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21 May 2018
Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison after Attempting to Shoot a Waterloo Police OfficerRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon and fired a shot at a Waterloo police officer was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison.
Miquelle Miller, age 23, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 19, 2017 guilty plea to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon.
Evidence at the sentencing showed that on May 21, 2017, Miller and his associates discharged a firearm within the city limits of Waterloo. Police received a 911 call regarding the shots and several officers responded to investigate. One officer located Miller walking down the 800 block of West Parker. The officer turned his vehicle around in order to ask Miller if he had seen or heard anything. As he was doing so, Miller took off running. The officer drove up to Miller and began exiting his vehicle when Miller turned, raised his arm, and fired one shot towards the officer. Miller ran again and threw the gun in a nearby backyard. Miller was arrested later that evening and police recovered the gun.
Miller was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Miller was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Miller is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-cr-2060.
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Washington, D.C. woman sentenced for her role in a drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Britney Joyce Robinson, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 41 months incarceration for maintaining a drug house, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Robinson, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises” in September 2017. Robinson admitted to operating a house in Morgantown, West Virginia, to distribute cocaine and oxycodone from the spring of 2016 to March of 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Warwick Man Detained on Charges of Producing, Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Warwick man charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with producing and possessing child pornography has been ordered detained in federal custody.
Thomas Goodman, 45, was ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond at his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on charges of enticing a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, it is alleged that Goodman’s personal phone was confiscated by his employment supervisor at Electric Boat, as he was using his phone on Electric Boat property against company/government policy. A security officer at Electric Boat conducted a search of the phone and allegedly discovered a large quantity of child pornography. The security officer contacted North Kingstown Police and turned the phone over to a North Kingstown police detective.
According to court documents, it is alleged that while securing the phone the North Kingstown police detective noticed an application that was open and displaying images of child pornography. Bases on a subsequent investigation by members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which included statements allegedly made to investigators by the defendant, the execution of a search warrant at his residence, and interviews of others, investigators determined that beginning in May 2011, until as recently as April 2017, Goodman allegedly molested three prepubescent children known to him. It is alleged that some of the illicit encounters were digitally recorded.
The filing of a federal criminal complaint in this matter and the initial appearance of Goodman in U.S. District Court in Providence are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, North Kingstown Police Chief Patrick Flanagan, Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Colonel Ann C. Assumpico and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Production of child pornography is punishable by statutory penalties of a mandatory minimum of 15 years up to 30 years imprisonment, mandatory special assessments of $5,100 and a fine of up to $250,000. Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, mandatory special assessments of $5,100 and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance in preparing this matter for prosecution.
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Vista Man Sentenced to more than 17 years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Janet Cabral (619) 546-8715 or Amanda Griffith (619)546-8970
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 21, 2018
SAN DIEGO – William Francis Walsh IV, a former Marine who worked at a fire station on Camp Pendleton, was sentenced today to 210 months in federal custody for distribution and possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Walsh, 55, was arrested in May of 2017 and charged with two counts of distribution and one count of possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct based upon his use of a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to distribute and download the images.
Walsh pleaded not guilty to the charges, and evidence was presented at a four-day federal jury trial in February of 2018. The jury heard testimony from law enforcement officers from the Escondido Police Department regarding the nature of the online investigation, the items seized at Walsh’s house pursuant to a search warrant, and the computer forensic evidence. Evidence at trial showed Walsh had downloaded hundreds of files with names indicative of child pornography through use of the peer-to-peer file sharing software. Following deliberations, the jury found him guilty of all charges.
At sentencing, Walsh declined to make a statement, and his counsel noted he continues to dispute the charges. U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia noted the long-term suffering of victims depicted in child pornography. In comparing Walsh to the range of offenders sentenced for similar offenses, the judge said Walsh’s conduct was “on the extreme end of the cases I have seen.”
“Today a man who committed terrible crimes against children was sentenced to many years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman. “These horrible experiences will echo in the hearts and minds of young victims for a lifetime, and I am deeply distressed and deeply committed to pursuing cases that will protect our vulnerable youth from people like Walsh.”
“Today’s sentence confirms that this predator can no longer victimize innocent children because he is off the streets and he is offline,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge John Brown. “This investigation showcases the success of collaborative federal and local investigations working toward a common goal.”
DEFENDANT Criminal Case No. 17cr1269-AJB
William Francis Walsh IV Age: 55 Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
- Counts 1 and 2 - Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2), Distribution of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct;
- Count 3 – Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B), Possession of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
Maximum penalties:
- Counts 1 and 2 – 20 years in prison, with a mandatory 5 years in prison
- Count 3 – 20 years in prison
- As to all Counts, $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Escondido Police Department
Virginia man sentenced for bank fraud, ordered to pay more than $26,000Read the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Ajarhi Roberts, of Stephens City, Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months incarceration for bank fraud, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Roberts, also known as Wayne Roberts, age 25, pled guilty to one count of “Bank Fraud” in February 2018. Roberts admitted to using another’s identifying information to commit bank fraud. The crime occurred in March and June of 2016 in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
Roberts was also ordered to pay $26,182.19 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
United States Files Complaint against Food Distributors Alleging Unsanitary Conditions at Staten Island FacilityRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a civil complaint in federal court in Brooklyn seeking to permanently enjoin two companies that own and operate a Staten Island facility from manufacturing and distributing adulterated food, the Department of Justice announced today.
According to the complaint filed at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States alleges that Euroline Foods, LLC, and Royal Seafood Baza, Inc., violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by processing and distributing ready-to-eat fish and fishery products, vegetable salads, and cheese products in a facility with chronic insanitary conditions. Inspectors from the FDA found Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) at the companies’ facility, and that the defendants failed to put in place adequate measures to reduce the risk of health hazards such as L. mono, Clostridium botulinum, and scombrotoxin. The complaint also named as defendants the companies’ owner/operators Eduard Shnayder, Syoma Shnayder and Albert Niyazov, and operator Oleg Polischouk.“Food processors and distributors must identify and eliminate food safety hazards and develop meaningful plans for preventing such hazards in order to protect consumers,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Those who fail to do so must come into compliance or be shut down. We have, and will continue, to use all means at our disposal to protect the public from the dangers of harmful pathogenic bacteria, including bacteria that cause listeriosis and other serious illnesses.”
“L. mono presents a significant danger to public health and can prove fatal to vulnerable individuals,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The food consumers purchase must be safe to eat, and we will continue to work with FDA to take action against companies that refuse to improve dangerously substandard practices.”
According to the complaint, the defendants failed to adequately implement effective sanitation controls that complied with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) requirements. In addition, the complaint alleges that the defendants failed to comply with seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations that are designed to mitigate food safety hazards associated with the processing of fish and fishery products.
Three FDA inspections of the defendants’ facility in March 2015, February to March 2016, and November to December 2016, as well as a follow-up investigation in November 2017, all uncovered cGMP and HACCP violations. The FDA issued a Warning Letter to Royal Seafood in 2015, and FDA inspections in 2016 detected listeria contamination in several areas of the facility.
The complaint seeks an order by the Court to permanently enjoin the defendants from violating the FDCA and to prevent them from manufacturing or distributing food unless they comply with specific remedial measures including developing and executing an effective sanitation program.
A complaint is merely a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gail A. Matthews of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Trial Attorney James T. Nelson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Associate General Counsel for Enforcement Jennifer C. Argabright of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny.
United States Files Complaint Against New York Food Distributors Alleging Insanitary Conditions at Staten Island FacilityRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint seeking to permanently enjoin two companies that own and operate a Staten Island facility from manufacturing and distributing adulterated food, the Department of Justice announced today.
In a complaint filed today, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States alleged that Euroline Foods, LLC, and Royal Seafood Baza, Inc., violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by processing and distributing ready-to-eat fish and fishery products, vegetable salads, and cheese products in a facility with chronic insanitary conditions. The complaint alleges that FDA inspections found Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) at the companies’ facility, and that the defendants failed to put in place adequate measures to reduce the risk of health hazards such as L. mono, Clostridium botulinum, and scombrotoxin. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, also named as defendants the company’s owner/operators Eduard Shnayder, Syoma Shnayder and Albert Niyazov, and operator Oleg Polischouk.
“L. mono presents a significant danger to public health and can prove fatal to vulnerable individuals,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The food consumers purchase must be safe to eat, and we will continue to work with FDA to take action against companies that refuse to improve dangerously substandard practices.”
According to the complaint, the defendants failed to adequately implement effective sanitation controls that complied with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) requirements. In addition, the complaint alleges that the defendants failed to comply with seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations, which are designed to mitigate food safety hazards associated with the processing of fish and fishery products.
Three FDA inspections of the defendants’ facility in March 2015, February to March 2016, and November to December 2016, as well as a follow-up investigation in November 2017, all uncovered cGMP and HACCP violations. The FDA issued a Warning Letter to Royal Seafood in 2015, and FDA inspections in 2016 detected listeria contamination in several areas of the facility.
“Food processors and distributors must identify and eliminate food safety hazards and develop meaningful plans for preventing such hazards in order to protect consumers,” stated United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York. “Those who fail to do so must come into compliance or be shut down. We have, and will continue, to use all means at our disposal to protect the public from the dangers of harmful pathogenic bacteria, including bacteria that cause listeriosis and other serious illnesses.”
The complaint seeks an order by the court to permanently enjoin the defendants from violating the FDCA and to prevent them from manufacturing or distributing food unless they comply with specific remedial measures including developing and executing an effective sanitation program.
A complaint is merely a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
This matter is being handled by Trial Attorney James T. Nelson of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gail A. Matthews of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, with the assistance of Associate General Counsel for Enforcement Jennifer C. Argabright of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny.
Undocumented Alien Gets 30 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 52-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Houston was ordered to federal prison for 30 years for his conviction of trafficking a kilogram of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Arturo Hernandez-Villegas pleaded guilty Aug. 15, 2016.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced Hernandez-Villegas to serve 360 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence.
At the time of his plea, Hernandez-Villegas admitted to playing a key role in attempting to deliver methamphetamine in the Houston area, including a delivery of approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine on June 12, 2014.
This delivery was part of an investigation that began in early 2014 which identified Hernandez-Villegas and his brother Lorenzo Hernandez-Villegas as leaders of a drug trafficking organization that primarily trafficked large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine.
On June 6, 2014, a confidential source (CS) called Arturo Hernandez-Villegas, during which time Arturo Hernandez-Villegas agreed to sell a kilogram of methamphetamine for $10,500. Approximately a week later, they met at a restaurant to complete the transaction. Shortly after their arrival, Arturo Hernandez-Villegas called his brother who arrived with the methamphetamine. The CS provided the money to Lorenzo Hernandez-Villegas, who, in turn provided the methamphetamine.
Authorities took control of the drugs and sent it for further chemical analysis, which demonstrated it had a net weight of 943 grams and a purity of 98.4%. The drugs had been imported from Mexico.
The evidence in the case also revealed Arturo Hernandez-Villegas was involved in other drug trafficking trafficking transactions totaling approximately nine kilograms of methamphetamine and 10 kilograms of cocaine for which he was held accountable at the hearing today.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office conducted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arthur R. Jones is prosecuting the case.
Two Men Indicted in Federal Court with Armed Robbery of Wauwatosa PharmacyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that two people were indicted for the armed robbery of the Swan Serv-U Pharmacy in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Elix Powell (age: 19 ) of Indianapolis, Indiana and Antonio Jamerson (age: 19) Chicago, Illinois were charged with one count of interference with commerce by robbery pursuant to the Hobbs Act, and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The indictment alleges that on December 28, 2016, the defendants, armed with a firearm, robbed the Swan Serv-U Pharmacy, located at 9130 W. North Avenue, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison on the armed robbery count and a minimum mandatory sentence of 7 years and up to life in prison on the charge of use of a firearm during a robbery.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Wauwatosa Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura S. Kwaterski.
This case is being investigated and prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The Project Safe Neighborhoods’ strategy brings together all levels of law enforcement and community resources to reduce violent crime and improve the quality of life in all our neighborhoods.
The Hobbs Act, passed by Congress in 1946, provides federal jurisdiction for cases involving violent criminals who commit armed robbery of businesses involved in interstate commerce. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office collaborate together to ensure that violent offenders are effectively prosecuted, making our communities safer for all.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig 414-297-1700
Two Houston Residents Sentenced in Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Houston individuals have been ordered to federal prison following their convictions of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick along with Special Agent in Charge Steven Grell of the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Rick Goss of IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI). Trenecia Moore, 34, and Michael Muniz, 28, pleaded guilty Oct. 24, 2017, and Jan. 8, 2018, respectively.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nancy F. Atlas sentenced Moore to 23 months in prison, while Muniz was sentenced to 12 months and one day. Moore and Muniz will also serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution, jointly and severely, in the amounts of $716,054 and $361,597, respectively.
The pair were indicted in June 2017. Moore filed false tax claims and unemployment insurance claims with identifying information of others. She then loaded the funds from those false claims onto debit cards and had them delivered to false addresses. Muniz assisted her in retrieving the cards and withdrawing the funds.
“Moore and Muniz defrauded the State of Texas Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund and the IRS by conspiring with others to steal the personally identifiable information of unwitting individuals in order to file fraudulent UI claims and federal tax returns,” said Grell. “We will continue to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to safeguard the UI system from those who exploit these benefit programs.”
“The sentencing of Moore and Muniz brings justice and hopefully some closure for the victims of this stolen identity fraud scheme,” said Goss. “IRS-CI special agents are dedicated to stopping identity thieves like these and will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to put an end to these schemes.”
Moore and Muniz were permitted to remain on bond and surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
DOL-OIG, IRS-CI and Texas Workforce Commission conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Andrew Leuchtmann and AUSA Carolyn Ferko prosecuted the case.
Three Richland County Residents Indicted on Methamphetamine Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Three Richland County, Illinois residents have been charged with methamphetamine related offenses in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Justin R. Mason, age 35, Harvey L. Ireland, age 34, and Brianna N. Bare, age 25, all of Olney, Illinois, were charged on May 8, 2018, in a three-count superseding indictment. Count 1 charges that from August 2017, until on or about March 7, 2018, in Richland County, and elsewhere, Mason, Ireland, and Bare conspired to knowingly and intentionally distribute methamphetamine. It is further alleged that the total amount of methamphetamine involved in the conspiracy was fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine (Ice), or five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
Count 2 charges that on February 3, 2018, in Richland County, Bare knowingly and intentionally distributed a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Count 3 charges that on February 17, 2018, in Richland County, Bare knowingly and intentionally distributed a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
With respect to Count 1, Mason, Ireland, and Bare each face 10 years to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and supervised release of not less than five years. For Counts 2 and 3, Bare faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release.
Ireland and Bare both made their initial appearance and were arraigned in federal court on May 14, 2018. Mason and Ireland were ordered detained in federal custody pending trial, which is presently scheduled to begin on July 23, 2018, at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
Three Indicted in Bath Salt ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Three people have been indicted on charges related to Alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (Alpha-PVP), also known as "bath salts," Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Toby L. Depoister, 32, of Edgewood, Illinois, Crystal L. Behrens, 33, of Alma, Illinois, and Brandon L. Hewkin, 28, of Farina, Illinois, were charged in a one-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on May 8, 2018. The indictment charges that from 2015, until on or about December 2017, in Clay County and Marion County, and elsewhere, Depoister, Behrens, and Hewkin conspired with Dennis R. Thacker, Jr., 49, of Alma, Illinois, and others known and unknown, to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, Alpha-PVP, a Schedule I controlled substance, in violation of federal law.
All three defendants were arraigned in federal court on May 11, 2018. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, supervised release of at least three years, and a $100 special assessment. Trial is currently scheduled to begin on July 9, 2018, and will be held at the federal courthouse in Benton, Illinois.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Flora Police Department, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force, and the Illinois State Police.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Teachers’ Assistant Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing StudentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Diore Anthony Paire, 34, a former teachers’ assistant at a public charter high school in Southeast Washington, pled guilty today to second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, involving a student, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Paire, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Ronna L. Beck scheduled sentencing for Aug. 3, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, in early 2017, Paire was a teacher’s assistant at the Thurgood Marshall Academy, located in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. The victim was a 17-year old student who attended that school.
In October, 2017, Paire and the victim exchanged phone numbers and began communicating with one another. On two different occasions that month, Paire sent the victim text messages, asking her to rendezvous with him in order to have sex. Both times, the victim declined his advances. One day after school that month, however, the victim was in the Academy’s computer lab. Paire came to the lab and asked the victim to engage in a sex act with him. She did, briefly, but stopped out of fear of getting caught. Later, however, she reported the relationship to authorities at the school and they, in turn, notified the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
When the police interviewed Paire about the allegations, he initially denied that he had done anything wrong. As the interview continued, however, he admitted that he had engaged the victim in a sexual act. Paire was arrested on Feb. 28, 2018.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu commended members of the Youth and Family Services Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, who investigated the case. She also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda Williams and Victim/Advocate Lezlie Richardson. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Johnston and Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
South African Professional Hunter Charged with Federal Crimes for Illegal Elephant HuntsRead the Press Release
DENVER – Hanno Van Rensburg, age 44, of South Africa, was charged with federal crimes related to illegal elephant hunts in an indictment unsealed in United States District Court for the District of Colorado, announced U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement (FWS-OLE) Special Agent in Charge Steve Oberholtzer.
As alleged in the indictment, the defendant sought opportunities to hunt large elephants that frequent the area around Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe. He hired a Zimbabwe-based outfitter so that he could lead a hunt inside the park. Once on the hunt, the defendant shot several elephants, and an elephant was killed inside the national park. The defendant then paid somewhere between $5,000 and $8,000 in bribes to Zimbabwean government officials in return for authorization to shoot the elephants, to kill an elephant inside Gonarezhou National Park, and to have the elephant’s ivory released. The defendant also helped a client in an effort to export the elephant out of Zimbabwe, by agreeing to falsely represent that the elephant was killed outside the national park and by agreeing to manufacture and submit a document falsely stating that this client was a resident of South Africa.
In addition, the defendant allegedly attempted to sell an illegal elephant hunt to an undercover U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agent. Among other things, the defendant attempted to sell the undercover agent a hunt in the same location outside Gonarezhou National Park and advertised his willingness to pay bribes to obtain tags to hunt inside Gonarezhou National Park. As alleged in the indictment, the defendant told the undercover agent that “if they need another tag, they get another tag. You know, that’s the negative part of it. The system is so corrupt. If they need to get it, they will get it. If the client pays the money they will find another tag. I am straight forward with you. Corruption is the rule in Africa.” In the process of offering the undercover agent a hunting trip, the defendant proposed that the undercover agent bring approximately $9,000 in “extras” that “we can use in camp to make things straight if we need to.” The defendant also advertised his hunting services by describing in detail his previous illegal hunt in Gonarezhou National Park.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners work together to support global efforts to protect threatened and endangered wildlife from illegal poaching,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “FWS and our prosecutors did an extraordinary job investigating this case.”
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to protecting imperiled species around the globe from poaching and trafficking,” said Steve Oberholzer, the Special Agent in Charge of the Mountain-Prairie Region. “These cooperative law enforcement efforts strengthen and protect America’s borders while ensuring the conservation of cherished wildlife species."
The case was investigated by FWS-OLE.
The defendant is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan D. Fields and Suneeta Hazra.
The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Six charged in massive fraud & money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
Alleged to have stolen over $8 million from a bank and an insurance company
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced federal charges against six individuals, including a former regional construction project manager for a bank, the owners of two different construction companies, the owner of an Indianapolis maintenance services company, and the owner of a Plainfield, Indiana, supply company. The six defendants are alleged to have operated a large-scale scheme to defraud and embezzle over $8 million from a Pennsylvania based bank and a Pennsylvania based insurance company. These charges are the product of a two-year investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service. Neither the bank nor the insurance company are being named because they are victims in this case.
“This community has a right to hold high expectations of individuals in positions of trust in our financial institutions,” said Minkler. “Those who blatantly commit fraud and abuse their positions will be held accountable in federal court.”
Those charged were: John L. Williams, 49, Zionsville, a former employee of the bank; Ernie Perkins, 36, Zionsville, the owner of Remarkable Creative Enterprises (“RCE”); Robert Finch, 71, Indianapolis, owner of Finch Constructors and Finch Management; Donald Landis, 58, Plainfield, owner of P&L Supply; Walter Watson, 69, Detroit, Michigan, owner of W-3 construction company; and Shalonda Coleman, 42, Indianapolis, a former employee of the insurance company.
According to the indictment, Williams was employed as a construction project manager in the Indianapolis regional office of the bank. His responsibilities included overseeing the bank’s internal real estate projects in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana, including new bank branch construction and existing bank branch renovation projects. In carrying out the scheme, Williams would contact Perkins, Finch, Watson, and Landis and instruct them to submit fraudulent invoices to the bank for work that was never performed and materials that were never supplied. Williams used his position at the bank and his oversight of the projects in question to approve payment of the fraudulent invoices. Once the bank paid the invoices, Perkins, Finch, Watson, and Landis would kick back a large percentage of the money to CB Consulting, a fictitious business entity controlled by Williams. In many cases, the money passed through multiple bank accounts before reaching the bank account Williams set up for CB Consulting.
Coleman and Perkins are also charged with using the U.S. Mail to defraud a Pennsylvania-based insurance company and steal money. In those instances, Coleman used her position as a claims processor, and her access to the company’s computer systems, to cause the insurance company to mail checks to RCE. Coleman disguised the payments to RCE as payments for work performed for the company’s insurance clients, but no work was ever performed. Instead, Perkins would deposit the checks into RCE accounts and kick back a percentage of the money to Coleman.
All six defendants are charged with conspiring to launder the money stolen from the bank and insurance company, and Williams and Finch are separately charged with engaging in a significant number of financial transactions in excess of $10,000 using the stolen funds. Those transactions included transfers to other bank accounts held by the defendants, construction of a residence in Zionsville, Indiana, more than $100,000 in payments for Williams’ daughter’s wedding, and the purchase of multiple automobiles. Williams and Coleman are also charged with tax evasion and filing false tax returns, respectively, for failing to report their receipt of stolen funds as income on their tax returns.
“The members of this criminal enterprise executed a scheme to steal millions of dollars, for their own personal use, and evade the law,” said Inspector in Charge Patricia Armstrong, of the Detroit Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The arrest and indictment of these defendants should serve as a warning to others who seek to commit similar crimes. Postal Inspectors, and our federal law enforcement partners, will tirelessly pursue them until they are brought to justice.”
“Those who line their pockets by embezzling and stealing from others or the government should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable,” said Gabriel Grchan, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “These charges and arrests show that IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to following the money trail to ensure that those who engage in these illegal activities are vigorously investigated and brought to justice. IRS Criminal Investigation stands ready to partner with all law enforcement agencies in Indiana to pursue individuals who steal from others and the government.”
“The FBI is committed to aggressively pursuing fraud committed on individuals, corporations or financial institutions. These charges send a clear message that attempting to hide criminal activity and defraud others comes at a price,” said Grant Mendenhall, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “Through collaborative efforts with our partners we will continue to work diligently to identify and investigate those who perpetuate these crimes and stop this type of corruption.”
According to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Rinka, who is prosecuting this case for the government, each defendant faces a maximum of thirty (30) years imprisonment for their roles in the scheme and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are considered innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution sentencing demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to partner with federal and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute those individuals who perpetrate large-scale fraud schemes and abuse positions of trust. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan (Section 5.1)
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Seven Puerto Rico Police Officers Indicted and Arrested for Corrupt Activities Including Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico– Seven Puerto Rico police officers have been charged in four different indictments for their alleged participation in a criminal acts, announced U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico. The FBI is in charge of the investigations.
“When the officer with a gun and a badge is no different from the trafficker peddling drugs in the street, we all suffer. That is why the US Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are determined to root out corruption, wherever and in whatever forms it may be found,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez.
“Today’s charges represent a grave breach of the oath taken by these sworn officers. Fortunately, those accused represent only a very small percentage of the brave men and women of the Puerto Rico Police Department, who serve only to protect the citizens of Puerto Rico. In fact, the FBI’s continued efforts to clean up corruption and civil rights violations have been assisted by the full cooperation of the leadership of the Puerto Rico Police Department,’ stated Douglas Leff, Special Agent in Charge of FBI, San Juan.
The first indictment, returned on May 18, 2018 by a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico, includes 13 counts for corrupt activities against the following police officers assigned to the Caguas Drug Unit: Eidderf Jhave Ramos-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Baby;” Juan Carlos Ortiz-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Juan C.;” Christian Rodríguez-Cruz; and Eric Velázquez-Martínez.
Eidderf Jhave Ramos-Ortiz is facing 11 counts for possession with intent to distribute marihuana while carrying firearms. Defendant Juan Carlos Ortiz-Vázquez is facing six counts for possession with intent to distribute marihuana while carrying firearms. Defendants Christian Rodríguez-Cruz and Eric Velázquez-Martínez are facing one count for possession with intent to distribute marihuana and one count for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If found guilty, all defendants are facing up to five years for the marihuana charges and up to life in prison for the firearms charges.
The second indictment charges José D. García-Hernández for possession with intent to distribute detectable amounts of marihuana in the municipality of Vega Baja. He is also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. García-Hernández is facing five years for the marihuana count and up to life in prison for the firearm violation count.
The third indictment charges José De Jesús Rivera, a.k.a. “El Mudo” with possession with intent to distribute detectable amounts of Tramadol, a Schedule IV drug controlled substance. On April 25, 2016 in the municipality of Vega Baja, De Jesús-Rivera carried firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime as charged in the first count. This defendant is also charged with possession with intent to distribute Tramadol within 1,000 feet of the Brígida Álvarez Rodríguez School in Vega Baja. De Jesús Rivera is facing 20 years for the Tramadol count and up to life in prison for the firearm violation count.
The fourth indictment charges Marcelino Pérez-De Jesús with two counts for the sale of a firearm and ammunition to a prohibited person. On or about July 5, 2016, Pérez-De Jesús knowingly sold a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol to a felon. On July 20, 2017, the defendant sold 50 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and two .40 caliber Glock magazines to a felon. The maximum penalty Pérez-De Jesús faces is up to 10 years in prison.
The cases are being investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys José A. Contreras, Teresa Zapata-Valladares, and Nicholas W. Cannon.
The charges contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Citizens of Puerto Rico with allegations of law enforcement corruption are encouraged to contact the FBI’s San Juan Division at (787) 754-6000.
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Sen Sun Sentenced for Harboring Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that on Friday, May 18, 2018, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona sentenced defendant SUN SEN for the crime of Harboring Illegal Aliens, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1), for his role in operating an illegal birth-tourism business on Saipan. As part of his operation, the defendant illegally employed dozens of caretakers, or “nannies”, all Chinese nationals who were in the CNMI without work authorization. The judge sentenced SUN to one year and one day of imprisonment, a $1,000 fine, and ordered that the defendant forfeit $33,960 in criminally- derived proceeds to the United States.
United States Attorney Anderson made the following statement: “The Department of Justice will not tolerate abuse of our immigration laws and regulations, particularly by those like Mr. Sun who ran a large and lucrative underground birth-tourism operation. Such businesses jeopardize the island’s legitimate tourist industry, while inviting practices that risk the health of both mother and child. Federal law enforcement will aggressively investigate and prosecute all those who engage in such an unlawful enterprise. We will also eliminate their profit motive through the forfeiture of all money and assets that can be linked to their crimes.”
Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Eric O’Malley, First Assistant United States Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who distributed child pornography and had previously been convicted in federal court of receiving child pornography was sentenced today to over 21 years in federal prison.
Craig Watters, age 31, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after a November 1, 2017 guilty plea to one count of distribution of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Watters admitted that, in 2014, he knowingly distributed child pornography. He also admitted that he was convicted of receipt of child pornography in the Northern District of Iowa in 2009.
Watters was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Watters was sentenced to 262 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and he was ordered to make $6,500 in restitution to two victims depicted in videos he received or distributed. Watters must also serve a life term of supervised release, and he must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 17-69.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Pennsylvania Outfitter Sentenced for Violating the Lacey Act in KansasRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Pennsylvania man who owns a company called Horseshoe Hill Outfitters was sentenced to five years on probation, banned from doing business in Kansas and fined $30,000 for violating the Lacey Act, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Robert P. McConnell, 48, Slippery Rock, Penn., pleaded guilty to four counts of importing deer into Kansas in violation of the Lacey Act, which regulates the trade in wildlife, fish and plants that has been illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold. Horseshoe Hill Outfitters advertises what it calls “trophy North American big game hunting adventures” in Kansas, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Ontario.
In two counts, McConnell admitted importing deer that were not from an accredited heard, were not officially identified and did not have a certificate of veterinary inspection. In two other counts, he admitted importing domesticated deer.
McAllister commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough for their work on the case.
Operation Golden Pony: Four Individuals SentencedRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kelly Ray Potter Jr., age 42, of McAlester, Oklahoma; Rachel Marie White, age 38, of El Reno, Oklahoma; and Lashea Dannette Harris, age 33, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma were each sentenced for Drug Conspiracy, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841. Sisney Ann Large, age 43, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was sentenced for Distribution of Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841. Potter was sentenced on March 7, 2018, to 262 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. White was sentenced on April 12, 2018, to 80 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release. Harris was sentenced on May 9, 2018, to 18 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Large was sentence on March 15, 2018, to 57 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release.
These charges arose from a joint investigation entitled “Golden Pony” coordinated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) of the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The agencies involved in the investigation were the Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”), the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), and several agencies that are members of the DEA Task Force including the Tulsa (“TPD”) and Broken Arrow (“BAPD”) Police Departments, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (“OHP”), the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (“OBN”) and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office (“TCSO”).
The Superseding Indictment, filed on September 13, 2017, alleged that beginning in or about July 2016 and continuing until on or about November 29, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, defendants Potter, White, and Harris, knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated and agreed together, and with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, and to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846.
The Superseding Indictment further alleged that on or about August 30, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, defendant Large knowingly and intentionally distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
“Disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations is a critical component of public safety. Criminal drug organizations are inherently dangerous to all people, not just those that participate in the business of dealing drugs. Law enforcement operations like this require thousands of hours from dedicated, professional, thorough law enforcement officers. This investigation and resulting prosecution would not have been successful without the cooperative efforts of agents from the DEA, BIA, TPD, BAPD, OHP, OBN, and TCSO, and members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Brian J. Kuester. “When agencies from federal, tribal, state, and local jurisdictions work together as they did here, so much more can be accomplished for the communities that we serve than can be accomplished alone. This was teamwork at its finest.”
OCDETF is an initiative led and coordinated by the Office of the United States Attorney. The OCDETF Program’s mission is to disrupt and dismantle every component of the most significant transnational, national, and regional criminal organizations engaged in drug trafficking and money laundering in the United States. To accomplish this mission, it is essential to investigate and prosecute individuals who organize, direct, finance, or are otherwise engaged in facilitating high-level illegal drug trafficking, drug-related violence, and related enterprises, including large-scale money laundering organizations.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over each of the sentencing hearings. The defendants will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the non-parolable sentences will be served.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Wilson represented the United States.
Oncologist and Office Manager Sentenced in Connection with Administering Unapproved, Foreign DrugsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Vincent Koh, M.D., age 73, and his wife and office manager Milly Koh, age 64, of Poughkeepsie, New York, were sentenced today to pay fines of $7,500 and $3,000, respectively, for receiving in interstate commerce and delivering misbranded drugs, a misdemeanor.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Office of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations; and Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG), New York Region.
The Kohs each pled guilty on November 20, 2017. According to their plea agreements, Vincent Koh is a New York State-licensed medical doctor specializing in the treatment of cancer patients, with offices in Poughkeepsie and Glen Falls, New York. Milly Koh managed the practice, and is responsible for ordering the drugs that Vincent Koh prescribes. From July 2010 through March 2012, the Kohs ordered various discount oncology drugs from foreign sources that Vincent Koh prescribed and administered to patients. These drugs had not been approved by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States, and their labeling did not contain information required by law. As such, these prescription drugs were “misbranded” and illegal to receive and provide to patients in the United States.
Vincent Koh and Milly Koh admitted that they regularly ordered and delivered to patients a prescription drug labeled “Mabthera.” Generally, “Mabthera” contains rituximab, the same active ingredient found in the FDA-approved drug legally used and marketed in the United States as “Rituxan.” However, the drug ordered by Vincent Koh and Milly Koh came from an unapproved, foreign source, and its label did not bear adequate directions for use and other information required by the FDA.
The criminal case was investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations and HHS-OIG, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph A. Giovannetti.
In February 2018, the Kohs agreed to pay $500,000 for violating the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims to Medicare for unapproved chemotherapy drugs. The civil investigation and settlement were the result of a coordinated effort among the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, HHS-OIG, FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel, and FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations. The United States was represented in the civil investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam J. Katz.
Olney, Illinois Man Sentenced on Methamphetamine Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Michael J. Murphy, 37, of Olney, Illinois, was recently sentenced to federal prison on methamphetamine related charges, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
On May 16, 2018, Murphy was sentenced to 150 months imprisonment and ten years on supervised release following his imprisonment. Murphy had previously pleaded guilty to two counts in a federal indictment.
Count 1 charged that from December 2016, until on or about March 25, 2017, in Richland County, and elsewhere, Murphy conspired to distribute methamphetamine in violation of federal law. The total amount of methamphetamine involved in the conspiracy was fifty (50) grams or more of crystal methamphetamine (Ice), or five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
Count 2 charged that on March 25, 2017, in Richland County, Murphy knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The total amount of mixture and substance containing methamphetamine possessed by the defendant was five (5) grams or more of methamphetamine (Ice), or fifty (50) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
Ohio County man sentenced for drug distribution and firearms possessionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Dorian Devon Banks, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to six months incarceration for cocaine distribution and illegal firearms possession, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Banks, age 28, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine” and one count of “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime” in February 2018. Banks admitted to possessing cocaine and a 9mm caliber pistol during a drug crime in May 2017 in Ohio County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ohio Valley Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.Newburgh man sentenced as repeat offender for possessing sexually explicit materials involving minorsRead the Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
Evansville – United States Attorney Josh Minkler today announced the sentencing of a Newburgh man for possessing sexually explicit material involving a minor. Joshua C. Bolin 26, Newburgh, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young, which is to be followed by a term of fifteen years supervised release.
“Possessing sexually explicit material involving children further perpetuates the victimization of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Minkler. “Those who chose to take advantage of our children, particularly repeat offenders, will be a priority to this office and should expect to face the hammer of federal prosecution.”
In January 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Bolin’s residence in Newburgh. Inside his bedroom, law enforcement found a computer memory card that contained 15 child pornographic video files, 72 child pornographic image files and hundreds of child erotica images. Bolin received an enhanced sentence based on a 2015 felony conviction for possession of child pornography in Warrick County.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Kyle M. Sawa, Bolin must also pay a $5,000 fine.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution sentencing demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to partner with federal and local law enforcement agencies to prosecute those individuals who exploit or harm children or other vulnerable victims. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 4.1)
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Médico Del Sur De Texas Acusado De $240 Millones En Fraude Al Sistema De Salud Y Una Estratagema Internacional De Lavado De DineroRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A un médico radicado en el área de McAllen, Texas se le hizo una acusación formal, la cual se hizo pública el día de hoy, por su participación en un fraude de $240 millones al sistema de salud y una estratagema internacional de lavado de dinero.
El Fiscal General Adjunto John P. Cronan de la División Criminal del Departamento de Justicia, el Fiscal de los Estados Unidos Ryan J. Patrick del Distrito del Sur de Texas, el Agente Especial a Cargo C.J. Porter del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los Estados Unidos de la Oficina del Inspector General (HHS-OIG) de la Región de Dallas y el Agente Especial a Cargo Christopher Combs de la Oficina Regional del FBI en San Antonio, emitieron el comunicado.
Jorge Zamora-Quezada, de 61 años, de Mission, Texas, fue acusado de siete cargos en el Distrito del Sur de Texas. Se le acusó de un cargo de asociación ilícita para cometer fraude al sistema de salud, cinco cargos de fraude al sistema de salud y un cargo de asociación ilícita para llevar a cabo el lavado de dinero.
“Jorge Zamora-Quezada presuntamente organizó una estratagema de fraude masivo que puso en peligro la salud y el bienestar de niños inocentes, personas de tercera edad y víctimas con discapacidad,” dijo el Fiscal General Adjunto Cronan. “Las alegaciones de que Zamora-Quezada violó su juramento de no hacer daño, al administrar quimioterapia innecesaria y otros medicamentos tóxicos, a pacientes con enfermedades graves — incluyendo a algunas de las víctimas más vulnerables que se pueda imaginar — son difíciles de entender. La División Criminal está comprometida a combatir el fraude al sistema de salud y de proteger a las víctimas de estratagemas censurables, como la que se alega en este caso.”
“Tomamos alegaciones de esta naturaleza muy en serio,” dijo el Fiscal estadounidense Patrick. “El enjuiciamiento contra el fraude al servicio de salud es una mayor prioridad para el Distrito del Sur de Texas, especialmente cuando sospechamos que pacientes vulnerables han sido presuntamente explotados, diagnosticados erróneamente o que quizá se les ha recetado medicamento que posiblemente sea dañino, como una manera de cometer este fraude.”
“La acusación formal del día de hoy es el primer paso en hacer al Dr. Zamora-Quezada responsable de su presunta conducta atroz y delictiva,” dijo HHS-OIG Agente Especial a Cargo Porter. “Sus pacientes confiaban en él y creían en su integridad; a cambio, presuntamente participó en una estratagema de diagnósticos y tratamientos falsos, y recetó medicamentos innecesarios y dañinos, a fin de obtener una ganancia financiera personal y sin tomar en cuenta el bienestar del paciente. HHS-OIG siempre perseguirá a delincuentes que se hagan pasar por médicos legítimos, los erradicará y les dará el castigo más severo posible, especialmente cuando el daño al paciente está de por medio.”
“El FBI está comprometido a trabajar con nuestros socios de los grupos operativos para combatir el fraude al sistema de salud,” dijo el Agente Especial a Cargo Combs. “Es un delito muy serio que va en aumento y que ha impactado cada ciudad y pueblo de la nación. Esta investigación destaca una inquietud aun mayor que es representante del fraude al sistema de salud, más allá de las pérdidas financieras significativas, es el daño físico y emocional que sufren los pacientes y sus familias. Por esta razón nosotros en el FBI, junto con nuestros socios de los grupos operativos, estamos comprometidos a ofrecerle justicia a las víctimas de los presuntos delitos del Dr. Zamora-Quezada.”
Como expone la acusación formal, desde el año 2000 hasta el día de la presentación de la acusación formal, Zamora-Quezada y sus cómplices diagnosticaron erróneamente a pacientes vulnerables – incluyendo a menores de edad, personas de tercera edad y personas con discapacidad, en el Valle del Río Grande, San Antonio, y en otros lugares – con varias enfermedades degenerativas, incluyendo la artritis reumatoide. Junto a sus cómplices, les administró quimioterapia y otros medicamentos tóxicos a pacientes basados en ese diagnóstico falso. Además de darles diagnósticos falsos a los pacientes, Zamora-Quezada y sus cómplices presuntamente llevaron a cabo una serie de procedimientos médicos fraudulentos, repetitivos y excesivos con los pacientes, a fin de aumentar los ingresos y financiar el estilo de vida lujosa y extravagante de Zamora-Quezada.
La acusación formal alega que Zamora-Quezada y sus cómplices volaban el avión privado de Zamora-Quezada de un millón de dólares o manejaban su Maserati, ambos grabados con sus iniciales, “ZQ”, entre sus oficinas en el Valle del Río Grande y San Antonio a fin de llevar a cabo el fraude. Él, junto a sus cómplices transfirieron el dinero recaudado de su asociación ilícita para comprar aviones privados, vehículos de lujo, ropa de tiendas de calidad superior como Louis Vuitton y propiedades exclusivas en varias partes de los Estados Unidos y México. Él, junto a sus cómplices presuntamente obstruyeron investigaciones al crear expedientes médicos falsos y ficticios, y le ocultaron miles de expedientes médicos a Medicare almacenándolos en establos inseguros y destartalados, ubicados en el Valle del Río Grande.
La acusación formal también alega que Zamora-Quezada y sus cómplices lavaron las ganancias de su estratagema, malgastando, transformando y ocultando la fuente y el lugar de sus ganancias al invertirlas en propiedades comerciales y residenciales en los Estados Unidos y México. Entre las propiedades, él junto a sus cómplices adquirieron dos penthouses en Puerto Vallarta, México; un condominio en Aspen, Colorado; un condominio en Punta Mita, México; y numerosas casas y propiedades comerciales ubicadas en diferentes partes de Texas. Después creó la falsa apariencia de riquezas e ingresos legítimos alquilándole a individuos y a entidades varias propiedades comerciales y residenciales que él había adquirido. Zamora-Quezada y sus cómplices presuntamente lavaron las ganancias en una casa de cambio, enviándolas a varias cuentas que mantenían en instituciones financieras en México.
La acusación formal solicita el decomiso del avión privado, el Maserati y las diferentes propiedades residenciales y comerciales de Zamora-Quezada en los Estados Unidos y México.
Una acusación formal es simplemente una alegación y todo acusado es inocente hasta que se compruebe su culpabilidad más allá de una duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia.
La Oficina Regional de McAllen de HHS-OIG, el Grupo Operativo contra el Fraude al Sistema de Salud de la Oficina Satélite de McAllen en el Valle del Río Grande de la División de San Antonio y el Grupo Operativo de McAllen contra Delitos Financieros están llevando a cabo la investigación de este caso. Estos grupos operativos están compuestos de investigadores del Departamento de Seguros de Texas, del Departamento de Policía de McAllen, del Departamento de Policía de Pharr y de la Comisión de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Texas.
El Abogado Procesalista Kevin Lowell de la Sección de Fraude de la División Criminal y el Fiscal Adjunto de los Estados Unidos Andrew Swartz del Distrito del Sur de Texas, están llevando este caso a juicio.
El FBI está buscando identificar posibles víctimas de Zamora-Quezada y sus cómplices. Si usted fue paciente de Zamora-Quezada entre enero 2000 y mayo 2018 y cree que pudo haber sido afectado por sus presuntos delitos y el de sus cómplices, por favor llame al FBI a su línea directa, 1-833-432-4873, Opción 8 o 9, o si tiene acceso a un correo electrónico, envié su correo al grupo operativo a [email protected]. Por ley el FBI tiene que identificar a las víctimas de los delitos federales que investiga y tiene que proporcionarles a dichas víctimas información, servicios de asistencia y recursos.
La Sección de Fraude lidera el Equipo de Prevención de Fraude al Medicare, el cual forma parte de una iniciativa conjunta entre el Departamento de Justicia y HHS, quienes enfocan sus esfuerzos para prevenir e impedir el fraude e implementan las leyes actuales en contra del fraude en todo el país. El Equipo de Prevención de Fraude al Medicare opera en nueve localidades en toda la nación. Desde su comienzo en marzo del 2007, el Equipo de Prevención de Fraude al Medicare ha presentado cargos a más de 3,500 acusados quienes han colectivamente defraudado al programa de Medicare por más de $12.5 mil millones.
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Mullens Doctor Charged in 20 Count Indictment with Unlawful Distribution of Prescription Opioids and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Charleston returned a 20-count indictment against Manuel C. Barit, M.D., the only practicing physician at Mullens Family Clinic. The indictment charges Dr. Barit with 19 counts of distribution of Schedule II controlled substances, including the opioid hydrocodone, outside the bounds of a legitimate medical practice. The indictment also alleges that, from about October 7, 2013 through January 24, 2018, Dr. Barit knowingly executed a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting claims indicating that he treated patients at his clinic in Mullens on dates he was outside the United States. If convicted on all charges as alleged in the indictment, Dr. Barit faces up to 390 years in prison, and a $5 million fine.
“Today we are facing the worst drug crisis in American history, with one American dying of a drug overdose every nine minutes,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “It's incredible but true that some of our trusted medical professionals have chosen to violate their oaths and exploit this crisis for profit. That's why, last summer, I sent a dozen of our top federal prosecutors to focus solely on the problem of opioid-related health care fraud in places where the epidemic was at its worst—including Southern West Virginia. U.S. Attorney Stuart understands that pursuing these cases cuts off the supply of drugs and stops fraudsters from exploiting vulnerable people, and he and his office are doing just that. Our prosecutors began obtaining indictments back in October, and today we charge another doctor who allegedly defrauded the taxpayer while diverting potentially addictive drugs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office for their good work on this case, as well as all of our state and local partners for their tireless efforts and invaluable partnership. This brings us one step closer to ending our national drug epidemic."
“This indictment is an example of my Office’s commitment to hold doctors accountable when they violate federal laws designed to protect the health and safety of patients,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Opioid-related health care fraud is a serious problem facing the Southern District of West Virginia, and we will work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring suspected criminals to justice and protect our communities. A drug dealer in a lab coat is still just a drug dealer.”
The indictment is the result of the formation of the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit (OFADU), a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to identify and prosecute individuals that are contributors to the national opioid crisis. The Southern District of West Virginia is one of 12 districts nationally to participate in the pilot program.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the indictment. Assistant United States Attorney Haley Bunn is handling the prosecution.
“DEA has made efforts to focus investigations on doctors who are abusing their positions by writing prescriptions outside the norms of good medicine,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge D. Christopher Evans, Louisville Field Division. The investigation into Dr. Barit’s prescribing habits revealed that prior to Dr. Barit traveling outside of the U.S., he had pre-written prescriptions for Schedule II substances and left signed blank prescriptions for staffers to write controlled substance prescriptions to be given to patients in his absence. The investigation further revealed that Dr. Barit was illegally billing Medicaid, Medicare, and other medical insurances for face-to-face visits while he was traveling. DEA will continue to investigate doctors and pharmacies whose actions violate U.S. laws and exploit their position of trust.”
The indictment is attached.
Please note: An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
barit_indictment_final.pdf
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Muldrow Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gregory Martin Williams, age 57, of Muldrow, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and Title 18, punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about August 30, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charge arose from an investigation by the District 27 Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Wilson represented the United States.
Morgan County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew Dean Smith, of Great Cacapon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 18 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Smith, age 39, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of an Unregistered Firearm” in January 2018. Smith admitted to possessing an unregistered silencer. The crime took place in Berkeley County in October 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara K. Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving the Reselling of Food Products that were to be DestroyedRead the Press Release
A Belmont, Mississippi man who conspired with others to resell food products that were supposed to become animal feed or be used for agricultural purposes, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to transport property taken by fraud in interstate commerce, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. RANDY SPARKS, 60, admits he purchased various food and drink products from a middleman who had agreed to destroy the goods. SPARKS then resold the products from his own grocery outlet, Silver Dollar Sales, or sold them to other discount grocery chains. The investigation did not uncover any illnesses resulting from the sales. The Court will determine any restitution owed to the victims, up to an amount of $103,709 at the time of sentencing, currently set before U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik on September 7, 2018.
According to records filed in the case, the scheme involved as many as 180 truckloads of food and beverage products from ten different food producers. The plea agreement details how SPARKS and a co-conspirator defrauded a Massachusetts-based company that arranged for the disposal and destruction of unsaleable food products. Specifically between July 2014 and October 2016, SPARKS and a co-conspirator represented that the commodities would be shipped to a South Dakota based business for destruction. The co-schemers produced fraudulent paperwork regarding the shipping and destruction of the goods. In fact, they were shipped to SPARKS who then sold them from his own grocery outlet or to other discount grocery chains.
The plea agreement describes how in May 2015, a juice producer in Selah, Washington, wanted 22 truckloads of apple juice destroyed because it did not meet their production standards. The producer arranged for the juice to be shipped to South Dakota to be recycled into animal feed. Instead, SPARKS shipped the juice through Seattle to Mississippi, and then sold it to outlets in Mississippi and California. The conspirators then presented the brokerage company with false documents about the destruction of the juice and the shipping history, which were ultimately provided to the manufacturer. The scheme was uncovered when some of the product was discovered on a store shelf in Maryland.
Approximately ten producers of food and beverage products had paid a combined $107,256 to have their products destroyed, which, in fact, were not destroyed, but instead resold to or by SPARKS.
The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Diggs.
Mineral County woman sentenced drug distribution chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Autumn Breann Ward, of Keyser, West Virginia, was sentenced to five years probation for a drug distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Ward, age 34, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin” in February 2018. Ward admitted to selling heroin in August 2016 in Mineral County.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.Milwaukee, WI, Man Found Guilty for His Role in Drug Conspiracy Resulting in Death and Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Christopher C. Myers announces that on May 14, 2018, JOVAN MARQUIS HARRIS, age 28, of Milwaukee, WI, was found guilty of: Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death and Serious Bodily Injury; three counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death or Serious Bodily Injury; and two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance, by a jury following six days of trial.
Law enforcement’s investigation into a spike in the heroin overdose deaths of individuals in the Fargo-Moorhead area between September 2015 and April 2016 resulted in the indictment of Harris for the overdose death of one person in Moorhead on September 1, 2015, and the non-fatal overdoses of two individuals in Fargo on August 27 and September 1, 2015. Harris also sold heroin on two occasions in March 2016 to a confidential informant in Fargo. The heroin he was distributing was brought to the Fargo-Moorhead area from Milwaukee, WI.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Moorhead Police Department, Cass County Drug Task Force, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, and North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from Cass County State’s Attorney, North Dakota Crime Lab, Minnesota BCA Crime Lab, and Ramsey County (MN) Medical Examiner.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Shasky and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Rodenbiker.
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Middlesex County, New Jersey, Woman Admits Role in Credit Card Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman today admitted participating in a credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Alexus Omowole, 22, of North Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2017 to January 2018, Omowole and Henry Abdul, a conspirator who was charged by criminal complaint in January 2018 in connection with the scheme, participated in a conspiracy to obtain control of and use credit card accounts of others through a fraudulent scheme commonly referred to as a “credit card takeover” scheme. In a takeover scheme, a person who is not the account owner or authorized user of a credit card account contacts the financial institution and poses as the account owner in order to change the personal information associated with the account to information familiar to the unauthorized user. The information changed may include the residence, email address, or telephone number associated with the account. These changes to the account are designed to give the unauthorized user control of the account without the actual account owners’ knowledge or authorization, and may permit the unauthorized user to receive new credit cards associated with the compromised accounts. Once in control of the account, the unauthorized users make purchases, transfer funds to other accounts under the user’s control, or sell the account information to third parties.
Abdul’s residential address was used as part of the takeover conspiracy, and both Abdul and Omowole profited from the conspiracy by using several compromised credit cards at various retail locations in New Jersey and elsewhere. Omowole admitted that the scheme caused between $150,000 and $250,000 in losses, and involved more than 10 separate victims.
The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed by the Court. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael in Newark, New Jersey; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Ruth M. Mendonca, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas P. Grippo and David M. Eskew, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations against Abdul are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
Defense counsel: Joseph Benedict Esq. New Brunswick, New Jersey
Michigan Home Health Agency Owner Pleads Guilty to Charges for Role in Medicare Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a Michigan home health agency pleaded guilty today to charges for his role in a scheme involving Medicare claims for home health services that were procured through the payment of illegal kickbacks.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office 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.
Atheir Amarrah, 43, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, the owner of Prompt Care Home Health Services Inc. of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks in connection with Medicare beneficiaries and to four substantive counts of paying health care kickbacks before U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy of the Eastern District of Michigan. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 25, before Judge Levy.
As part of his guilty plea, Amarrah admitted that he paid illegal kickbacks to recruiters in exchange for Medicare beneficiary referrals and billed Medicare for claims procured through these illegal kickbacks. The scheme is alleged to have resulted a loss of up to $1.8 million to the Medicare program by submitting claims to Medicare from 2013 through 2017 related to Medicare beneficiary information that he obtained by paying illegal kickbacks. The loss amount will be determined by the court at sentencing.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. Trial Attorneys Jacob Foster and Howard Locker of the 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.
Miami Gardens Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Operating a Fraudulent Credit Card Manufacturing FacilityRead the Press Release
On May 14, 2018, Julio Arjona Gomez, 51, of Miami Gardens, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for operating a fraudulent credit card manufacturing facility in Hialeah.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS); and Juan J. Perez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), made the announcement.
United States District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga sentenced Chavez to 144 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Arjona previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(b)(2); one count of producing, using, and trafficking in counterfeit access devices, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(1); and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).
According to court documents, beginning in November 2016, through November 2017, Arjona operated a counterfeit credit card manufacturing facility in Hialeah, Florida. To facilitate the counterfeit credit card business, Arjona utilized an email account to traffic in thousands of stolen credit card account numbers and to receive orders for counterfeit credit cards. He also received photographs, in order to produce counterfeit state identification cards. Arojona received payments, in exchange for the counterfeit credit cards. Based on the fraud scheme, law enforcement agents obtained a search warrant for the facility. During a search of the operational facility, on November 14, 2017, agents identified a room that was dedicated to manufacturing counterfeit credit cards. Law enforcement recovered thousands of counterfeit credit cards, over 50,000 blank credit card plastics, several credit card printers, a magnetic strip encoder, modified gasoline pump skimmer devices, computers, and electronic media storage devices or USB flash drives.
Arjona was held accountable at sentencing for $1,944,000 in intended losses.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the USSS and MDPD in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Stratton.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
Alexander Ciccolo, aka, Ali Al Amriki, 25, of Adams, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in connection with a plot to engage in terrorist activity inspired by and in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS or ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Ciccolo pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, one count of attempting to use weapons of mass destruction, one count of being a convicted person in possession of firearms, and one count of assaulting a nurse during a jail intake process by use of a deadly weapon causing bodily injury.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling for the District of Massachusetts, and Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw of the FBI’s Boston Field Division announced the plea. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for Sept. 5.
“Homegrown violent extremists pose a serious danger to innocent Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Not only did Ciccolo admit to supporting ISIS, but he also collected weapons and explosives in order to further its goal: the murder of Americans. Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of all involved, his plans were thwarted. Today’s successful outcome is proof that we will not waver in our commitment to hold accountable those who break our laws and put American lives at risk.”
“Even though he was born and raised in Massachusetts, Alexander Ciccolo swore allegiance to ISIS and planned to kill innocent civilians in the United States on ISIS’s behalf,” said U.S. Attorney Lelling. “Fortunately, someone who knew Ciccolo alerted law enforcement, and the Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force was able to stop Ciccolo before he tried to kill anyone. There are a few lessons here: the threat of “homegrown” radicalization and terror continues, and we are safest when we work together to spot and contain these threats. I applaud the outstanding work of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and other law enforcement agencies that investigated and ultimately stopped Ciccolo, and the prosecutors who brought this case to conviction.”
“Mr. Ciccolo is finally accepting responsibility for concocting an elaborate and frightening plot to engage in terrorism on behalf of ISIS,” said Special Agent in Charge Shaw. “Any material support of a terrorist organization threatens our national security, and had Mr. Ciccolo's efforts to advance his agenda not been thwarted by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, countless lives could have been lost in a lethal terrorist attack. This case is a testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force which remains committed to detecting, thwarting, and bringing to justice individuals like Mr. Ciccolo who seek to provide material support to and fight on behalf of designated foreign terrorist organizations.“
On July 4, 2015, Ciccolo received four firearms which he had ordered from a person who was cooperating with law enforcement, and who had been communicating with Ciccolo about his plans to engage in a terrorist act. Ciccolo was arrested immediately after receiving the firearms, which included a Colt AR-15 .223 caliber rifle, a SigArms Model SG550-1 556 rifle, a Glock 17-9 mm pistol, and a Glock 20-10 mm pistol. Ciccolo had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in jail and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Ciccolo, a supporter of ISIS, had spoken with a cooperating witness in recorded conversations about his plans to commit acts of terrorism inspired by ISIS, including setting off improvised explosive devices, such as pressure cookers filled with black powder, nails, ball bearings and glass, in places where large numbers of people congregate, like college cafeterias. Prior to his arrest, agents had observed Ciccolo purchase a pressure cooker similar to that used in the Boston Marathon bombings.
During a search of Ciccolo’s apartment after he was arrested, agents found several partially constructed “Molotov cocktails.” These incendiary devices contained what appeared to be shredded Styrofoam soaking in motor oil. Ciccolo had previously stated that this mixture would cause the fire from the exploded devices to stick to people’s skin and make it harder to put the fire out.
Shortly after his arrest, while he was being processed at the Franklin County Correctional Center in Massachusetts, Ciccolo stabbed a nurse with a pen more than 10 times, leaving a bloody gash on the top of the nurse’s head.
Ciccolo has been detained since his arrest in July 2015.
The charge of attempted provision of material support to a foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum sentenced of 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of assault with a dangerous weapon causing bodily injury carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the assigned judge.
Ciccolo and the United States have agreed to a sentence of 20 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Springfield, Ludlow, Holyoke, West Springfield, Easthampton, and Pittsfield Police Departments in Massachusetts; the Massachusetts State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations, with critical assistance from the Adams Police Department and the Massachusetts State Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deepika Bains Shukla and Kevin O’Regan of the District of Massachusetts, and Trial Attorney Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are in charge of the prosecution.
Martinsburg man sentenced for selling heroinRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Darnell Jermaine Fitzhugh, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to five years probation for heroin distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Fitzhugh, also known as “DC,” age 32, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Heroin” in February 2018. Fitzhugh admitted to selling heroin on July 11, 2016 in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Los Angeles Man Sentenced to over 26 Years in Prison for Role in Federal Narcotics Conspiracy Involving Counterfeit OpioidsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A downtown Los Angeles resident was sentenced today to 320 months in federal prison for participating in a federal drug trafficking conspiracy that imported acetylfentanyl, a drug very similar to the powerful and highly addictive opioid fentanyl. Acetylfentanyl, which is five times more potent that heroin, is not approved for any use in the United States.
Christopher Bowen, 32, was sentenced for his role in a conspiracy to manufacture, possess and distribute four narcotics, specifically: acetylfentanyl; a-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, a so-called designer drug also known as “PVP” that is sometimes used in “bath salts”; ecstasy; and alprazolam, which is commonly sold under the brand name Xanax.
United States District Judge S. James Otero imposed the prison sentence, remarking that the sentence of 26⅔ years reflected the quantities of drugs seized by investigators. During the investigation, DEA agents seized more than 11 kilograms of acetylfentanyl from the organization. The drug organization obtained pill presses from China that were used illegally to make tablets in labs in a storage unit in Long Beach and a house in Baldwin Park.
“The opioid crisis in our country has risen to epidemic proportions in large part due to drug trafficking conspiracies such as this one,” said United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna. “These dangerous drugs end up in our neighborhoods and pose a significant public health emergency.”
Bowen was sentenced after being convicted on two counts following a jury trial in October 2017. The evidence presented during a trial in United States District Court showed that Bowen and other members of the drug organization imported acetylfentanyl from China, which they then used to produce homemade pills designed to look like legitimate pharmaceuticals. Bowen and his co-conspirators then distributed the pills in bulk across the nation.
The leader of the organization – Gary Resnik, 33, of Long Beach – pleaded guilty in August 2017 and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Otero on July 9.
This case was investigated by the special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael G. Freedman of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Section and David Ryan of the General Crimes Section.
Longview Woman who Purchased Guns for Violent Felon Sentenced to a Year in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Longview, Washington woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to one year in prison and three years of supervised release for abetting a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. ANDREA SIBLEY, 29, lied on federal forms and purchased at least nine firearms for her boyfriend, Brent Luyster. Luyster, is an avowed violent white supremacist who shot and killed three people, and shot a fourth woman in the face in Woodland, Washington in July 2016. SIBLEY was convicted in state court of rendering criminal assistance in connection with those murders. At the sentencing hearing today U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, “Guns are being used to take lives of innocent people at an alarming rate. So it is a serious crime when a person is helping someone who shouldn't have guns get guns…. [You] had to know someone was going to get hurt by these firearms but that did not deter you.”
“This defendant lied repeatedly to provide multiple powerful firearms to a man with a horrible history of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Each time she walked into a gun store and lied she let herself become part of a terrible crime. We will hold accountable all those who fail to comply with the laws meant to keep guns out of the hands of prohibited and dangerous persons.”
According to records filed in the case, in May 2016, Luyster and SIBLEY invited Luyster’s ex-girlfriend to visit their Longview home. Luyster assaulted the ex-girlfriend, pistol whipping her and firing shots at her as she ran from the home. The ex-girlfriend escaped, and SIBLEY left the home with her son and the ex-girlfriend’s son in her car. When stopped by police, SIBLEY denied knowing about any gunshots or violence. When deputies arrived at the home they heard gunshots from the wooded area behind the house and ultimately got Luyster to surrender. The deputies found three firearms near where Luyster had been – a semi-automatic rifle, a .40 handgun and a shotgun. Six more firearms were inside the home. ATF agents determined that SIBLEY had purchased all of the firearms using her parent’s address, making false statements on the purchase forms.
Luyster was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a firearm. On June 7, 2016, his bail was reduced and he was released based in part on a letter SIBLEY wrote on his behalf. Just over a month later, on July 15, 2016, Luyster killed three people and injured a fourth at the home in Woodland. The firearm used in those murders has never been found.
“Andrea Sibley’s criminal conduct during which she purchased the firearms for a convicted felon and white supremacist led directly to three tragic murders,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Darek Pleasants. “While our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of those lost due to this criminal conduct, ATF is proud to have been able to work alongside our partner agencies to identify and bring Sibley to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Miyake.
Local Man Convicted of Firearms Charge Related to Trafficking DrugsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 41-year-old Corpus Christi man has entered a guilty plea to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On Oct. 20, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a federal narcotics search warrant at the home of Eduardo Ignacio Reyes in Corpus Christi. During the search, authorities seized a loaded 9mm handgun and a safe in his bedroom, which contained approximately 430 grams of cocaine, $2,000 and 9mm ammunition. The officers also discovered additional cocaine and a second loaded handgun within the residence.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos accepted the plea today and set sentencing for Sept. 11, 2018. At that time, Reyes faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The South Texas Specialized Crimes and Narcotics Task Force and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.
Leader of Street Gang Who Described Three-Gang Coalition as a ‘New World Order’ Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A gang member who helped manage a coalition of three rival street gangs in Northeast Los Angeles that were brought together by orders issued by a member of the Mexican Mafia was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison.
Manuel Vallejo, also known as “Boxer,” 36, of Los Angeles, a leader and “shot caller” of the Toonerville gang, was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez for conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, committing a Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR), conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a VICAR.
During the sentencing this morning, Vallejo told the court, “Even if I stole God’s calculator, I couldn’t add up all the mistakes I’ve made.”
Vallejo was among 22 defendants charged nearly three years ago in a federal racketeering indictment relating to the unification of three rival street gangs under Mexican Mafia member Arnold “Arnie” Gonzales. The “peace treaty” imposed by Gonzales in 2010 brought together the Frogtown, Toonerville, and Rascals gangs to control the narcotics trade and other illegal activities in an area that ran along the Los Angeles River from Elysian Park to Burbank for the benefit and profit of Gonzales and the criminal enterprise.
As alleged in the indictment, while Gonzales was incarcerated in Pelican Bay State Prison after being convicted of murder, he appointed Frogtown gang member Jorge Grey to be his emissary on the streets. The indictment accused the 22 defendants of conspiring to operate a criminal enterprise involving various criminal offenses, including narcotics trafficking, extortion, and money laundering.
According to court records, less than two years after Arnold Gonzales imposed the truce on the gangs, Vallejo was recorded describing the criminal enterprise as a “New World Order” or “United Neighborhoods,” and akin to the “United Nations.”
As part of his plea agreement, Vallejo admitted that he was one of the principal members of the conspiracy and, in that capacity, collected “taxes” from both members and associates of the enterprise and individuals engaging in narcotics trafficking or other illicit activities within the territory controlled by the enterprise. He also personally participated in selling and helping arrange the sale of narcotics within enterprise territory, thereby generating revenue for Gonzales and the enterprise.
“The defendant in this case has been held accountable for the violent and egregious acts he perpetrated upon our community,” said United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna. “This case should put violent gang members on notice that our federal agents and prosecutors are coming for them.”
In pleading guilty to the VICAR charge, Vallejo further admitted that in December 2011 he shot victim another gang member multiple times in response to victim’s efforts to advance his own authority within Toonerville, and in order to enforce compliance with the dictates of the “peace treaty.” Vallejo was subsequently recorded on multiple occasions bragging about having shot the man, whose gang moniker was “Grinch.” In September 2012, for example, Vallejo threatened to “reenact the one who stole Christmas” against fellow gang members who were operating behind his back. Vallejo was also recorded in April 2013 stating that he did not care if people knew he had shot Grinch because “ain’t nobody gonna go testify.”
“The career criminal in this case spent his life committing violent acts and intimidating others into coercion as part of his gang activity,” said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Bill McMullan. “As justified, he is one of many from this case going to prison for a very long time. ATF is committed and dedicated to removing violent criminals like these from our society. Justice has been served.”
The RICO case is the result of Operation “Gig ‘em,” an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Violent Crime Impact Team; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Correctional Safety, Special Service Unit; the Glendale Police Department; and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Out of the 22 defendants named in the indictment, all but three have pleaded guilty, with most of those who have been sentenced receiving substantial prison sentences, including a 20-year sentence for Jonathan Zepeda and a 15½-year sentence for Giovanni Olvera. The three remaining in the case face trial this summer.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carol Alexis Chen and Alexander B. Schwab of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Leader of Conspiracy to Steal Treasury Checks Sentenced to 70 MonthsRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina: Colby L. Simmons, age 35, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, was sentenced to 78 months in prison after being found guilty by a jury for his involvement in a conspiracy to pass Treasury checks of the United States bearing falsely made or forged endorsements, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and making false statements to federal authorities, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson sentenced Simmons and also ordered that he pay over $236,000 in restitution.
Evidence presented at the trial established that there was a multistate conspiracy, beginning in or about June 2013, to steal Treasury checks and cash them. The checks belonged to disabled veterans, retired federal employees, and current federal employees. Several victims appeared at trial and testified about having automobiles repossessed, no money for Christmas gifts, and loss of homes because of the thefts.
The investigation focused on Simmons beginning in June 2014 during a car stop on I-85. Greenville County deputies stopped Simmons and found a Treasury check that did not belong to Simmons and $10,000 in proceeds from the cashing of Treasury checks. On top of the check recovered there was written the driver’s license number of Brandy D. Page, a co-conspirator from Cowpens, South Carolina, who has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing. The check was sent to the laboratory and it came back as having on it the fingerprints belonging to Joshua A. Martin, a co-conspirator from Spartanburg, South Carolina, who has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Martin and Page arrested some months after the stop of Simmons’ vehicle and confessed to their involvement.
In December 2014, Wal-Mart in Boiling Springs reported that it was the victim of approximately $200,000 in reclamations related to the cashing of Treasury checks. Three cashiers were interviewed and several picked Page out of a line up as a person who cashes multiple Treasury checks in the store. Cashiers also identified Josh Martin as cashing multiple Treasury checks.
In January 2015, the Greer Wal-Mart reported approximately $75,000 in reclamations related to the cashing of Treasury checks. On many of these checks there were written Page’s driver’s license number and date of birth. Others had Martin’s driver’s license number and date of birth. The store also had on file fake power of attorney forms that Page and Martin had used to cash the checks.
Investigation revealed that Page and Martin began cashing checks for Simmons in the summer of 2013. During the initial meeting with Simmons, Page received three to four (3-4) checks. There were many more meetings in which checks were provided to Page and Martin and proceeds from the cashing of the checks were given to Simmons. Simmons brought Treasury checks to Page approximately one to two times per month for at least eighteen (18) months.
The case was investigated by agents of the Greer Police Department, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case.
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Law Enforcement Officers Join Students for a Day of LearningRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, and Taylor County High School will present a BLAST Program event on Wednesday to approximately 50 students.
Event: BLAST Program
Location: Big Bend Technical College
3233 S. Byron Butler Pkwy.
Perry, Florida 32348
Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Time: 9:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. EST- 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. Opening Remarks
- 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Rotating Group Breakouts (30 minutes each)
- 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. “Returning from Prison” Presentation
- 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch
Press: Please RSVP to Amy Alexander at [email protected] if you plan to attend.The BLAST Program offers students an opportunity to meet representatives of the criminal justice community and ask them questions, share their perceptions of law enforcement, and interact with law enforcement officers in a familiar setting. Law enforcement officers also provide students with their perspective on responding to dangerous or uncertain circumstances and the importance of remaining calm and following the officers’ directions in these situations.
The schedule will include the following discussion sessions, during which students will have a chance to participate in role play with law enforcement officers. (Students with media permissions will be identified.)
- Criminal Justice Overview: Students will learn about each phase of a federal criminal case, including investigation, prosecution, and sentencing.
This session is open to the media and public, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Domestic Violence: Students will participate in a scenario in which law enforcement officers respond to a domestic disturbance. Discussion includes the challenges officers face, rights of witnesses and suspects, and benefits of providing information to law enforcement. This session is open to the media and public, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Traffic Stop Simulation: Participants and officers alternate playing the roles of civilians and officers in a traffic stop. Discussion includes de-escalation and the uncertainty officers and vehicle occupants face during a traffic stop. This session is open to the media and public, and videography and photography is permitted.
- Use of Force: Facilitators and students will discuss when law enforcement officers may use force and an officer’s reaction time when confronted with a life-threatening situation. This session is closed to the media and public. Reporters may try the simulator equipment after the event ends.
Participating agencies include:
- United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida
- Taylor County County Sheriff’s Office
- Taylor County High School
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Florida Highway Patrol
- FAMU Police Department
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Last of Three Defendants Sentenced in Million Dollar Student Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The third, and final defendant, in a wide-ranging identity theft scheme involving fraudulent student loan application and tax returns was sentenced today, announced Untied States Attorney Matthew Schneider.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Thomas Utz, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General / Investigations, Special Agent in Charge Timothy R. Slater, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division and Special Agent in Charge Manny Muriel, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations.
Previously, co-defendants Timothy Wilcox, 45 and Paul Adams, 61, both from Jackson, were sentenced to 77 months and 15 months respectively and were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,390,50, all to be paid to the Department of Education as well as the Internal Revenue Service. Meanwhile, earlier today, Katrina Duling, 46, also from Jackson, received one day in custody followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $775,312.
According to court records, in December, 2014, defendants Wilcox, Adams and Duling participated a scheme by which they took personal identifying information (PII) of various individuals, including their social security numbers, or recruited other individuals to provide this information to them, which they used to fraudulently apply for and receive federal student financial aid in the name of those individuals. The defendants did not intend to use, nor did they use, the funds obtained for educational purposes as represented in the fraudulent applications In addition, the defendants used the same PII to file false federal income tax returns to claim and receive federal income tax refunds.
The defendants utilized in excess of one hundred individuals’ PII and defrauded the United States Department of Education, in excess of $1,000,000 and defrauded the IRS in excess of $400,000 through fraudulent tax returns.
“Student loan programs are intended to assist students in obtaining a higher education and scams like this harm both students and taxpayers,” Schneider said.
“Federal student aid exists so that individuals can make their dream of a higher education a reality. It’s not a personal slush fund. That’ why ensuring that those who steal student aid or participate in student aid fraud rings are stopped and held accountable for their criminal actions is a big part of our mission,” said Thomas D. Utz, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Midwestern Regional Office. “I’m proud of the work of the Office of Inspector General and our law enforcement partners for stopping this fraud ring and look forward to continuing to work together to protect Federal student aid funds from such calculated plunder.”
“The actions of Katrina Duling, along with the other two defendants, undermine the nation’s confidence in the security of their personal information, particularly when used to falsely obtain loans and receive tax returns they are not entitled to,” said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Detroit. “By prosecuting cases like this, the FBI, The U.S. Department of Education, and the Internal Revenue Service are sending a clear message to those attempting to steal and tarnish the identities of the general public that their actions will not be tolerated.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Muriel stated, “The defendants in this case defrauded the public and took advantage of a system which is intended to help students obtain a higher education. IRS CI special agents, working with our federal partners, once again outsmarted the criminals who thought they could get away with it. Just know that if you try to game the system, you will be caught and held accountable.”
This case was investigated by agents of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Wyse.
Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime and Firearm Offenses in Shooting of Two Indian Nationals and Third Man at a BarRead the Press Release
Prosecution and defense jointly request sentence of life imprisonment without parole
Adam W. Purinton, of Olathe, Kansas, pleaded guilty today in federal court to hate crime and firearm charges for shooting Indian nationals Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani and Kansas resident Ian Grillot at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe February 2017, announced Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio of the Department of Justice, Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney Stephen R. McAllister of the District of Kansas. Purinton previously pleaded guilty to state charges for murder and attempted murder arising out of the shooting, and was sentenced to life in state prison.
Purinton admitted in his plea agreement and testified in open court that the following is an accurate recitation of the facts supporting the crimes for which he pleaded guilty.
A few weeks before the shooting, Purinton was sitting by himself in the bar area at Austins Bar & Grill when, coincidentally, Kuchibhotla and Madasani happened to be having a drink on the patio. Noticing the two men, Purinton commented to a regular sitting at the bar, “Did you see the terrorists on the patio?”
On Feb. 22, 2017, Purinton drove to Austins Bar & Grill and sat by himself at a table on the enclosed front patio. Sitting at the table to his left were Ian Grillot and several other patrons. Sitting at the table to his right were Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani.
At approximately 6:40 p.m., Purinton approached Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and demanded to know where they were from and how they entered the country. Purinton poked Kuchibhotla in the chest, called him a “terrorist” and an epithet disparaging persons of Middle Eastern descent, and shouted, “Get out of my country!” Ian Grillot and another patron interceded, told Purinton that he needed to leave, and escorted him out of the bar.
Purinton drove home and retrieved one of his guns: a Taurus PT111 Millennium Pro nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol with serial number TEW13121. To disguise his identity, Purinton changed into a different shirt and grabbed a blue-and-white scarf.
At approximately 7:12 p.m., Purinton returned to Austins Bar & Grill. He wrapped the scarf around his face to disguise his identity and exited his truck carrying his semi-automatic pistol. Purinton walked over to the enclosed front patio, opened the door, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and fired eight rounds—at least four of which struck Kuchibhotla, who died from his injuries, and one of which struck Madasani, who was injured, but survived. Hours after the shooting, Purinton stated over the phone to a friend, and later in person to a bartender, that he had just killed some Iranians.
Purinton admitted that he shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani, attempting to kill both men, because of their race, color, religion, and national origin.
After shooting Kuchibhotla and Madasani, Purinton ran out, and Ian Grillot chased after him. As Grillot caught up to him, Purinton turned around and shot Grillot, who was injured but survived.
Purinton faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which is the sentence that the prosecution and defense are jointly requesting. Sentencing is scheduled for July 2.
“Hate crimes are acts of evil, and the Department of Justice has prioritized their zealous prosecution,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “In this case, the defendant embarked on a murderous rampage with clear premeditation to kill on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. It was a hate crime, and he is being brought to justice. While we cannot ameliorate the irreparable harm to the victims and their families, we hope that securing this guilty plea brings them some measure of closure. And this prosecution sends a message across the nation: hate crimes will not be tolerated.”
“Nothing we do can provide complete comfort and solace to the victims of this tragic crime and their families,” said U.S. Attorney McAllister. “But our office hopes that the federal life sentence which Mr. Purinton has agreed to request and accept will give them some measure of closure.”
“Although Purinton has already been convicted of murder in the State of Kansas, and sentenced to life in prison, today’s plea in federal court speaks to his motive,” said FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones. “By his agreement to today’s plea, Purinton acknowledges that his actions were motived by his hatred of the victims’ race, religion, color and national origin. This type of hatred will never be tolerated. I think it’s important for the community to see and understand that the FBI is committed to aggressively protecting and preserving the civil rights of all of our communities.”
This case was investigated jointly by the Olathe (KS) Police Department and the Kansas City Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tris Hunt and David Zabel of the District of Kansas, and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime ChargesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Adam W. Purinton, of Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty today in federal court to hate crime and firearm charges for shooting Indian nationals Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani and Olathe resident Ian Grillot at Austins Bar & Grill in February 2017.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister, Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio of the Department of Justice and Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights John Gore. Purinton previously pleaded guilty to state charges for murder and attempted murder arising out of the shooting. He was sentenced earlier this month to life in state prison.
”Nothing we do can provide complete comfort and solace to the victims of this tragic crime and their families,” U.S. Attorney McAllister said. “But our office hopes that the federal life sentence which Mr. Purinton has agreed to request and accept will give them some measure of closure.”
Purinton admitted in his plea today that the following is an accurate recitation of the facts supporting the crimes for which he pleaded guilty.
A few weeks before the shooting, Purinton was sitting by himself in the bar area at Austins Bar & Grill when, coincidentally, Kuchibhotla and Madasani happened to be having a drink on the patio. Noticing the two men, Purinton commented to a regular sitting at the bar, “Did you see the terrorists on the patio?”
On Feb. 22, 2017, Purinton drove to Austins Bar & Grill and sat by himself at a table on the enclosed front patio. Sitting at the table to his left were Ian Grillot and several other patrons. Sitting at the table to his right were Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani.
At approximately 6:40 p.m., Purinton approached Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and demanded to know where they were from and how they entered the country. Purinton poked Kuchibhotla in the chest, called him a “terrorist” and an epithet disparaging persons of Middle Eastern descent, and shouted, “Get out of my country!” Ian Grillot and another patron interceded, told Purinton that he needed to leave, and escorted him out of the bar.
Purinton drove home and retrieved one of his guns: a Taurus PT111 Millennium Pro nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol with serial number TEW13121. To disguise his identity, Purinton changed into a different shirt and grabbed a blue-and-white scarf.
At approximately 7:12 p.m., Purinton returned to Austins Bar & Grill. He wrapped the scarf around his face to disguise his identity and exited his truck carrying his semi-automatic pistol. Purinton walked over to the enclosed front patio, opened the door, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and fired eight rounds—at least four of which struck Kuchibhotla, who died from his injuries, and one of which struck Madasani, who was injured, but survived. Hours after the shooting, Purinton stated over the phone to a friend, and later in person to a bartender, that he had just killed some Iranians.
Purinton admitted that he shot Kuchibhotla and Madasani, attempting to kill both men, because of their race, color, religion, and national origin.
After shooting Kuchibhotla and Madasani, Purinton ran out, and Ian Grillot chased after him. As Grillot caught up to him, Purinton turned around and shot Grillot, who was injured but survived.
Purinton faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which is the sentence that the prosecution and defense are jointly requesting. Sentencing is scheduled for July 2.
“Hate crimes are acts of evil, and the Department of Justice has prioritized their zealous prosecution,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “In this case, the defendant embarked on a murderous rampage with clear premeditation to kill on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. It was a hate crime, and he is being brought to justice. While we cannot ameliorate the irreparable harm to the victims and their families, we hope that securing this guilty plea brings them some measure of closure. And this prosecution sends a message across the nation: hate crimes will not be tolerated.”
“Although Purinton has already been convicted of murder in the State of Kansas, and sentenced to life in prison, today’s plea in federal court speaks to his motive,” said FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones. “By his agreement to today’s plea, Purinton acknowledges that his actions were motived by his hatred of the victims’ race, religion, color and national origin. This type of hatred will never be tolerated. I think it’s important for the community to see and understand that the FBI is committed to aggressively protecting and preserving the civil rights of all of our communities.”
This case was investigated jointly by the Olathe (KS) Police Department and the Kansas City Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tris Hunt and David Zabel of the District of Kansas, and Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement Agreement with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau on Behalf of Three Puerto Rico Army National Guard MembersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced on Friday that it has reached a settlement agreement with the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) that resolves allegations that the PRPB violated the employment rights of Puerto Rico Army National Guard Members Second Lieutenant Wilfredo Cruz Rivera, Sergeant Jose R. Bernal Martinez, and Sergeant Angel L. Martinez Toro under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). USERRA safeguards the rights of uniformed servicemembers to receive the full benefits of their employment, including promotional opportunities, following the fulfillment of their military service obligations.
According to the allegations in the complaint, also filed on Friday by the Justice Department, the three servicemembers became eligible to take promotional examinations while they were on active duty. The servicemembers took the missed exams upon their return from active duty and scored well enough to be promoted. While the PRPB promoted the servicemembers, it failed to make the promotions effective on the date that the officers would have been promoted but for their military service. Because the PRPB failed to provide the correct effective date for their promotions, the servicemembers lost wages and subsequent promotional opportunities.
“The freedoms we enjoy are dependent on the selfless duties performed by members of our National Guard,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to fully protecting the rights of these men and women when they are deployed, so that they can return to their civilian jobs with the full benefits to which they are entitled, including promotional opportunities.”
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the PRPB has agreed to compensate the servicemembers for their lost wages, collectively about $25,000, and lost benefits; correct the effective dates of their promotions; and change its policy to ensure compliance with USERRA in the future.
This case stems from a referral by the United States Department of Labor (DOL), pursuant to an investigation by DOL’s Veterans’ Employment Training Service.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Established in 2015, the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative cooordinates with Justice Department components and federal and state agencies to build a comprehensive legal support and protection network focused on serving servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Additional information about USERRA, and all of the civil rights statutes enforced by the Department of Justice on behalf of servicemembers, veterans and their families, can be found on the Justice Department’s website at www.usdoj.gov/crt/emp and www.servicemembers.gov, as well as on the Labor Department’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/main.htm.
Jefferson County woman sentenced for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mindy Sue Snyder, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months incarceration for having child pornography, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Snyder, age 33, waived her right to have her case presented before a federal grand jury and pled guilty to a one-count information of “Possession of Child Pornography” in January 2018. Snyder admitted to having a computer disk and other materials that contained child pornography in Jefferson County in September 2015. Once her sentence is served, Snyder will be on supervised release for 15 years.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Perri prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jefferson County man sentenced for a firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mark Hanshaw, of Jefferson Village, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 27 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hanshaw, age 29, pled guilty to one count of “Drug User in Possession of a Firearm – Aiding and Abetting” in February 2018. Hanshaw admitted to illegally possessing a Taurus 38 Special handgun. The crime occurred in September 2015 in Jefferson County.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul T. Camilletti prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jackson Woman Sentenced to over 14 Years in Federal Prison for Murder-for-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Velma White, 32, of Jackson, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to serve a total of 170 months in federal prison for a murder-for-hire plot to kill a family member, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Dana Nichols, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. White was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
On August 23, 2017, White contacted, via text messages from her cellular telephone, an undercover officer whom she believed to be a "hit-man." During a phone call, White explained to the undercover officer that she wanted her family member murdered, and she agreed to pay the undercover officer approximately $10,000 for the murder. Over the next few days, White and the undercover officer discussed and planned out the murder of White’s family member, with White given multiple opportunities to back out. However, White only affirmed her commitment to the murder scheme. White revealed that she was attempting to murder her family member in order to collect the proceeds of a $50,000 life insurance policy for which she was the sole beneficiary. White agreed to pay the undercover officer once she collected the life insurance money. White also expressed to the undercover officer her willingness to assist in other murder for hire plots in exchange for money.
"Today, the public is safer and our communities are more secure because this criminal will be going away for a long time. She not only threatened the life of a family member but also offered to help murder others in exchange for money, and she will now spend the next several years paying for and having a lot of time to reflect on her criminal actions. Our office and our law enforcement community will not rest until all of those who threaten human life are brought to justice," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Pearl Police Department, the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Carla J. Clark is prosecuting the case.
Interstate Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Sioux Falls, SD – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announces that Justin Morales, a/k/a “Speedy,” age 36, of Wichita, Kansas, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on May 18, 2018, by U.S. District Court Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Morales’s three decades in prison will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victim’s Fund.
“This is an appropriate sentence for this repeat offender and committed drug dealer,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “Those who conspire to sell illegal drugs like methamphetamine and lethal opioids are inflicting tremendous suffering and death on our communities. They will be held accountable by the Department of Justice.”
Federal law enforcement officials learned that Morales was selling methamphetamine in early 2016. During a controlled purchase for five ounces of methamphetamine between Morales and a cooperating witness, Morales was recorded telling the cooperator that he and others sold methamphetamine in several South Dakota cities, and at least one Indian reservation within the state. Morales said that his plan was to get a house in Sioux Falls that could be used exclusively to store methamphetamine for distribution. In September 2016, the cooperator met with Morales again, and Morales was recorded telling the cooperator he was preparing to ship 20 pounds of methamphetamine to Sioux Falls, and that he had rented a small house on the west side of Sioux Falls to store the methamphetamine. That same day, law enforcement was able to recover three pounds of marijuana, two pounds of methamphetamine, and a semi-automatic pistol that was connected to Morales and his co-conspirators, Chase Guzman and Daniel Guzman. All three men were arrested in Sioux Falls.
Morales and both Guzmans were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2016. Both Chase Guzman and Daniel Guzman pleaded guilty. Chase Guzman was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and Daniel Guzman was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Morales was found guilty by a federal jury in Sioux Falls on February 7, 2018.
This is Morales’s second felony drug conviction. He has many other arrests and convictions in a criminal career spanning nearly 24 years, including a domestic battery charge that is still pending in Wichita.
Drug trafficking is an inherently violent activity. It is common to find drug traffickers armed to the teeth with guns in order to protect their illegal drug product and cash, and enforce their illegal operations.
Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug. Meth users typically smoke, snort, or inject it with a needle, often directly into their bloodstream. It causes users to become euphoric and highly energized and agitated, sometimes staying awake for several days at a time. This high is followed by a tremendous crash that can lead to days of sleeping. Methamphetamine is extremely addictive, and many users report feeling hooked after one use. Much of the violence, as well as burglaries and other property crimes, occurring in South Dakota has a direct connection to methamphetamine dealers and users.
The methamphetamine that is present in South Dakota is extremely potent and high in purity — almost 100% pure in most cases. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) experts say that this indicates that the methamphetamine was manufactured in criminal laboratories in Mexico and transported across the southern border of the United States. This methamphetamine is produced and controlled by drug cartels. Because this methamphetamine is so plentiful, it is incredibly cheap for drug dealers to buy it in bulk and break it up for distribution.
The majority of drug prosecutions in federal court in South Dakota are for methamphetamine. In the past month, in addition to the sentences announced today, three more federal criminal defendants in Sioux Falls received prison sentences of 10 years, 10 years, and 25 years, respectively, for their participation in large-scale methamphetamine conspiracies. These individuals were part of three separate drug distribution operations and each defendant was involved in distributing over one pound of methamphetamine in the Sioux Falls area. Each pound of methamphetamine provides over 1,000 doses (illegal uses) for typical methamphetamine users.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Sioux Falls Police Department; Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force; and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Deputy Criminal Chief John E. Haak of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
Morales has been in custody since his arrest, and was returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following the sentencing.
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.