Big E,” (45, Zephyrhills), and Cody James Wesling, a/k/a “Little Savage,” (27, Riverview) with multiple violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity, including conspiracy, murder, and assault with a dangerous weapon. They have also been charged with firearms offenses and narcotics trafficking. If convicted of all charges, Cosimano, Mencher, Guinto, and Wesling each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. If convicted of all charges, Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Robinson and Wesling were arrested yesterday and will make their initial appearances today at 2:00 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli. Cosimano, Mencher, and Guinto are currently in state custody and will make their initial appearances on a later date.
According to the indictment, Cosimano, Mencher, Guinto, Wesling, and Robinson were members of the 69’ers Motorcycle Club, a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in acts of violence and narcotics distribution. On December 21, 2017, Cosimano, Mencher, Guinto, and Wesling shot and killed Paul Anderson, the president of the Cross Bayou Chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Cosimano also shot and wounded James Costa, the president of the St. Petersburg Chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, on July 25, 2017.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Office for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Natalie Hirt Adams.
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.
Federal Jury Convicts Five Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico Prison Gang Members on Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., returned a verdict today finding five defendants guilty of participating in a violent racketeering enterprise known as the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) Prison Gang following a seven-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge James O. Browning. Joe Lawrence Gallegos, 48, of Los Lunas, N.M., Edward Troup, 46, of Albuquerque, N.M., Billy Garcia, 63, of Albuquerque, N.M., Arturo Arnulfo Garcia, 38, of Denver, Colo., and Andrew Gallegos, 50, of Los Lunas, N.M. Two defendants, Allen Patterson, 47, of Silver City, N.M., Christopher Chavez, 42, of Albuquerque, N.M., were acquitted of the charges against them.
The seven defendants and 23 co-defendants were charged with racketeering offenses in a 15-count superseding indictment filed in April 2016. Three of the 23 co-defendants were convicted and a fourth was acquitted on racketeering charges on March 12, 2018, during an earlier federal trial, and 17 others have entered guilty pleas. The remaining co-defendant is a fugitive. A subsequent second superseding indictment added a witness tampering charge against certain defendants.
On April 9, 2018, trial commenced against Joe Lawrence Gallegos, Edward Troup, Billy Garcia, Allen Patterson, Christopher Chavez, Arturo Arnulfo Garcia, and Andrew Gallegos on the superseding indictment, which charged the seven defendants with committing the following offenses for the purpose of gaining entrance into and maintaining and increasing their stature within the SNM prison gang:
- Count 1 – Joe Lawrence Gallegos, Edward Troup and Billy Garcia with murdering a person identified as F.C. on March 26, 2001, in Dona Ana County;
- Count 2 – Christopher Chavez, Allen Patterson and Billy Garcia with murdering a person identified as R.G on March 26, 2001, in Dona Ana County;
- Count 3 – Edward Troup, Arturo Arnulfo Garcia with murdering a person identified as F.S. on June 17, 2007, in Dona Ana County;
- Count 4 – Joe Lawrence Gallegos and Andrew Gallegos with conspiring to murder a person identified as A.B. on Nov. 12, 2012, in Socorro and Valencia Counties;
- Count 5 – Joe Lawrence Gallegos and Andrew Gallegos with murdering a person identified as A.B. on Nov. 12, 2012, in Socorro and Valencia Counties;
- Count 13 – Joe Lawrence Gallegos with assaulting with a dangerous weapon a person identified as J.G. on March 17, 2015, in Valencia County;
- Count 14 – Joe Lawrence Gallegos with conspiring to murder a person identified as J.G. between Feb. 1, 2016 and Feb. 27, 2016, in Otero and Valencia Counties; and
- Count 15 – Joe Lawrence Gallegos with attempting to murder and with assaulting with a dangerous weapon and causing serious bodily injury a person identified as J.G. on Feb. 27, 2016, in Valencia County.
- Count 16 – Joe Lawrence Gallegos with witness tampering.
The trial concluded this afternoon when the jury returned a verdict finding Edward Troup, Billy Garcia, Arturo Arnulfo Garcia and Andrew Gallegos guilty on the charges against them. The jury found Joe Lawrence Gallegos guilty on Counts 1, 4 and 5, and acquitted him on Counts 13, 14, 15 and 16. The jury acquitted Allen Patterson and Christopher Chavez on the charges against them.
At sentencing, Joe Lawrence Gallegos, Edward Troup, Billy Garcia, Arturo Arnulfo Garcia and Andrew Gallegos each face a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The defendants will remain in custody pending their sentencing hearings, which have yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by Albuquerque Division of the FBI and the New Mexico Corrections Department, with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Correctional Center, Albuquerque Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and the El Paso, Phoenix, Denver, Las Vegas and Knoxville FBI Divisions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case.
Fayetteville Men Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Terms for Hobbs Act Robberies and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced CALVIN JAMAL SPEARMAN, 23, of Fayetteville to 174 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release and DONTRELL LAMAR WRIGHT, 24, of Fayetteville to 229 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
The defendants were named in a seven count Indictment on September 21, 2017. On December 14, 2017, SPEARMAN pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery and to Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Aiding and Abetting. On February 20, 2018, WRIGHT pled guilty to the same charges.
On January 5, 2017, officers with the Hope Mills Police Department (HMPD) responded to a reported robbery at a Subway restaurant (Subway) located at 3020 Main Street, Hope Mills, North Carolina. During the robbery, two males, later determined to be WRIGHT and SPEARMAN entered the business just prior to closing. The first to enter the business went into the bathroom. A few seconds later, another male entered the business, locked the front door behind him, put on a mask, then brandished a semiautomatic handgun. The other male then emerged from the bathroom with his face covered. WRIGHT and SPEARMAN subsequently jumped the counter and removed $350 from the register. WRIGHT and SPEARMAN forced the two employees to lie down behind the counter and ordered the employees to “stay down for ten minutes,” and stole the phone from one of the employee’s prior to fleeing the scene.
On January 15, 2017, officers with the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) responded to a reported robbery at the Subway located at 3771 Ramsey Street, in Fayetteville. Officers determined that two males wearing hoodies and gloves (WRIGHT and SPEARMAN), one armed with a semiautomatic handgun, entered the business. A Subway employee recognized that a robbery was about to be committed and ran from the business. WRIGHT and SPEARMAN pursued the male employee and brought him back to the business at gunpoint. Once back inside, both employees were forced to lie on the ground. WRIGHT and SPEARMAN then took a cash deposit and money from the register totaling $974, demanded the employees to lie on the ground for ten minutes, and then fled the scene.
On January 21, 2017, officers with the FPD responded to a reported robbery at the Pizza Hut restaurant located at 3069 Boone Trail in Fayetteville. Officers determined that two males wearing hoodies (WRIGHT and SPEARMAN), one armed with a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine, had entered the business and robbed it of $1,196.95. During the robbery, WRIGHT or SPEARMAN ordered one employee to the ground, while the other approached another employee in the kitchen and ordered him/her to take him (WRIGHT or SPEARMAN) to the manager. Thereafter, WRIGHT or SPEARMAN ordered that employee to the ground and instructed the manager to take him to the safe. At gunpoint, WRIGHT or SPEARMAN subsequently had the manager open the safe and cash registers from which he took $1,196.95. WRIGHT or SPEARMAN also took an employee’s and the manager’s cell phones. Before leaving, SPEARMAN or WRIGHT ordered the employees to “stay down for ten minutes” and then fled the scene.
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.
In support of PSN, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Hope Mills Police Department, the Fayetteville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney James J. Kurosad handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced After Conviction for Operation Illegal Gambling BusinessRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that, KIET VO, 50, of Fayetteville, was sentenced by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan to 18 months imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Conduct an Illegal Gambling Business.
In January 2015, with the assistance of confidential informants (CIs), surveillance, and undercover operations, law enforcement established that a number of illegal gambling businesses were in operation in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Each gambling business had multiple video gaming machines (VGMs) which were owned and supplied by KIET VO and his wife, Phuong Truong. CIs identified multiple co-conspirators who operated the various gambling businesses, or would drop off and/or pick up moneyfrom each location. CIs further noted, and a co-conspirator statement later confirmed, that all of the money made by the illegal gambling operations belonged to VO, and the accounting oraudit sheets, of each machine's monetary transactions was performed by his wife. Investigation revealed that any profit from a gambling business was turned over to VO. In turn, VO would subtract the cost of the VGMs and, in some cases, pay the operating expenses of the establishment. In other cases, the operator of the establishment would be responsible for operating costs. Investigators established that the VO organization, in total, would profit between $25,000 and $60,000 per week.
Between 2015 and 2017, cooperating defendants provided multiple statements confirming the roles and responsibilities of KIET VO and his wife. Statements confirmed that VO controlled anddirected the individuals at each location including the monetary split, the number of machines, and whose name the rent and/or utility bills would be in. VO also directed multiple individuals in addition to his wife, to pick up and deliver money to and from each of the locations. Phuong Truong also directed the operators of each establishment in the collection of the money and while conducting the audits of each machine, including teaching others how to conduct the audits themselves. Additionally, KIET VO recruited other defendants and either encouraged or insisted that they open other illegal gambling businesses and/or maintain more VGMs.
Phuong Truong is scheduled to be sentenced during the July 10, 2018 term of court.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes represented the government in this case.
Fayette County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Her Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County woman was sentenced yesterday to federal prison on drug charges, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Tiffany D. Ramsey, 27, of Boomer, Fayette County, previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of heroin, and a quantity of oxycodone. Ramsey was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of several agencies, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Beckley Police Department, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service also provided assistance throughout the investigation.
“Yet another person in this Fayette County network of drug dealers is going to prison,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Anyone that would peddle such poisons - meth, pills, heroin, fentanyl – deserves federal time and our accommodations don’t come with turn down services, a chocolate on the pillow or a Michelin rating.”
Ramsey previously admitted that between May 2017 and June 28, 2017, she took part in a drug trafficking conspiracy with multiple participants. During this time period, Ramsey admitted to working with Cheyenne Fragale and others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and oxycodone in and around Fayette County. Ramsey admitted that she and Cheyenne Fragale sold the controlled substances from their house near Boomer. Ramsey also admitted that on June 28, 2017, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at various locations related to this drug trafficking conspiracy. During the searches, officers seized over 300 grams of crystal methamphetamine, as well as heroin, fentanyl, and over $29,000 in cash. The methamphetamine was later analyzed and confirmed to be 94% pure. The drug trafficking organization was responsible for distributing oxycodone, methamphetamine, and heroin in and around Fayette County.
Several individuals implicated as a result of this investigation have entered guilty pleas to drug charges and are awaiting sentencing. Four defendants have been sentenced for their involvement in the drug conspiracy. Cheyenne Fragale and Macon Fragale, brothers from Boomer in Fayette County, have been sentenced by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Cheyenne Fragale received a sentence of 12 years in federal prison while Macon Fragale will serve 16 years and 8 months. Dominic Copney of Beckley, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison by Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber. Donald Scalise, of Montgomery, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute oxycodone. He was also sentenced by United States District Judge Irene C. Berger. Others still awaiting sentencing include Velarian Carter, of Beckley, who faces a mandatory minimum of not less than 20 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 10, 2018. Detria Carter, of Beckley, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than five and up to 40 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on June 5, 2018. Shawn Akiem Anderson, of Mt. Hope, faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 11, 2018. Rory White, of Montgomery, faces at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 6, 2018.
Karl Funderburk, of Teays Valley, who previously pled guilty to a gun charge, faces at least 5 years and up to life in federal prison for using and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime when he is sentenced on July 10, 2018.
Shaun Jones has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. Jonathan Moore has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Each faces at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when they are sentenced on July 11, 2018.
Corey Larkin previously entered a plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 100 grams of heroin. He also faces at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 11, 2018.
Esau Burnette, of Beckley, has entered a plea to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine. He faces at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 10, 2018. James Rodney Staples, of Woodbridge, Virginia, faces at least 10 years in federal prison and up to life when he is sentenced on July 10, 2018 after entering a plea to conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 280 grams of cocaine base, and more than one kilogram of heroin.
George E. Brockman, II, of Montgomery, entered a plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of oxycodone. Charles Hill, aka “Unc,” of Beckley, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base, and a quantity of cocaine. They both face at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when they are sentenced on July 11, 2018.
Jonathan O. Brockman of Kimberly, Fayette County, previously entered a plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, a quantity of fentanyl, a quantity of oxycodone, and a quantity of marijuana for remuneration. David Shaun Coleman of Fayette County entered his plea to conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin and a quantity of oxycodone. Rashaun Carter, aka “Show,” of Raleigh County, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base, more than 100 grams of heroin, and a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of fentanyl. Each of these defendants face at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when they are sentenced on July 24, 2018.
Derrick L. Staples, of Charleston, entered a plea to conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 280 grams of cocaine base, and more than one kilogram of heroin and faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 24, 2018. Shaun L. Givens, of Beckley, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and faces at least five years and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 25, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess handled the prosecutions. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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East Greenwich Man Admits to Trafficking a Mixture of Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An East Greenwich man charged during an investigation by North Kingstown Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into drug trafficking in and around a North Kingstown public housing complex has pleaded guilty in federal court to trafficking fentanyl.
Jason Palmer, 43, pleaded guilty on Thursday, as charged in a federal indictment, to distribution of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, North Kingstown Police Chief Patrick Flanagan, and Albert P. Angelucci, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New England Field Division.
According to information presented to the Court, during the summer of 2017, in an effort to stem drug trafficking in and around certain North Kingstown public housing complexes, North Kingstown Police and DEA agents established an apartment in the Heritage House complex to house an individual assisting law enforcement with the investigation. The individual took up residence in the apartment with the intent of befriending individuals allegedly trafficking illegal narcotics.
IIn August 2017, the individual assisting law enforcement met and spoke with Palmer, and inquired about obtaining 5 grams of heroin. Palmer agreed to sell the individual heroin at a cost of $100 per gram. On August 24, 2017, Palmer sold the individual what Palmer said was 5 grams of heroin. DEA laboratory tests showed that Palmer actually sold the individual approximately 4.2 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and cocaine.
Palmer, who is detained in federal custody, is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith on September 14, 2018. Distribution of fentanyl is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release of 3 years to life, and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
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Dominican National Charged with Aggravated Identity Theft and Stealing Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was indicted yesterday in federal court in Boston with identity theft, aggravated identity theft, theft of public money, and illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Isidro Viscaino-Soto, a/k/a Ysidro Vizcaino, 58, a Dominican national residing in Boston, was indicted on one count each of identity theft, aggravated identity theft, theft of public money and illegal reentry of a deported alien. Viscaino-Soto was arrested and charged by complaint on April 17, 2018, and has been in custody since.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers in Boston discovered Viscaino-Soto on April 12, 2018, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States. Viscaino-Soto was previously deported on July 31, 2000, following a conviction for drug offenses. Court documents further allege that Viscaino-Soto used the Social Security number of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico in order to receive unemployment insurance, and in so doing, stole approximately $9,000 in federally-funded MassHealth benefits.
Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The identity theft charge provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of theft of public funds provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $250,000. Viscaino-Soto will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. 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; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Michael Mikulka, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and, Suzanne M. Bump, State Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki 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.
Doctor Convicted in $8.9 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a physician guilty today for her role in a scheme involving approximately $8.9 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for home health care and other physician services that were procured through the payment of kickbacks, were not medically necessary, not actually provided or, in some cases, were provided by the defendant, who was not a licensed physician during the conspiracy.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Timothy Slater of the FBI’s Detroit Division and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office made the announcement.
Millicent Traylor, 47, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks in connection with Medicare beneficiaries, and five counts of health care fraud following a four-day trial. Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 27, before U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland of the Eastern District of Michigan, who presided over the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, from 2011 to 2016, Traylor and her co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare of approximately $8.9 million through fraudulent home health and physician claims. The evidence showed that Traylor, who was unlicensed at the time, acted as a physician for these companies, providing services that were not medically necessary and that were billed to Medicare as if they were provided by a licensed physician. The evidence further showed that Traylor conspired to cause billing to Medicare for services that were not rendered. To make it appear that these services were medically necessary and were provided, Traylor and her co-conspirators falsified medical records and signed false documents. Additionally, the evidence at trial showed that Traylor and her co-conspirators paid and received kickbacks in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries to serve as patients at the clinics. The trial evidence also revealed that Traylor fraudulently signed the names of licensed physicians on prescriptions for opioid medications, such as oxycodone, as a means of inducing patient participation in the scheme.
Four defendants were charged in this matter. Jacklyn Price, 33, of Shelby Township, Michigan, and Muhammad Qazi, 47, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, pleaded guilty in April 2017 and are awaiting sentencing. Christina Kimbrough, M.D., 39, of Wayne, Michigan, pleaded guilty in November 2017 and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the HHS-OIG and the FBI. Trial Attorneys Stephen Cincotta and Steven Scott of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
DEA Targets Opioid Crisis with Operation Safe HavenRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN - The Drug Enforcement Administration this week launched Operation Safe Haven, a sweeping enforcement action spanning three states. DEA Special Agents, working closely with their state and local law enforcement partners throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia targeted a variety of bad actors, ranging from healthcare workers and distributors, to street-level drug dealers in a coordinated effort to attack the opioid crisis head-on in the region.
Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia have been hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis, according to James Catalano, Resident Agent in Charge of DEA’s Memphis Office. "Through operations like Safe Haven, the dedicated men and women of DEA, with help from our state and local counterparts, are working hard to make these communities safer by getting dangerous drugs off of our streets and bringing those who distribute them to justice," Catalano said.
Operation Safe Haven is the culmination of several months-long investigations. DEA Special Agents and Diversion Investigators from the Louisville Field Division, with support from local law enforcement agencies across the region, made 93 arrests, and seized over $1,000,000.00 in cash, 40 firearms, as well as significant quantities of heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs. Additionally, over 60 administrative actions were carried out against a range of healthcare providers.
Combatting opioid abuse is a top priority for DEA. In conjunction with Operation Safe Haven’s enforcement activities, DEA Diversion Investigators visited more than 100 pharmacies in 70 cities throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia to deliver pharmacist manuals and contact information for the Louisville Division’s Diversion Program. These visits mark the beginning of an on-going campaign to remind pharmacy staff of their compliance duties and ethical responsibilities.
The DEA’s Louisville Field Division covers Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, under the direction of Special Agent In Charge D. Christopher Evans. The Division was created in 2018 to better synchronize DEA’s efforts with regional law enforcement partners in a part of the country among those hardest hit by America’s opioid epidemic.
Cuban Citizen Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Trafficking Heroin in the New Ken AreaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Plum, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 62 months’ imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence yesterday on Radames Perez, age 46, and a citizen of Cuba.
According to information presented to the court, a wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in the New Kensington area from January to May 2015 revealed that the defendant was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy. During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Perez received between 700 and 1000 grams of heroin from a source of supply in New York City, which he later distributed in Western Pennsylvania.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of members drawn from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department, the Baldwin Borough Police Department, the Duquesne Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Munhall Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Scott Township Police Department, and the West Homestead Police Department, along with assistance from the City of New Kensington Police Department and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Perez. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.