Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
17 May 2018
Eagle Butte Man Charged with Stalking and Mailing Threatening CommunicationsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Stalking and Mailing Threatening Communications.
Gaylen Sampson, age 43, was indicted on October 17, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on May 14, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between November 2016 and September 2017, Sampson used the mail to send threatening and harassing communications.
The charges are merely accusations and Sampson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Sampson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Dutchess County Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Mikelinich, age 52, of Wingdale, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing a 12-gauge, semi-automatic shotgun during the time he resided in Columbia County, New York.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
As part of his plea, Mikelinich admitted that between November 2014 and February 2017, he possessed the shotgun while residing in Ancram, New York. The shotgun had previously been stolen from its owner’s vehicle in New Windsor, New York, in 2004, and was purchased by Mikelinich from a co-worker. Two prior felony convictions, including a federal conviction for being a felon in possession of firearms, prevented Mikelinich from lawfully possessing the shotgun.
Mikelinich has been in custody since his arrest on December 1, 2017. He faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on August 17, 2018 by Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by ATF and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
Dominican Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Dominican woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for her role in a widespread heroin and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy operating in Lawrence.
Diosmary Burgos, 39, a Dominican national, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and 40 grams or greater of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for August 6, 2018.
On May 30, 2017, a large scale law enforcement operation was conducted in an effort to dismantle two Lawrence-based drug trafficking organizations, one allegedly run by Juan Anibal Patrone, and another allegedly led by Ramon Gonzalez-Nival, who was also a source of supply for Patrone. Burgos was arrested and charged along with Patrone, Gonzalez-Nival, and approximately 30 co-conspirators.
Ms. Burgos bought her drugs, and specifically fentanyl, from Gonzalez-Nival then distributed it. During the investigation, she was intercepted on multiple occasions ordering several fingers (10 gram units) of drugs from Gonzalez-Nival. When a search warrant was executed at her home on May 30, 2017, approximately 90 grams of fentanyl was located in a closet, which she admitted belonged to her.
Patrone and Gonzalez-Nival have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or greater of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Peter Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lawrence Police Chief Roy P. Vasque made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Winkler of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Prison for Assaulting Man in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Herb Anthony, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years and four months in prison for severely beating a man with a metal pipe who was walking home from a store in Southwest Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Anthony was found guilty by a jury in February 2018 of charges of aggravated assault while armed, assault with significant bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of obstruction of justice. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee. Upon completion of his prison term, Anthony will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Mother’s Day evening, May 8, 2016, the victim had just walked to a store in the area of the 100 block of Irvington Street SW. Anthony came up from behind him and struck him in the face with a black steel pipe. Anthony and other unidentified individuals proceeded to punch and kick the victim to the ground, leaving him bloodied and disoriented. The victim received multiple fractures to his face, resulting in reconstructive surgery without which he would have suffered permanent facial damage. The victim’s medical follow-up continues twoyears later. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) led to Anthony’s arrest on May 30, 2016.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maryam Adeyola, Ellen D’Angelo, Kathleen “Katie” Kern and John Timmer; Paralegal Specialist Richard Cheatham, and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan.
Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal and Rachel Forman, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antwan Shelton, 34, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possessing three separate quantities of narcotics with an intent to distribute them, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Shelton pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, buprenorphine, and marijuana. The charges require a mandatory minimum sentence of five years of incarceration and up to life imprisonment. The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10, 2018.
The government’s evidence established that on Dec. 2, 2016, members of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Division executed a search warrant at a residence in the 4600 block of B Street SE. Upon gaining entry to the residence, law enforcement secured Shelton outside a bathroom while he was wearing a towel around his body and while the water was running in the bathroom shower. Upon entry into the bathroom, officers recovered an MPD-issued Glock 17 pistol that was stolen from an MPD officer months earlier. The firearm was loaded with sixteen .9mm rounds in the magazine and one .9mm round in the chamber.
Officers also recovered in the bathroom a lunch bag containing distribution quantities of cocaine base, marijuana, and suboxone strips, and $3,095 in cash. In Shelton’s bedroom, law enforcement recovered a ziplock bag containing twenty .45-caliber rounds of ammunition and twenty .40 -caliber rounds of ammunition. A drum magazine with .9mm-caliber rounds of ammunition was recovered from a clothes hamper. A ballistic vest was on the top shelf of a closet. Drug paraphernalia also was recovered in the residence. Law enforcement also obtained photographs from Shelton’s cellphone that corroborated his connection to the residence where he was arrested and the distinct lunch bag from which he was trafficking narcotics.
Shelton’s plea will result in his third firearms conviction and second drug trafficking conviction.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Macchiaroli and Laura Crane, and Paralegal Specialist Candace Battle.
Community Renewal Team Pays $362,000 to Settle False Claims Acts AllegationsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney John H. Durham and Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen today announced that COMMUNITY RENEWAL TEAM and its president, LENA RODRIGUEZ, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States and the State of Connecticut and have paid $362,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts.
Community Renewal Team (“CRT”) is a Hartford-based community action agency that receives both federal and state grant funding. The majority of CRT’s funding has come from federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) and the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”). Federal funds are awarded to CRT directly and indirectly through various state agencies and, in some cases, federal funding is combined with state funding and allocated to CRT. Rodriguez has been the president of CRT since January 2006.
The United States and State of Connecticut allege that, from June 2009 through November 2010, Rodriguez directed that certain CRT employees work on a state funded grant program, called “Home Solutions,” while charging their time to federal grants funded by HHS, HUD and DOE, as well as other state grants passed through the Connecticut Department of Social Services. In addition, between October 2009 and September 2010, CRT improperly charged the time of a budget analyst to a Head Start grant when the employee was working on other unrelated programs. Finally, between June 2010 and April 2013, a CRT program manager for the HHS-funded Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Program misappropriated $18,500 for her personal use.
To resolve the governments’ allegations under the federal and state False Claims Acts, CRT and Rodriguez have paid $362,000.
“Recipients of federal grants must adhere to the regulations applicable to those grants and manage federal funds efficiently,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “Failure to do so can result in significant consequences.”
“We take very seriously our responsibility to safeguard taxpayers by eliminating fraud in our public programs,” said Attorney General Jepsen, “and I appreciate the continued partnership with Connecticut’s U.S. Attorney to protect public funds.”
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General.
The matter was handled within the U.S. Attorney’s Office by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ndidi N. Moses and Auditor Susan N. Spiegel. The Office of the Attorney General for the State of Connecticut was represented by Assistant Attorney General Christopher M. Haddad.
Cedar Rapids Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges after Stealing the Identity of an Elderly WidowRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids woman pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Robin Ann Bertelli, age 60, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
In a plea agreement, Bertelli admitted that in 2013, she began a romantic relationship a former Navy SEAL, who lived with his elderly and widowed mother in rural Central City, Iowa. Bertelli soon moved in with the widow and her son. The widow was unable to walk to her mailbox to get her mail. Bertelli stole mail from the widow, including mail from her financial institution, Collins Community Credit Union (“CCCU”).
In December 2015, the former Navy SEAL received an inheritance of approximately $18,000 from a relative and deposited this inheritance into his checking account at CCCU. In February 2016, Bertelli and the former Navy SEAL travelled together to Puerto Rico for a vacation. On that trip, the former Navy SEAL unexpectedly died in Puerto Rico. Bertelli reported to others that the former Navy SEAL went swimming, hit his head on a rock, and accidentally drowned.
Family members of the former Navy SEAL ultimately discovered that Bertelli had stolen blank CCCU checks from the former Navy SEAL and his mother. From July 2013 through September 2016, Bertelli fraudulently made 63 checks payable to herself, inserted a dollar amount, and forged their signatures. Bertelli deposited these forged checks into her own account at NXT Bank, fraudulently causing transfers of funds from the CCCU accounts of the former Navy SEAL and his mother into Bertelli’s account. The three transfers from the former Navy SEAL’s CCCU account all occurred after the date of his death. Bertelli stole a total of $191,500 from the CCCU accounts of the former Navy SEAL and his mother. Bertelli used the stolen funds for her own purposes, including to purchase a luxury car.
The prosecution of Bertelli is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Abuse Initiative. In March 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa was selected as one of ten districts nationwide to launch regional Elder Justice Task Forces. The Elder Justice Task Forces reflect the department’s larger strategy and commitment to protecting our nation’s seniors, spearheaded by the department’s Elder Justice Initiative. The Elder Justice Initiative coordinates and supports the Department’s law enforcement efforts and policy activities on elder justice issues. It plays an integral role in the department’s investigative and enforcement efforts against nursing homes and other long-term care entities that deliver grossly substandard care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa has rededicated its efforts and resources to investigate and hold accountable those who have been involved in activities incompatible with ensuring that the state’s more vulnerable citizens are treated with dignity and respect.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Bertelli remains free on bond previously set. Bertelli faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment, a $1,250,000, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Vavricek and was investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-30-LRR.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
California Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Eric D. McNeil, age 40, of Murietta, California, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for conspiring to distribute at least 200 kilograms of marijuana in Columbia County.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Acting Inspector in Charge Delany De Leon-Colon, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Boston Division.
In pleading guilty on December 20, 2017, McNeil admitted that he used the United States Postal Service to send at least 200 kilograms (or 440 pounds) of California-grown marijuana to a co-conspirator located in Columbia County, New York. McNeil was arrested on May 2, 2017 in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, while attempting to collect payment from a co-conspirator.
Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue also imposed a 4-year term of supervised release, to begin after McNeil is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the USPIS and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
California Man Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Eureka, California, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Melvin Farmer, Jr., age 43, was indicted on February 14, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on May 16, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, at least 2 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between August 1, 2012, and August 22, 2017, Farmer, along with his sister and her husband, knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The charge is merely an accusation and Farmer is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Farmer was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Buffalo, NY Man Conspired to Distribute Crack Cocaine in New Castle AreaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Marlin Scott, age 25, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in 2015, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other agencies joined forces in a long-term wiretap investigation of drug trafficking in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The investigation revealed that Scott conspired with others to distribute crack cocaine, which was transported from Buffalo to the New Castle area for further distribution.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for October 26, 2018. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorney Tonya Sulia Goodman is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Castle Police Department, and the Lawrence County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Scott.
Brockton Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Cocaine and Crack Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on drug trafficking charges.
Luis Rivera, a/k/a “Fat Louie,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. In November 2017, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine.
During an investigation into a network of street gangs trafficking illegal firearms and drugs, investigators identified Rivera as a Brockton-based source of supply for cocaine and cocaine base for numerous street-level drug dealers in Brockton and other communities.
From January to April 2016, a cooperating witness purchased significant amounts of both cocaine and crack cocaine from Rivera. Rivera operated his robust drug trafficking business from various residential and business locations in Brockton, including a residence at 103 Green Street, and conspired with numerous other individuals, including members/associates of the Boylston Street Gang, to distribute drugs.
Rivera is one of 53 defendants indicted in June 2016 on federal firearms and drug charges following an investigation into a network of street gangs that created alliances to traffic weapons and drugs throughout Massachusetts and to generate violence against rival gang members. According to court documents, the defendants, who are leaders, members, and associates of the 18th Street Gang, East Side Money Gang and the Boylston Street Gang, were responsible for fueling a gun and drug pipeline across a number of cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts. During the course of the investigation, over 70 firearms were seized.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Peter Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; John Gibbons, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Maura Healey, Attorney General of Massachusetts; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian Kyes; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley made the announcement today. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also acknowledges the assistance of the Suffolk and Middlesex County Sheriff Departments and the Malden, Revere and Everett Police Departments.
Bergen County Man Charged with Illegally Obtaining NaturalizationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A River Edge, New Jersey, man was arrested today for allegedly concealing prior criminal activity involving sexual intercourse with a child on his naturalization application, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Kyung Lim Park, a/k/a “Howard Kyung Lim Park,” 65, was arrested today and charged with knowingly procuring his own naturalization contrary to law by providing false information and concealing material facts. Park appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk and was released on $150,000 bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 13, 2011, Park, who lawfully entered the United States from South Korea in March 1998, completed a naturalization application to obtain U.S. Citizenship. Park was required to truthfully answer a question asking if he had ever committed a crime or offense for which he was not arrested. However, Park did not disclose that he had engaged in sexual intercourse with a child between December 2002 and April 2003.
After he received his citizenship, Park pleaded guilty in March 2016 in New Jersey Superior Court, Bergen County, to child endangerment and sexual conduct by a non-caretaker. During his plea hearing, Park admitted engaging in sexual intercourse with a child on at least three occasions between December 2002 and April 2003. He was later sentenced in October 2016 to five years’ probation, including community service for life and a requirement to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.
If convicted of the charge in today’s complaint, Park faces a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and the possibility of losing his naturalization.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Moscato, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.
18-176
Defense counsel: K. Anthony Thomas Esq.
Beach Aviation Owner Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Aviation FraudRead the Press Release
Robert Charles Brady, 36, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, after having previously pled guilty to wire fraud, filing false records in a federal investigation and operating an aircraft without an airman’s certificate.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Marlies Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (USDOT OIG), Sunrise Field Office, made the announcement.
“Those who fail to comply with air safety certifications and regulations place the public at risk,” stated United States Attorney Benjamin Greenberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal partners will continue to work together to prosecute individuals who falsify qualifications, operate without authority and jeopardize our transportation safety.”
“The sentence handed down today against Robert Charles Brady for violations related to operating an aircraft without an airman's certificate, wire fraud, and falsification of records in a Federal investigation, demonstrates that ensuring the safety of the Nation’s air transportation system remains a high priority for both the Office of Inspector General and the Department of Transportation,” said Marlies Gonzalez, USDOT OIG Regional Special Agent-in-Charge. “Working with the Federal Aviation Administration and our prosecutorial partners, we will continue to prevent and detect violations of Federal laws and regulations designed to ensure public safety.”
According to the court record, Brady owned Beach Aviation and managed a flight school in Pompano and Boca Raton, Florida. Through Beach Aviation, Brady and his employees operated an illegal charter air carrier service. They chartered flights to and from Bahamas and other destinations in the United States, without proper certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Through Beach Aviation, Brady also falsely claimed to be a certified flight instructor on student pilot trainees logbooks. Students and the FAA relied upon this falsified information in order to verify flight hours for FAA pilot certifications and ratings. Additionally, Brady falsified records that were presented to the FAA in order to seek a second-in-command rating on a Convair jet, which would allow him to fly as a copilot in a Convair on international flights.
Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the USDOT OIG and FAA. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Behnke.
Related court documents may be found on the website of the District Court for the southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov. or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Bank Robber and Getaway Driver Sentenced to Prison for Bank Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, Jason Matthew Wells, 50, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 51 months’ imprisonment. Wells had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting.
During Oct. 2017, while wearing a disguise, Wells robbed a credit union and a Wells Fargo Bank with the use of a simulated handgun. He fled the banks and entered a waiting vehicle driven by his accomplice, Richard Dennis Langlois. After the robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank, a lengthy car chase by local law enforcement ensued. Langlois eventually stopped the stolen vehicle he was driving and abandoned the vehicle. Wells was caught after a foot chase in which he ran through neighborhoods and dropped a bag containing over $10,000 in cash, his wallet, and his cellular telephone. Cash from the robbery was strewn all over a backyard he fled through during the foot chase. Officers found more cash, disguises, and an air pistol in the abandoned vehicle. Langlois got away, but was apprehended a few weeks later. Both confessed to their involvement in the robberies.
Langlois, 55, also of Tucson, Ariz., also previously pleaded guilty to two counts of armed bank robbery, aiding and abetting, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez on Feb. 9, 2018, to 80 months’ imprisonment. Langlois had a more extensive criminal history.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pima County Sheriff Department, and Tucson Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Raquel Arellano, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-16-2237-TUC-RM (BGM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-067_Wells
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions' Opinion in the Matter of Castro-TumRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today signed his order and opinion in the Matter of Castro-Tum. Please attribute the following statement to Justice Department spokesman Devin O’Malley:
“Starting in 2012, immigration judges began increasingly to rely on administrative closures, which suspended cases indefinitely rather than actually rendering a final decision. Congress never granted such broad authority to immigration judges, nor had the Attorney General delegated it. This process—where immigration court cases were put ‘out of sight, out of mind’—effectively resulted in illegal aliens remaining indefinitely in the United States without any formal legal status. Today’s opinion by Attorney General Sessions promotes the rule of law in the immigration system and eliminates the unfettered use of administrative closures.”
Background:
- On June 17, 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a memo that provided “guidance on the exercise of prosecutorial discretion to ensure that the agency’s immigration enforcement resources are focused on the agency’s enforcement priorities.”
- Two years later, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) issued a memo promoting the use of administrative closures and continuances.
- The ICE memo informed their attorneys that they "may exercise prosecutorial discretion in any immigration removal proceeding before EOIR…”
- From October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2017, 215,285 cases were administratively closed. This represents 76% of the total cases that were administratively closed in the 31-year period between FY80 and FY11.
- On January 4, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to refer its decision in the Matter of Castro-Tum to him for review, an authority provided to the Office of the Attorney General by 8 C.F.R. § 1003.1(h)(1)(i).
- The following chart represents the number of cases that have been administratively closed, but have yet to be recalendared. This total is not counted in the total pending caseload, which sits at approximately 690,000.
Key Excerpts:
- “Immigration judges and the Board have come to rely upon administrative closure without thoroughly explaining their authority to do so. Unlike the power to grant continuances, which the regulations expressly confer, immigration judges and the Board lack a general authority to grant administrative closure. No Attorney General has delegated such broad authority, and legal or policy arguments do not justify it. I therefore hold that immigration judges and the Board lack this authority except where a previous regulation or settlement agreement has expressly conferred it.” (Section III; page 9)
- “This certified case demonstrates how administrative closure particularly undermines the INA’s mandate to swiftly adjudicate immigration cases when the respondent fails to appear.” (page 2)
- “The current practice of administrative closure lacks a valid legal foundation, and I do not believe it would be appropriate to delegate such authority.” (Section III.B; page 17)
- “In the other administratively closed cases, immigration judges and the Board ordered administrative closure without the authority to do so. I am cognizant of the need to return these cases to the active docket so that these matters can proceed expeditiously. Requiring recalendaring of all of these cases immediately, however, would likely overwhelm the immigration courts and undercut the efficient administration of immigration law.” (Section IV; page 17)
- “Consequently, I now order that all cases that are currently administratively closed may remain closed unless DHS or the respondent requests recalendaring.” (Section IV; page 17)
Additional EOIR Background:
- If you are reporting on the backlog, you can use the following statement from DOJ spokesman Devin O’Malley: “Many of the policies in recent years have contributed to a three-fold increase of the immigration courts’ pending caseload. This massive increase necessitated the Justice Department’s ‘Strategic Caseload Reduction Plan,’ a series of common-sense reforms that aim to reduce the so-called ‘backlog’ by realigning the agency towards completing cases, increasing both productivity and capacity, and changing policies that lead to inefficiencies and waste.”
- For your background on the Strategic Caseload Reduction Plan:
- A streamlined hiring plan for immigration judges that reduces the hiring time from 762 days to 6-8 months. Under Attorney General Sessions’s leadership, we have already reached a reduction to 10 months, and we are confident we will hit the 6-8 month goal this year.
- Requested—and received—funding that decreases the ratio of judges to clerks from 2:1 to 1:1, which will increase efficiency and productivity.
- EOIR is actively working with GSA to identify new space and to expedite build-outs of existing space.
- EOIR is planning to pilot Video Teleconferencing (VTC) immigration adjudication centers (IACs), where IJs will adjudicate cases from around the country.
- EOIR is working to replace an antiquated paper filing system to an electronic filing system, and a pilot program for that will soon be established.
NOTE: The Attorney General's opinion in the Matter of Castro-Tum is attached here.
Arizona Men Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with $23 Million Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme in Connection with Purported Fundraising for Numerous Scam Political Action CommitteesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that WILLIAM TIERNEY, a/k/a “Bill Johnson,” and ROBERT TIERNEY were arrested this morning and charged with wire fraud conspiracy, mail fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy for their role in a nationwide, multi-year scheme to defraud donors to at least nine political action committees in the amount of more than $23 million. The defendants are expected to be presented this afternoon in the District Court of Arizona.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, the defendants secretly operated numerous political action committees, raising small-dollar donations from people who believed their hard-earned money would support the causes described in solicitation calls and mailings. In reality, as alleged, these PACs were political action committees in name only – they engaged in no advocacy campaigns, education efforts, or political operations, and donated less than one percent of the money they raised to candidates for office, all while personally enriching the defendants. Now, these so-called PACs are no longer defrauding donors, and the defendants have been charged with federal crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The defendants, as alleged, capitalized on the sympathy and activism of those who sought to support awareness of various causes near and dear to their hearts. Instead, virtually none of the money raised was used for its intended purpose, and the so-called political action committees served as nothing more than a front for an extensive personal fundraising campaign. Today's charges detail a scheme lacking in ethical oversight and laden with greed, but it all ends today.”
According to the Complaint[1] unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
From 2014 up to the present, WILLIAM TIERNEY and ROBERT TIERNEY defrauded tens of thousands of donors to at least nine political action committees that they controlled, operated, and influenced. The defendants founded and directly operated six PACs,[2] and managed, operated, or influenced three additional PACs[3] (“Scam PACs). These nine Scam PACs – which collectively raised more than $23 million between 2014 and 2017, and more than $50 million in the past 10 years – were fraudulent entities, operated solely to enrich the defendants and their co-conspirators.
As alleged, the Scam PACs targeted victims across the country, raising funds on the basis of fraudulent representations that the donations would support voter education regarding, and the political campaigns of those who supported, various causes, including autism awareness, law enforcement, and pro-life causes—including through purported “coast to coast” education and advocacy campaigns, working with local groups and organizations, and “investing every penny . . . in the big races to come.” In truth, virtually all of the money raised was either paid to the scheme participants or used to perpetuate the fraud through additional telemarketing, fundraising, and overhead expenditures. During the relevant time period, less than one percent of all donor money to the Scam PACs was spent on political contributions.
The defendants perpetrated the fraud through various deceptive means and methods. For example, as alleged, the defendants created and utilized a web of shell pass-through entities to conceal and disguise their fraud. Donated funds were transferred to these shell entities, which were given names that suggested activities related to marketing, consulting, and communications efforts, including for issue-specific causes – so that payments to the shell entities would appear to be for legitimate expenditures. In at least one instance, a website was created for one of the shell entities, falsely stating that the entity provided direct marketing and political consulting services to trade associations, candidate campaigns, political action committees, and nonprofit organizations. In fact, these and the other shell entities were created by the defendants and their co-conspirators, had no active operations or employees, were retained by no outside “clients,” and served only to funnel and disguise financial transactions involving money donated to certain Scam PACs.
WILLIAM TIERNEY also allegedly instructed two companies that made telemarketing solicitation calls for certain Scam PACs to create their own shell companies – which he referred to as “Stealth LLCs” – with names that concealed any discernible connection with their parent telemarketing vendors. This prevented the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”), donors, and other members of the public from being able to learn from required FEC disclosure forms that multiple Scam PACs were in fact paying the same telemarketing vendors.
As alleged, the scheme participants also used multiple fraudulent identities. WILLIAM TIERNEY used the fake identity of “Bill Johnson” when meeting and corresponding with officials at certain fundraising call centers, including during meetings at which ROBERT TIERNEY was present. Another fake identity, “Emma Smith,” was used in fundraising solicitations, and was described as a “Volunteer Coordinator” for one of the PACs; in fact, neither Emma Smith nor the position of “Volunteer Coordinator” actually existed. The defendants also undertook efforts to avoid press coverage of the Scam PACs more generally, despite the Scam PACs’ claims in solicitation materials of national advocacy and awareness campaigns.
Donations to the Scam PACs during the relevant period totaled more than $23 million. Approximately $109,000 of those donations were directed to political candidates and more than $3.5 million was paid to the defendants personally.
* * *
WILLIAM TIERNEY, 46, and ROBERT TIERNEY, 40, are each charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; mail fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The statutory maximum and mandatory penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance in the investigation.
If you think you are a victim of, or have information about, the scheme alleged in this press release, or if you are a victim of, or have information about, a similar scheme, you are encouraged to contact the FBI at 212-384-2135.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Rossmiller and Alison Moe are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] Grassroots Awareness PAC, Americans for Law Enforcement PAC, National Campaign PAC, Voter Education PAC, Action Coalition PAC, and Protect Our Future PAC.
[3] Life and Liberty PAC, Republican Majority PAC, and RightMarch.com PAC. These three PACs originally were founded by others.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Prescription Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Stetson Holliday, 23, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to a prescription drug trafficking charge.
The DEA arrested Holliday on Jan. 16, 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with distributing prescription drugs. According to the criminal complaint, Holliday distributed approximately ten Xanax (Alprazolam) tablets to an undercover DEA Special Agent on Nov. 30, 2016.
Holliday was indicted on Feb. 14, 2018, and was charged with distributing a Schedule IV controlled substance, alprazolam, on Nov. 30, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. During today’s proceedings, Holliday pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
At sentencing, Holliday faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the DEA and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Eicker as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Airline Staffing Executive Sentenced to Prison for Years of Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Pilchak (619) 546-9709
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 17, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Eleno Quinteros, Jr., the former vice president of operations for two airline mechanic staffing companies, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for making false statements in support of legal permanent resident petitions for dozens of the companies’ mechanics.
Quinteros previously admitted falsely certifying that he had received no payments from the mechanics, when in fact he had demanded and collected hundreds of thousands of dollars of unlawful fees from approximately 85 of them. Today, U.S. District Judge Michael M. Anello sentenced Quinteros to a year and a day in custody based on his view of the “enormity of the offense.”
According to his plea agreement, Quinteros demanded and collected as much as $567,480 from his foreign labor workers, even though employers are prohibited by law from demanding payment for their fees—including attorneys’ fees—in connection with the charged applications. Less than half of the money Quinteros collected was actually paid to immigration attorneys assisting with the applications, while Quinteros himself kept an estimated $372,715, according to court filings.
Quinteros was vice president of two different staffing companies, as set out in his plea agreement. The companies’ staff performed heavy maintenance on aircraft at a variety of airfields nationwide. Quinteros was responsible for recruiting Mexican aircraft mechanics to work in the United States for the companies, and for helping recruits to obtain work visas such as TN or H-2B visas.
According to the indictment, after assisting his recruits in obtaining work visas to come to the United States, Quinteros then agreed to help at least 85 of them pursue a legal permanent residency—in exchange for substantial (and unlawful) fees. Quinteros directed many employees to deposit money into his wife’s bank account, or provide him with blank money orders, in order to conceal the source of the unlawful funds. Other funds were routed through a company bank account, where Quinteros falsely described them to the company bookkeeper as a “loan” from him to the company, according to court filings.
Quinteros collected as much as ten or twenty thousand dollars from some workers, per court records. Although Quinteros himself was well compensated by his two companies during his scheme, some of his recruits had to sell their homes and cars to finance the unlawful fees.
On August 10, 2017, Quinteros pleaded guilty to a single count of making a false claim in support of an immigration application, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a). He admitted in his plea, however, that the underlying scheme involved more than 25 immigration documents. Quinteros has already been ordered to pay back $292,526 in illegal fees collected from 52 of the identifiable victims of his scheme.
“Legal permanent residency in the United States is not a bargaining chip that greedy employers can sell to the highest bidder,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “This office will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who commit immigration fraud.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to making sure that those who commit visa fraud face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Michael Bishop, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Los Angeles Field Office. “The strong relationship we enjoy with our law enforcement partners on the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force and DSS’ global network of special agents working together to stop criminals from reaping illegal income by exploiting U.S. visas and foreign workers continues to be essential in the pursuit of justice.”
“As this sentence makes clear, individuals who undermine our nation’s security by compromising the integrity of our immigration laws for their own enrichment will face serious consequences,” said Joseph Macias, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HSI will move aggressively to hold those involved in these types of criminal schemes accountable.”
“This is a perfect example of federal agencies working together to combat those trying to defraud the government,” stated U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Los Angeles District Director, Donna Campagnolo. “USCIS FDNS will continue playing a key role in USCIS efforts to safeguard the integrity of our immigration laws, protect American workers, and safeguard the Homeland.”
DEFENDANT Case No. 17-cr-557-MMA
Eleno “Max” Quinteros, Jr. 46 years old Chula Vista, California
CHARGES
False Statement on an Immigration Document - 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a)
Maximum penalty: 10 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine
AGENCIES
Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service
Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
16 May 2018
Windsor Locks Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CHRISTINE MILES, 59, of Windsor Locks, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to drug trafficking and money laundering offenses related to the distribution of heroin and various prescription medications.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately 1998, MILES and others conspired to possess and distribute heroin, oxymorphone, hydrocodone and alprazolam. MILES is a retired nurse.
On August 4, 2016, members of the North Central Narcotics Task Force and the DEA conducted a court-authorized search of MILES’ residence at 350 North Street in Windsor Locks and seized a large quantity of various prescription medications, approximately two pounds of marijuana, $10,093 in cash and more than $13,000 in gift cards. MILES was arrested on state charges at that time.
The investigation revealed that, through this drug trafficking conspiracy, MILES and her husband amassed more than $700,000 in a number of individual and jointly held bank accounts. The investigation also revealed that, after her arrest on state drug charges in August 2016, MILES used $17,359 of drug proceeds to purchase 11 U.S. Postal Service money orders and a bank cashier’s check payable to a New Jersey-based moving company for a planned move from Connecticut to New Mexico.
MILES was arrested on federal charges on November 16, 2017, and she has been detained since her arrest. On February 2, 2018, another court-authorized search of her North Street residence revealed additional drug evidence and $41,904 in cash.
MILES pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, oxymorphone, hydrocodone and alprazolam, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of engaging and attempting to engage in a monetary transaction affecting interstate commerce, involving criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
In pleading guilty, MILES agreed to forfeit her interest in her Windsor Locks residence and $767,056.74 seized from the residence and multiple bank accounts.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for August 7, 2018.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the U.S. Marshals Service with the valuable assistance of the North Central Narcotics Task Force and the Windsor Locks, Enfield, Vernon, East Windsor, Manchester and Suffield Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David X. Sullivan and Patrick F. Caruso.
Visalia, California Man Sentenced to 151 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Aichu Saesee, age 30, of Visalia, California was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). The charge arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Indictment alleged that on or about July 14, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, Aichu Saesee, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), a Schedule II controlled substance.
“Methamphetamine has destroyed lives, families and communities across our country. Those that are in the business of selling it must be held responsible for their criminal activity. The defendant in this case will be unable to participate in that deadly business for the over 12 years that he is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. He is being held accountable and communities are being protected,” said United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester. “I applaud the efforts of the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office, and DEA. Their joint investigation allowed the dedicated members of this office to successfully prosecute this case.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the non-paroleable sentence will be served.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Manassas Park, Virginia man pleaded guilty today to producing and distributing child pornography.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Michael Gerald Moody, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography and one count of distributing child pornography. According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Moody admitted that, between 2017 and February 2018, he used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct and he captured numerous images of that conduct with his cellular phone. In addition, Moody engaged in text chats with other individuals through the online messaging application Kik Messenger. These chats principally focused on the exchange of child pornography and discussions of the sexual abuse of children. In the course of these chats, Moody distributed child pornography—including images that he himself produced, as well as other images—to at least eight other individuals.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 14.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Manassas Park Police Department. Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay V. Prabhu of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
United States and Virginia Intervene in Metrorail Whistleblower LitigationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia have filed a notice of intervention in a whistleblower’s lawsuit that involves the provision of concrete panels to Phase II of the Dulles Metrorail Project (“Dulles Project”). The case was unsealed today.
In March 2016, the whistleblower, or “Relator”, filed an under seal qui tam complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to the whistleblower provisions of the federal False Claims Act and the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act. Following an investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia filed a combined notice of intervention against Universal Concrete Products Corporation, Donald Faust Jr., and Andrew Nolan. The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia will file a complaint in the coming weeks.
The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia did not intervene in the Relator’s allegations against the general contractor for Phase II of the Dulles Project, Capital Rail Constructors (CRC).
The United States is represented in this matter by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Commonwealth of Virginia is represented by the Virginia Attorney General’s Office.
The qui tam complaint contains allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cv-316.
U.S. Attorney Attends South Dakota Law Enforcement Memorial ServicesRead the Press Release
Pierre, SD – United States Attorney Ron Parsons attended the South Dakota Law Enforcement Memorial held as part of National Police Week in Pierre on May 16, 2018. Services, memorials, and tributes honoring law enforcement officers are held throughout the United States during this week.
In October 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the surrounding week as National Police Week. Each year at this time, our nation pays special recognition to those officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. In addition, we celebrate the contributions of all police officers, recognizing their hard work and dedication in keeping our communities safe.
The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to supporting law enforcement officers through the “Back the Blue” initiative created by President Donald J. Trump in his first executive order after taking office, and implemented by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
“The most important thing that any government does is protect the safety and rights of its citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “Everything else depends on it. And that is the daily calling of police officers. The women and men of law enforcement – whether federal, state, local, or tribal – should never doubt that they have our deepest admiration and gratitude.”
“Whenever something goes wrong or anyone is in distress, they are the ones who answer the call,” he added. “They are the thin blue line standing in the breach between safety and lawlessness. They keep the peace, protect us from danger, and uphold the rule of law. We must never forget how blessed we are by those who willingly dedicate their lives to this mission.”
This year’s memorial began with a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Capitol Lake Monument, followed by a motorcade from the George S. Mickelson Building to the Madison Avenue Church of Christ. The memorial service at the church commenced with a welcome by Pierre Police Chief Jason Jones and Call to Order by Sioux Falls Police Captain Loren McManus.
After the Presentation of Colors by the Memorial Honor Guard, the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mrs. Karla Blemaster’s Fourth Grade Class from Kennedy Elementary in Pierre. South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Tori Gordan sang the National Anthem and Father David Hussey, Chaplain of the Pierre Police Department, presented the Invocation.
A Proclamation issued by South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard honoring our fallen law enforcement officers was then read by Colonel Craig Price of the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Chief Justice David Gilbertson of the South Dakota Supreme Court gave the Keynote Address, honoring the commitment, dedication, and sacrifice of law enforcement officers.
Following the keynote, Mrs. Blemaster’s class presented a poignant musical tribute to our fallen officers.
Sully County Sheriff Bill Stahl, President of the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association, then read the Roll Call of South Dakota law enforcement officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. Since 1791, more than 22,000 law enforcement officers across the United States have made the ultimate sacrifice. At least 69 line of duty deaths have occurred in South Dakota since Territorial days. These fallen heroes are:
Aberdeen Police Department (1)
Joseph Daly (August 16, 1919)
Alcester Police Department (1)
Alf Amundsen (September 10, 1940)
Andover Police Department (1)
Daniel Passage (July 29, 1916)
Brown County Sheriff's Office (2)
Ike Fuller (July 1, 1923)
Ole Solberg (February 25, 1939)
Brule County Sheriff's Office (2)
James Boney (September 6, 1926)
Clarendon Miller (September 6, 1931)
Bureau of Indian Affairs (7)
Paul Afraid of Soldiers (December 15, 1890)
John Armstrong (December 15, 1890)
Henry Bullhead (December 19, 1890)
David Hawkman (December 15, 1890)
James Little Eagle (December 15, 1890)
Charles Shavehead (December 16, 1890)
Frank Horn Cloud (March 10, 1910)
Butte County Sheriff's Office (1)
Dave Malcolm (January 24, 1946)
Campbell County Sheriff’s Office (2)
Walter Salzsiedler (April 25, 1949)
John Bechtold (August 4, 2004)
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police (1)
Merrill Bruguier (October 9, 2010)
Custer Police Department (1)
James Sawyer (June 13, 1972)
Dallas Marshals Office (1)
Walter Wood (February 25, 1921)
DeSmet Police Department (1)
Arthur Back (September 13, 1932)
Emery Marshals Office (1)
George Shocker (September 24, 1935)
Grant County Sheriff's Office (1)
Melbourne Lewis (July 30, 1941)
Gregory Police Department (1)
William Bearshield (July 26, 1976)
Haakon County Sheriff's Office (1)
Matthew Schofield (March 21, 1985)
Huron Police Department (3)
Clifford Hawley (September 7, 1909)
Virgil Deyo (November 29, 1966)
Thomas Callies (March 30, 1982)
Hyde County Sheriff's Office (1)
Hugh McNamara (April 30, 1926)
Lead Police Department (1)
Milan Miller (November 22, 1938)
Leola Police Department (1)
Clarence Berry (December 12, 1921)
Miller Police Department (1)
William Stender (May 15, 1963)
Mitchell Department of Public Safety (1)
John Pierce (April 9, 1884)
Moody County Sheriff’s Office (1)
William Davis (November 3, 2003)
Oglala Sioux Tribal Police (3)
John Red Horse (November 16, 1894)
Glenn Hollow Horn (April 5, 1980)
Kelmer One Feather (July 1, 2000)
Pierre Police Department (1)
Alva Burnett (June 12, 1944)
Rapid City Police Department (8)
Billy Wilson (November 6, 1885)
James Hawkes (December 28, 1916)
Jack O’Leary (November 6, 1926)
Elmer Simons (April 2, 1955)
Daniel Wickard (June 9, 1972)
Leslie Hollers (September 16, 1985)
Ryan McCandless (August 2, 2011)
Nick Armstrong (August 6, 2011)
Sioux Falls Police Department (2)
Edward Pike (September 23, 1922)
George Saville (October 6, 1935)
South Dakota Department of Corrections (4)
Eugene Reily (March 6, 1936)
Edward Jaworski (September 6, 1951)
Russell Anderson (March 3, 1998)
Ronald Johnson (April 12, 2011)
South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (2)
George Driscoll (April 26, 1964)
Ronald Brandt (December 20, 1979)
South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (1)
Thomas Matthews (January 24, 1946)
South Dakota Highway Patrol (5)
Bernard Benson (September 17, 1941)
Henry Russell (November 19, 1958)
Verlyn Mettler (March 9, 1976)
Steven Hoffman (March 12, 1980)
Oren Hindman (May 2, 1985)
South Dakota State Deputy Sheriff (1)
Charles Halpin (May 13, 1927)
Turner County Sheriff’s Office (1)
Chad Mechels (March 15, 2009)
United States Department of Justice Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms (2)
Charles Bintliff (May 13, 1927)
Oscar Hanson (March 28, 1928)
United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (2)
Jack Coler (June 26, 1975)
Ronald Williams (June 26, 1975)
United States Marshals Service (1)
Edward Flanery (March 28, 1928)
Webster Police Department (1)
Albert Hubsch (December 5, 1954)
White Lake Police Department (1)
Clyde Rogers (February 3, 1948)
On behalf of us all, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of South Dakota and the U.S. Department of Justice honor and mourn our fallen law enforcement heroes, and express our deepest thanks to all law enforcement officers for their bravery and dedication to the safety of our communities and the rule of law.
Two Men Indicted for Armed Carjacking in MilwaukeeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger announced today that Jack Clayborne (Age: 30) and Sylvance Brown (Age: 43) have been indicted for an attempted armed carjacking in Milwaukee. Both defendants were charged with one count of motor vehicle robbery causing serious bodily injury, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Those charges relate to a July 7, 2016, attempted carjacking on Hampton Avenue in Milwaukee, in which the victim was shot by the assailants. Clayborne and Brown were previously charged with the same crimes by criminal complaint on March 22, 2018. A third defendant, Eric Booker, was also convicted of participating in the attempted armed carjacking after a jury trial in January of 2017.
Clayborne and Brown each face up to 25 years in prison for the carjacking, a minimum mandatory consecutive sentence of 10 years to life in prison on the brandishing count, and up to 10 years in prison on the firearm possession count. Booker has already been sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in the July 2016 crime.
In response to the indictment, United States Attorney Krueger stated, “If convicted, the defendants will face at least 10 years—and likely more—in federal prison. The United States Attorney’s Office, in partnership with law enforcement agencies, is committed to prosecuting gun violence aggressively.”
This case is being investigated and prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The PSN 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. This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Taibleson.
The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # # #
For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, 414-297-1700
Two Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging CARLOS MARCIAL-GONZALEZ, age 41, of Mexico, and MARVIN ROMAN DIAZ-BARDALES, age 46, of Honduras, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.
If convicted of Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien, MARCIAL-GONZALEZ, found in Wake County, and DIAZ-BARDALES, found in Duplin County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Turkish Banker Sentenced to 32 Months for Conspiring to Violate U.S. Sanctions Against Iran and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
Mehmet Hakan Atilla, 47, a resident and citizen of Turkey, was sentenced today to 32 months for his participation in a scheme to violate U.S. economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran involving billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil proceeds held at Atilla’s employer (Turkish Bank-1). On Jan. 3, after a five-week jury trial, Atilla was convicted of conspiring with others to use the U.S. financial system to conduct transactions on behalf of the government of Iran and other Iranian entities, which were barred by U.S. sanctions, and to defraud U.S. financial institutions by concealing these transactions’ true nature.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
Beginning in or about 1979, the president, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), has repeatedly found that the actions and policies of the government of Iran constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and has declared a national emergency to deal with the threat. In accordance with these presidential declarations, the United States has instituted a host of economic sanctions against Iran and Iranian entities. This sanctions regime, among other things, prohibits financial transactions involving the United States or U.S. persons that were intended directly or indirectly for the government of Iran or Iranian entities. Other U.S. sanctions in effect during this case’s relevant time period also required foreign financial institutions to restrict the use of Iranian oil proceeds, if those foreign banks wished to continue to do business with the U.S. financial system.
Atilla and others conspired to provide access to restricted oil revenues through international financial networks, including U.S. financial institutions, to the government of Iran, Iranian entities, and entities identified by the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). They did so by, among other things, using Turkish Bank-1, at which Atilla served as Deputy General Manager of International Banking, to engage in transactions involving billions of dollars’ worth of petroleum revenues held by the Central Bank of Iran and the National Iranian Oil Company. In particular, they facilitated and protected Turkish Bank-1 customer, international gold trader Reza Zarrab’s, ability to supply currency and gold to, and facilitate international financial transactions for, the Government of Iran, Iranian entities, and SDNs using Turkish Bank-1. Many of those financial transactions involved unwitting U.S. financial institutions, in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. The elaborate scheme established by Atilla and others also shielded Turkish Bank-1 from U.S. sanctions.
Atilla in particular lied to and deceived U.S. Treasury officials about Turkish Bank-1’s activities and its purported compliance efforts in order to avoid subjecting the bank to U.S. sanctions. Additionally, Atilla, Zarrab and others conspired to create and use false and fraudulent documents to disguise prohibited transactions for Iran and make those transactions falsely appear as transactions involving food, thus falling within humanitarian exceptions to the sanctions regime. As a result of this scheme, Atilla and his co-conspirators induced U.S. banks unknowingly to process international financial transactions in violation of the IEEPA, and to launder through the U.S. financial system funds promoting the scheme.
* * *
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Sidhardha Kamaraju and David W. Denton Jr. of the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Deputy Chief Elizabeth Cannon and Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Turkish Banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla Sentenced to 32 Months for Conspiring to Violate U.S. Sanctions Against Iran and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced that MEHMET HAKAN ATILLA was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for his participation in a scheme to violate U.S. economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran involving billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil proceeds held at ATILLA’s employer (“Turkish Bank-1”). On January 3, 2018, after a five-week jury trial, ATILLA was convicted of conspiring with others to use the U.S. financial system to conduct transactions on behalf of the government of Iran and other Iranian entities, which were barred by U.S. sanctions, and to defraud U.S. financial institutions by concealing these transactions’ true nature. ATILLA was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard M. Berman.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As a unanimous jury found earlier this year, Mehmet Hakan Atilla helped execute an audacious scheme to circumvent our nation’s Iran sanctions regime by engaging in billions of dollars’ worth of deceptive transactions. Today, following full, fair, and public legal proceedings, Atilla has been sentenced for his crimes.”
According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
Beginning in or about 1979, the president, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (the “IEEPA”), has repeatedly found that the actions and policies of the government of Iran constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and has declared a national emergency to deal with the threat. In accordance with these presidential declarations, the United States has instituted a host of economic sanctions against Iran and Iranian entities. This sanctions regime, among other things, prohibits financial transactions involving the United States or United States persons that were intended directly or indirectly for the government of Iran or Iranian entities. Other U.S. sanctions in effect during this case’s relevant time period also required foreign financial institutions to restrict the use of Iranian oil proceeds, if those foreign banks wished to continue to do business with the U.S. financial system.
ATILLA and others conspired to provide access to restricted oil revenues through international financial networks, including U.S. financial institutions, to the government of Iran, Iranian entities, and entities identified by the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). They did so by, among other things, using Turkish Bank-1, at which ATILLA served as Deputy General Manager of International Banking, to engage in transactions involving billions of dollars’ worth of petroleum revenues held by the Central Bank of Iran and the National Iranian Oil Company. In particular, they facilitated and protected the ability of Turkish Bank-1 customer, international gold trader Reza Zarrab, to supply currency and gold to, and facilitate international financial transactions for, the Government of Iran, Iranian entities, and SDNs using Turkish Bank-1. Many of those financial transactions involved unwitting U.S. financial institutions, in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. The elaborate scheme established by ATILLA and others also shielded Turkish Bank-1 from U.S. sanctions.
ATILLA in particular lied to and deceived U.S. Treasury officials about Turkish Bank-1’s activities and its purported compliance efforts in order to avoid subjecting the bank to U.S. sanctions. Additionally, ATILLA, Zarrab, and others conspired to create and use false and fraudulent documents to disguise prohibited transactions for Iran and make those transactions falsely appear as transactions involving food, thus falling within humanitarian exceptions to the sanctions regime. As a result of this scheme, ATILLA and his co-conspirators induced U.S. banks unknowingly to process international financial transactions in violation of the IEEPA, and to launder through the U.S. financial system funds promoting the scheme.
* * *
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and the Department of Justice, National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Sidhardha Kamaraju, and David W. Denton Jr., and Special Assistant United States Attorney Dean Sovolos, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Deputy Chief Elizabeth Cannon and Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Three Florida Men Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Gregory Hubbard, a/k/a, Jibreel, 54, of West Palm Beach, Florida; Dayne Antani Christian, a/k/a, Shakur, 33, of Lake Park, Florida; and Darren Arness Jackson, a/k/a, Daoud, 53, of West Palm Beach, were sentenced to prison today for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg.
“Individuals seeking to travel to take up arms with ISIS pose a threat to the security of all nations,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg. “As demonstrated today, this threat will be met with swift and certain justice. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force continue to work proactively in order to stifle and disrupt any potential danger posed by terrorist organizations and their supporters.”
“Gregory Hubbard and his co-conspirators are a great example why the FBI’s number one priority is counterterrorism,” said Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. "This is not a scenario where law enforcement can afford to wait and see what happens next. The FBI and our Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with many law enforcement partners, diligently investigated and disrupted this threat."
According to the court docket, including the factual basis for the guilty pleas, Hubbard was arrested on July 21, 2016, at Miami International Airport where he had been driven by co-defendant Jackson for a scheduled flight to Berlin, Germany. From Berlin, Hubbard intended to travel to Syria to join ISIS.
At various times during the conspiracy, which ran from approximately July 2015 until Hubbard’s arrest, Hubbard and his co-defendants, Christian and Jackson, talked about their support for ISIS and jihad, including acts of terrorism committed by and attributed to ISIS and its supporters. During the conspiracy, Hubbard and his co-defendants and others, practiced shooting weapons multiple times in preparation for Hubbard traveling to Syria to join ISIS.
Hubbard received a joint recommended sentenced of 12 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Christian and Jackson who both pleaded guilty in 2017 and provided significant cooperation to the government, received sentences of eight years in prison and four years in prison, respectively. Both were also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
The FBI and JTTF investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Transportation Security Administration; Miami International Airport Police Department; Boca Raton, Florida, Police Department; Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office; City of West Palm Beach Police Department; and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen E. Gilbert and Edward C. Nucci of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Larry Schneider of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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
Three Florida Men Sentenced for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Gregory Hubbard, aka, Jibreel, 54, of West Palm Beach, Florida; Dayne Antani Christian, aka, Shakur, 33, of Lake Park, Florida; and Darren Arness Jackson, aka, Daoud, 53, of West Palm Beach, were sentenced to prison today for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg.
According to the court docket, including the factual basis for the guilty pleas, Hubbard was arrested on July 21, 2016, at Miami International Airport where he had been driven by co-defendant Jackson for a scheduled flight to Berlin, Germany. From Berlin, Hubbard intended to travel to Syria to join ISIS.
At various times during the conspiracy, which ran from approximately July 2015 until Hubbard’s arrest, Hubbard and his co-defendants, Christian and Jackson, talked about their support for ISIS and jihad, including acts of terrorism committed by and attributed to ISIS and its supporters. During the conspiracy, Hubbard and his co-defendants and others, practiced shooting weapons multiple times in preparation for Hubbard traveling to Syria to join ISIS.
Hubbard received a joint recommended sentenced of 12 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Christian and Jackson who both pleaded guilty in 2017 and provided significant cooperation to the government, received sentences of eight years in prison and four years in prison, respectively. Both were also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
The FBI and JTTF investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Transportation Security Administration; Miami International Airport Police Department; Boca Raton, Florida, Police Department; Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office; City of West Palm Beach Police Department; and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen E. Gilbert and Edward C. Nucci of the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Larry Schneider of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina Pays Tribute to Fallen Law Enforcement Officers in Observance of "National Police Week"Read the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Communities across the United States gather during National Police Week to remember law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, to share their stories of courage and sacrifice, and to honor their memory.
“National Police Week is a time to pay tribute to America’s fallen law enforcement offices for their bravery, their service, and their sacrifice. There is no deed more noble than the willingness to give up one’s own life to serve and protect the lives of others. Remembering those who died protecting us is our modest way of repaying our debt to them and their families. It is also our hope that our fallen heroes’ stories and legacy will serve as an inspiration to others and as an example of selfless public service,” said R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.”
In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the calendar week in which May 15 falls as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.
This year, the names of 360 U.S. law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., including the names of 129 officers who made the ultimate sacrifice during 2017, and 231 officers who died earlier in history but whose stories of sacrifice had not been previously documented. With the addition of the 360 names this year, a total of 21,541 officers’ names are engraved on the Memorial. The names represent fallen law enforcement officers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, federal law enforcement, and military police agencies.
Among those added this year will be:
- Major Jay R. Memmelaar, Jr., Goldsboro Police Department, who died in February 2017.
- Sargent Meggan L. Callahan, North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons, who died in April 2017.
- Officer Justin Smith, North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons, who died in October 2017.
- Officer Wendy Shannon, North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons, who died in October 2017.
- Correction Enterprises Manager Veronica Darden, North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons, who died in October 2017.
U.S. Attorney Murray noted that along with remembering the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, “National Police Week is an opportunity to thank and recognize everyone in the law enforcement community, who bravely stand on the front lines each day. Like many others before them, these officers took an oath to serve and protect our neighborhoods, our homes, and our loved ones from harm. And they do it every day, willingly and bravely, despite the dangers and challenges that come with wearing their uniform. I am thankful for all they do to keep our communities safe and their willingness to answer the ultimate call of duty.”
On Friday, May 18, 2018, U.S. Attorney Murray will speak at the Peace Officer Memorial Service in Catawba County, sponsored by the Catawba County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge # 26. The Memorial Service will be held at the Catawba Memorial Park, located at 3060 Highway 70 SE, in Hickory, N.C.
Texas Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KEVIN DECUIR, age 24, of Brownsville, Texas, was sentenced today for charges relating to narcotics trafficking.
DECUIR pled guilty on January 3, 2018, to conspiring to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. According to court documents, DECUIR, along with co-defendants Roel RANGEL and Victor ESQUIVEL, conspired to distribute approximately 28 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride.
Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle sentenced DECUIR to 120 months in the Bureau of Prisons, as well as 5 years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Production of Child Pornography Charges in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Luis Fernando Moreno, 38, of El Paso, Texas pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to three production of child pornography charges. At sentencing, Moreno faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years of imprisonment as to each charge. Moreno will be required to register as a sex offender when he complete his prison sentence.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) charged Moreno by criminal complaint filed on Jan. 11, 2018, with producing and possessing child pornography in May 2013, in Dona Ana County, N.M. According to the complaint, the Sunland Park Police Department initiated an investigation into Moreno after responding to a sexual assault allegation by a 16-year-old. The minor victim alleged that Moreno video-recorded the victim with his cellular phone while the victim was showering. The complaint alleged that images and videos of child pornography created by Moreno and depicting another minor victim were found on Moreno’s cellular phone and laptop computers.
During today’s proceedings, Moreno pled guilty to a felony information charging him with three counts of producing visual depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In entering the guilty plea, Moreno admitted that on March 31, 2013, he used a cellular phone to produce a video and an image of child pornography. Moreno also admitted using a cellular phone to produce a video that included child pornography on May 10, 2013,
Moreno has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of HSI, the Sunland Park Police Department and the Las Cruces Police Department with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. Individuals with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse are encouraged to contact the Children’s Advocacy Center at (575) 526-3437.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Tennessee Man Indicted for Filing False Retaliatory Liens and Committing Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury has returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, against a Rogersville, Tennessee resident charging him with obstruction of the internal revenue laws, filing fraudulent multi-million dollar liens against government employees, and filing false claims for tax refunds, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, Brian Leo Snow obstructed the internal revenue laws over a period of at least nine years by, among other things, filing false tax returns; filing false UCC Financing Statements against individuals seeking to collect his back taxes; and by filing a document with Hawkins County Register of Deeds in an attempt to terminate tax liens filed against him by the IRS.
The indictment further alleges that Snow has not filed timely and accurate income tax returns in almost two decades and owes the IRS over $150,000 in taxes. In response to IRS collection efforts, Snow allegedly filed false retaliatory liens worth millions of dollars against government officials including an IRS revenue officer, an Assistant United States Attorney, and a federal judge.
The indictment also charges that Snow filed three false claims with the IRS claiming over $144 million in tax refunds to which he was not entitled.
If convicted, Snow faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on the tax obstruction charge, 10 years in prison on each of the false retaliatory lien counts, and five years in prison on each of the false claims counts. In addition, he faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman commended special agents of the offices of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Senior Litigation Counsel Jen E. Ihlo and Trial Attorney Jason M. Scheff, who are prosecuting the case.
State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies to Receive More Than $730,296 in Federally-Forfeited FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray announced today the distribution of $730,296 in federally-forfeited funds to state and local law enforcement agencies, resulting from a forfeiture action against convicted drug trafficker James Alexander Brown.
The Justice Department recovered more than $1 million from Brown, of which 80 percent will be shared with 15 law enforcement agencies pursuant to the Department of Justice’s Equitable Sharing Program.
“My office’s criminal and forfeiture prosecutors work hand in hand to put drug traffickers behind bars and to take away the proceeds of their illegal drug trade,” said U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement. “Asset forfeiture is a key tool in our efforts to stem the flow of drugs into our neighborhoods. Through the Equitable Sharing Program, we are able to seize drug traffickers’ ill-gotten gains and assist our law enforcement partners with obtaining the resources they need to effectively protect their communities.”
“Taking away the funds from drug trafficking organizations continues to be one of DEA’s top priorities. Doing so cripples and eventually topples these criminal enterprises. The cooperation with our law enforcement counterparts and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office is crucial to the success of these forfeitures,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Atlanta Field Division regarding the Equitable Sharing Program.
According to court documents, James Alexander Brown was part of a drug distribution ring, and he was responsible for trafficking large amounts of high grade marijuana from California into North Carolina. Brown stored the marijuana in storage units in Winston Salem, N.C. and distributed it in the Charlotte area. Over the course of the investigation, state and local law enforcement provided invaluable assistance to DEA including, among other things, surveillance operations, execution of search warrants, and Brown’s apprehension. As a result of the joint investigation, Brown was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to prison.
As part of his plea agreement, Brown forfeited to the United States a Lexus automobile, a Sea Ray boat he used for drug transactions, and $1,058,400 that Brown had transferred to a bank account in Singapore. The U.S. District Court ultimately ordered the forfeiture of the funds, the vehicle, and the boat. Net proceeds of the sale of the vehicle and boat were previously shared with the law enforcement agencies that assisted in the investigation.
Eighty percent of the more than $1 million in money seized and repatriated from Singapore will now be shared among state and local law enforcement agencies who devoted substantial resources to the investigation, including, but not limited to, the following agencies operating in and around Charlotte: the Pineville Police Department ($381,024); the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles ($52,920); the North Carolina Highway Patrol ($42,336); the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department ($42,336); the Cornelius Police Department ($42,336); the Huntersville Police Department ($42,336); the Mint Hill Police Department ($42,336); the Monroe Police Department ($42,336); and the Union County Sheriff’s Office ($42,336).
U.S. Attorney Murray commended the assistance and cooperation of the agencies involved in Brown’s investigation, all of which are identified below, and stated, “Brown was a large-scale drug trafficker, profiting at the expense of our communities. Now, through sharing, the Justice Department will use Brown’s money to reinvest in law enforcement and safety in those same communities that Brown’s criminal conduct targeted. My office is committed to using the Equitable Sharing Program to support our state and local law enforcement partners in fulfilling their mission to the people of the Western District. The practice of asset forfeiture, when done right, punishes offenders like Brown and takes the profit out of crime, thus serving as a serious deterrent.”
The asset forfeiture action was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bain-Creed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington handled the criminal prosecution.
Agency
Sharing Percentage
Amount
15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit
3%
$ 31,752.00
Arkansas State Police Department
0.50%
$ 5,292.00
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
4%
$ 42,336.00
Cornelius Police Department
4%
$ 42,336.00
Horry County Police Department
2%
$ 21,168.00
Huntersville Police Department
4%
$ 42,336.00
Mint Hill Police Department
4%
$ 42,336.00
Monroe Police Department
4%
$ 42,336.00
N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles
5%
$ 52,920.00
N.C. Highway Patrol
4%
$ 42,336.00
Pineville Police Department
36%
$ 381,024.00
Salisbury Police Department
2%
$ 21,168.00
Vernon Police Department
3%
$ 31,752.00
Winston-Salem Police Department
0.50%
$ 5,292.00
Union County Sheriff’s Department
4%
$ 42,336.00
Assets Forfeiture Fund (DEA contribution)
20%
$ 211,680.00
TOTAL:
100%
$ 1,058,400.00
Southern District of Georgia Announces Largest Hospital Drug Diversion Civil Penalty Settlement in U.S. HistoryRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: In the nation’s largest settlement of its kind involving allegations of drug diversion at a hospital, Effingham Health System has agreed to pay the United States $4.1 million to resolve allegations that Effingham Health System failed to provide effective controls and procedures to guard against theft and loss of controlled substances, leading to a significant diversion of opioids, and failing to timely report the suspected diversion to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
DEA launched an investigation in 2017 after receiving reports of diversion at Effingham Health System. DEA determined that tens of thousands of oxycodone 30mg tablets were unaccounted for, and were believed to have been diverted over more than a four-year period, in violation of the hospital’s responsibilities under the Controlled Substances Act. DEA also determined that Effingham Health System failed to notify DEA of the suspected diversion within the time required by federal law.
“At a time when our country’s opioid crisis is ravaging communities across the country, hospitals like Effingham Health System have a critical responsibility to ensure that controlled substances are tracked and safeguarded from theft or loss and are not diverted for illegal uses,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “Hospitals must adopt and maintain effective safeguards as a bulwark against diversion—the risk to the public is simply too great to accept anything less than what the law demands.”
Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented, “Hospitals put lives at risk when they fail to maintain accurate recordkeeping of their inventory. Such careless behavior allows for substances to be diverted and sold on the black market with no true measure of accountability. This record-setting civil penalty is a proactive step that DEA Diversion and our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office can take to discourage other healthcare providers from engaging in such reckless behavior.”
Effingham Health System cooperated with the DEA’s investigation and, prior to this investigation, overhauled its pharmacy operations to help ensure that it will avoid diversions in the future. Since the investigation began, Effingham Health System has worked cooperatively with the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to finalize a plan to address the identified deficiencies in Effingham Health System’s handling of controlled substances, and entered into an agreement with the DEA to memorialize the plan. Components of the plan include quarterly internal accountability audits and requirements to keep detailed records that track all controlled substances within the hospital.
On February 27, 2018, Attorney General Sessions announced the creation of the Department of Justice Prescription Interdiction & Litigation (“PIL”) Task Force, to fight the prescription opioid crisis. As Attorney General Sessions noted in his announcement, the Department of Justice will use all available remedies under the Controlled Substances Act against doctors, pharmacies, and others that break the law. If you have information about any individual or entity that you believe may be unlawfully diverting or dispensing opioids for illegitimate purposes or committing health care fraud related to the opioid epidemic, please contact Assistant United States Attorney J. Thomas Clarkson (912-652-4422).
U.S. Attorney Christine commended the hard work and dedication of the DEA Savannah Resident Office, which investigated the case. Group Supervisor George M. Taylor and Diversion Investigator Matthew G. Reddish led the investigation with assistance from Diversion Investigators George Zuban and Tierra Singleton.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and Bradford C. Patrick led the investigation on behalf of the United States, with assistance from Civil Chief Shannon H. Statkus and Civil Deputy Chief J. Thomas Clarkson. The claims resolved by the settlement agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. This investigation remains ongoing.
For any questions about this release, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
South Florida Resident Charged Federally for Mosque Bomb ThreatRead the Press Release
Dustin Allen Hughes, 26, of Cutler Bay, Florida, has been arrested and charged with making a bomb threat to a South Florida mosque.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Hughes was charged by criminal complaint with willfully making a bomb threat by telephone, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(e). If convicted of the charged offense, Hughes faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. Hughes made an initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Alicia O. Valle and will remain in custody pending the outcome of a pre-trial detention hearing scheduled for May 22, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Ft. Lauderdale.
According to the criminal complaint, on May 5, 2018, at approximately 4:06 p.m., Hughes called the emergency contact number for the Jamaet Ul Muttaqueen Mosque of Pembroke Pines, Florida, and left a voice mail. In the voice mail message, Hughes stated, amongst other things: “I planted a bomb in your temple, I’m gonna blow your fucking temple up you fucking Muslim.. Where you guys have your sanctuary and worship Allah, I’m gonna blow that mother fucker up. I have a detonator [that Hughes stated he was going to activate]…[Y]ou guys are all gonna be up in flames after I’m done with you!” Within days of this call, three additional messages containing similar bomb threats were left by Hughes on the answering system for the Mosque’s non-emergency telephone number.
After retrieving the threating voice message, an official of the Mosque immediately contacted Pembroke Pines Police Department (PPPD), which subsequently responded to the Mosque and conducted an exterior and interior sweep for explosives. No presence of explosives were uncovered by the PPPD at or in vicinity of the Mosque.
On May 15, 2018, agents arrested Hughes at his residence in Miami-Dade County. During a post-arrest interview at the FBI’s field office in Miramar, Florida, agents played the May 5th voice mail message for Hughes. Hughes admitted placing that call and others to the Mosque that also were threatening in nature. Hughes also indicated that he had left the messages because he had wanted to make members of the Mosque scared and upset.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mr. Greenberg commended the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI and members of the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force. He also thanked the Pembroke Pines Police Department, the Miami-Dade Police Department, and the City of Miami Police Department for their assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Davis.
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
South Bend, Indiana Man SentencedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - Jeffery Henderson, age 34, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio for distributing cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
Henderson was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, on September 19, 2017, Henderson sold cocaine base to a person who was working for law enforcement. Henderson has five felony convictions, several of which were drug related including one prior federal felony conviction. Mr. Henderson was on bond from a felony case involving a firearm when he sold cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Schaffer.
###
Siblings Indicted and Arrested for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 9, 2018, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two siblings for money laundering, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD), and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Puerto Rico Department of Justice.
The indictment charges Fabián Padilla-Baez with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine from in or about 2013 through October 2014. The indictment also charges Fabián Padilla-Baez and his sister, Mabel Padilla-Baez, a Police of Puerto Rico Officer, with conspiracy to commit money laundering by agreeing with each other and other persons, to knowingly conduct a financial transaction affecting interstate and foreign commerce, which transaction involved the proceeds of dealing in controlled substances.
On May 15, 2013, both defendants conducted and attempted to purchase a property located at Parcel C, Sector Barrio Contorno, Barrio Galateo, Toa Alta, PR. This transaction involved the proceeds of a specified unlawful activity, that is, the felonious manufacture, importation, receiving, concealment, buying, selling, or otherwise dealing in controlled substances, knowing that the transaction was designed in whole and in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds of said specified unlawful activity; and knowing that the property involved in the financial transaction represented the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity.
“In their pursuit of personal gain, the siblings conspired to launder and conceal their drug trafficking proceeds,” said US Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “We commend our state and federal the law enforcement partners for their teamwork during this investigation, which resulted in today’s arrests.”
DEA’s Caribbean Division Assistant Special Agent in Charge Reinaldo López said: “Part of DEA’s mission is to bring to justice anyone who breaks the law, no matter who it is. It is always sad when is one of our own, but drug trafficking and money laundering organizations need to know that we’ll continue to track them down and bring them to justice. We are here and we will prevail.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney José Contreras is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, Fabián Padilla-Baez faces a minimum of ten years up to life in prison for count one and both defendants face up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering count. Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) Operation Lord of the Skies. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
# # #
Republic Man Sentenced for SBA Loan Fraud, Failure to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former business owner was sentenced in federal court today for providing false information in order to receive a $1.45 million loan, and for failing to pay employment taxes for the now-defunct business.
Clinton Tackitt, 44, of Republic, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to two years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Tackitt to pay $1,571,578 in restitution to the Small Business Administration, Guaranty Bank and the IRS.
On April 19, 2017, Tackitt pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements on a loan application and one count of failing to pay over taxes.
Tackitt applied for a $1,450,000 SBA-guaranteed loan for his business, Allied Roofing Systems, LLC, on May 9, 2012. Tackitt admitted that the loan application he submitted to Guaranty Bank was false and incomplete. Tackitt failed to disclose all of his financial debts as required and failed to truthfully disclose an accurate financial status of his company or a complete listing of the debts he and his business owed, in that the company was heavily in debt and was about to claim bankruptcy. Tackitt also failed to disclose that a third party assisted him in the preparation and presentation of the application.
Tackitt also admitted that he failed to pay over to the government $262,066 in payroll taxes that he collected from his employees. He also failed to pay over the employer’s share of FICA taxes, which total $395,699. Beginning during the second quarter of 2012, ending on June 30, 2012, and continuing on until the dissolution of Allied Roofing Systems on Dec. 31, 2013, Tackitt collected federal employee taxes from the salaries paid to the individuals employed with his company. Tackitt, through his company, willfully failed to pay over all of the taxes collected from his employees.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the FBI and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General.
Real Estate Developer Arrested in Federal Bribery CaseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A well-known commercial real estate developer was arrested this morning on federal bribery charges alleging that he paid monthly bribes to a Los Angeles County employee for six years and submitted offers to purchase the employee a Santa Rosa residence for nearly $1.1 million in exchange for the developer obtaining a $45 million county lease.
Arman Gabaee, known professionally as Arman Gabay, 57, of Beverly Hills, was arrested at his home without incident this morning by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Gabaee, who is charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count of bribery, is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Gabaee, a co‑founder and co‑managing partner of the Charles Company, a Hollywood-based real estate development firm, allegedly paid cash bribes to the county employee for more than six years. According to the complaint, the employee, who is not named and is cooperating with the FBI, negotiated leases for the county to rent office space from private parties and had “significant autonomy to contractually bind the county.”
The complaint alleges that Gabaee paid the employee cash bribes of $1,000 or more every month for six years “in exchange for county leases, non-public information, and other benefits.” According to the complaint, Gabaee paid the employee thousands of dollars during covertly recorded meetings in late 2016 and early 2017.
Further, in 2017, Gabaee allegedly offered to purchase a Northern California residence for the county employee in exchange for the employee’s assistance securing a county lease in the Hawthorne Mall, which Gabaee was redeveloping. According to the complaint, Gabaee wanted the county to enter into a 10-year, $45 million lease to rent space in the Hawthorne Mall for the Department of Public Social Services and other county departments.
“Business leaders who use their wealth and influence to corrupt our government are a scourge on our community,” United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna said. “No one, no matter how prominent or wealthy, is above the law.”
During recorded meetings between Gabaee and the county employee, as well as phone conversations intercepted pursuant to federal wiretap orders, Gabaee allegedly offered to buy a million-dollar home for the county employee, in exchange for the employee’s assistance securing the $45 million county lease. According to the complaint, when Gabaee offered to buy the residence, Gabaee promised the employee even bigger bribes in the future, saying that things would only get “better” if the employee continued to assist Gabaee with securing other county contracts.
The FBI’s investigation and intercepted communications showed Gabaee taking numerous steps in 2017 to locate a property in Northern California to use as leverage to get the employee’s assistance obtaining the $45 million county lease, according to the complaint. Gabaee ultimately settled on a home on eight acres of land in Santa Rosa wine country that was listed for $1,095,000. Without ever seeing the property, Gabaee allegedly told an associate to “make the offer” on the home “ASAP” as a bribe for the employee. Intercepted communications allegedly showed Gabaee taking steps to try to disguise his ownership interest in the property, telling the associate that the offer on the property could not be in Gabaee’s name and that he wanted to conceal his ownership interest in the property through some type of entity.
In April 2017, Gabaee allegedly placed two offers on the Santa Rosa residence, first for $1,035,000 and later for $1,065,000. According to the complaint, immediately after FBI agents approached Gabaee and told him they were aware of the bribe arrangement, Gabaee’s latest offer on the property was withdrawn within hours.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of the bribery charge alleged in the complaint, Gabaee would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The ongoing investigation in this matter is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth C. Pinkel and Lindsey Greer Dotson of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.
Prince George’s County Man Indicted on Charges of Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of A MinorRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – Today a federal grand jury has indicted Rody L. Bowden, age 39, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, on charges of Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and Transportation of Child Pornography. Bowden was also charged with committing these offenses as a registered sex offender.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Tim Altomare of the Anne Arundel County Police Department.
According to the four-count indictment, in December 2016, Bowden engaged in commercial sex acts with a 14-year-old ninth-grade student, including in Anne Arundel County motel rooms. On January 4, 2017, he recorded a video of the victim engaged in oral sex with him. On September 4, 2017, Bowden e-mailed a copy of the video to another account that he controlled.
Bowden was previously required to register as a sex offender, stemming from two convictions for third-degree sex offenses in Prince George’s County and Charles County. Bowden was previously arrested on a criminal complaint, and has been ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending trial.
Bowden faces a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life, for Sex Trafficking of a Minor; a mandatory 35 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life, for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor; and a mandatory 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, for Transportation of Child Pornography. He faces an additional 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, for allegedly committing these offenses as a registered sex offender. An initial appearance has been scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on May 25, 2018.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended HSI and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Ray D. McKenzie, who are prosecuting the case.
Owner of New York Investment Fund Charged with $21 Million Scheme to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Philip R. Bartlett, the Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today that BRENT BORLAND, the owner and principal of a New York-based investment fund known as Belize Infrastructure Fund I LLC (“Belize Fund”), was arrested this morning and charged with conspiring to commit, and the commission of, securities and wire fraud in connection with a $21 million investment fraud scheme. BORLAND will be presented later today in Manhattan federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Berman said: “Brent Borland, owner of Belize Infrastructure Fund, allegedly induced investors to contribute over $21 million into the construction of an airport in Belize by promising a high rate of return, which was secured by real property owned by the fund. In reality, some of the real property investors were told secured the debt did not even exist; and Borland allegedly was using their money for personal expenses, such as luxury automobiles, a beach club membership, and private school tuition for his children. Cases such as this serve as a cautionary tale for investors – always carefully vet your investments – and if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Bartlett said: “Brent Borland allegedly lied to investors and inappropriately used their investment funds to finance a life of luxury. Postal Inspectors remind investors, where there is high reward, there is high risk. If an investment offer sounds too good to be true, it’s most likely a scam.”
According to the Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From 2014 through March 2018, BORLAND solicited and received approximately $21.9 million through Belize Fund from approximately 40 investors based upon representations that BORLAND would use the investors’ money to construct an airport in Belize. BORLAND promised investors high rates of return on their investments, which he represented were temporary “bridge financing.” BORLAND also represented to investors that their investments would be fully secured by real property in Belize that was unencumbered by any liens or obligations.
In fact, however, BORLAND misappropriated millions of dollars of investors’ funds and used those funds for his own personal benefit. BORLAND diverted at least approximately thirty percent of the investments to pay for a variety of personal expenses, including his mortgage payments, credit card bills, luxury automobiles, a beach club membership, and private school tuition for his children. In contrast to BORLAND’s representations that investors would receive high rates of return within a specified time, all known investors in the scheme lost money. And while BORLAND represented that the investments would be secured by real property, the property purportedly serving as collateral was improperly pledged to multiple investors and, in some cases, did not even exist.
* * *
BORLAND, 48, of Sag Harbor, New York, is charged in a three-count criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the USPIS and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed civil charges in a separate action. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
If you believe you were a victim of this crime, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact the Victim/Witness Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900. For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward A. Imperatore and Negar Tekeei are in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Orinda Man Pleads Guilty to Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO– John D. Warbritton, III pleaded guilty today to transportation of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf. The guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Judge.
According to his plea agreement, on March 27, 2016, Warbritton, 64, a former resident of Orinda, Calif., traveled from Bangkok, Thailand, to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with electronic devices containing child pornography. Specifically, Warbritton was traveling with a laptop and a cellular telephone both of which contained images depicting children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The plea agreement describes some of the images that were on the devices, including depictions of grown men engaged in sexual acts with girls under the age of 12. Warbritton stipulated that between 150 and 300 images of child pornography were on his electronic devices as he traveled to SFO.
A federal grand jury indicted Warbritton on October 13, 2016, charging him with one count of transportation of child pornography and access with intent to view child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A(a) and (b). Pursuant to the plea agreement, Warbritton pleaded guilty to the charge.
Judge Breyer scheduled a sentencing hearing for August 8, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.. The maximum statutory sentence for violating 18 U.S.C. § 2252 is a 20-year prison term. Additional fines, victim restitution, and a term of supervised release also may be imposed; however, any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Armbrust is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Ana Guerra. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI, DEA, and IRS-CI.
If members of the public have any information relevant to this investigation or to suspected child predators or suspicious activity, they should contact Homeland Security Investigations through the toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or complete the online tip form at: https://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may also be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.
Oregon Missionary Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Six Cambodian Children at OrphanageRead the Press Release
A Coos Bay, Oregon man, who was a Christian missionary running an orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, was found guilty by a federal jury of six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and aggravated sexual abuse.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of the District of Oregon, and Special Agent in Charge Loren G. Cannon of the FBI, Portland Division, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane of the District of Oregon.
Daniel Stephen Johnson, 40, was charged in December 2014 after serving a one-year sentence in Cambodia for sexually abusing some of the same victims. According to evidence at trial, Johnson was a Christian missionary who traveled between the United States and Cambodia, along with other countries in Southeast Asia. He started an orphanage in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, that housed several Cambodian children. Over a period of years beginning in 2005, Johnson engaged in sexual abuse and attempted to sexually abuse at least nine children who resided at his orphanage. The victims ranged in age from eight to 17-years-old. The sexual abuse continued until December 2013 when Johnson was arrested by the Cambodian National Police. Based on disclosures made by children at the orphanage, Cambodian officials charged Johnson and detained him pending trial. In May 2014, Johnson was convicted by a Cambodian judge of performing indecent acts on one or more children at the orphanage and sentenced to one year in prison. Following his release from prison, Johnson was escorted back to the United States by the FBI. He will be sentenced on Aug. 22 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
“While Stephen Johnson held himself out as a selfless missionary helping orphans in Cambodia, in reality he exploited that cover to sexually abuse the children entrusted to his care,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Cronan. “Today’s conviction is a testament both to the courage of the victims, who traveled to the United States to provide critical testimony against their abuser, and to the steadfast commitment of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners to seeing that Johnson be held to account for his terrible crimes.”
“The despicable nature of this defendant’s conduct is beyond understanding,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Whether you are abusing children in this country or abroad, you will be pursued and held accountable in a court of law. The fact that this defendant abused children under the guise of being a missionary and orphanage operator is appalling.”
“Daniel Johnson’s promises of charity and a better life were nothing more than lies as he dragged these children into his dark world of abuse,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Cannon. “This case should serve as warning to those predators who believe they can hide their crimes – whether here at home or half-a-world-away. We will always stand with the victims, and we will always work to bring justice in their names.”
According to evidence presented at trial, while in custody awaiting trial, Johnson made multiple efforts to tamper with witnesses and obstruct justice. Johnson contacted his victims online, encouraging them to lie and offering money and gifts. One message, sent via his relative’s Facebook account to an adult in Cambodia, discussed visiting a victim’s family and encouraging them to convince the victim to retract their statement, potentially in exchange for $10,000. Another message explains the need for a victim to say they were under duress and “pushed by police” to thumbprint a document.
The FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Lauren E. Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey S. Sweet and Ravi Sinha of the District of Oregon prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Potter for the District of Oregon. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Oregon Man Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Children at Orphanage in CambodiaRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – A federal jury found Daniel Stephen Johnson, 40, of Coos Bay, Oregon, guilty today of repeatedly sexually abusing children who lived at an orphanage operated by the defendant in Cambodia. The verdict marks the end of the second foreign sexual exploitation trial held in the District of Oregon.
Johnson was convicted on six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count each of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and aggravated sexual assault with children.
“The despicable nature of this defendant’s conduct is beyond understanding. Whether you are abusing children in this country or abroad, you will be pursued and held accountable in a court of law,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “The fact that this defendant abused children under the guise of being a missionary and orphanage operator is appalling.”
“Daniel Johnson’s promises of charity and a better life were nothing more than lies as he dragged these children into his dark world of abuse,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. “This case should serve as a warning to those predators who believe they can hide their crimes – whether here at home or half-a-world-away. We will always stand with the victims, and we will always work to bring justice in their names.”
According to court documents and information shared during trial, between November 2005 and his arrest in December 2013, Johnson systematically and repeatedly molested children who lived at an unlicensed orphanage he operated in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. To date, nine Cambodian victims—who ranged in age from seven to 18 years old at the time of abuse—have disclosed Johnson’s abuse or attempted abuse.
Victims describe a pattern of molestation that includes, among other things, Johnson making them perform oral sex on him and anally raping them. Multiple victims said they were, on numerous occasions, awoken to Johnson abusing them. Following the abuse, Johnson would sometimes provide his impoverished victims with small amounts of money or food. On one occasion, Johnson gave a victim the equivalent of $2.50 in Cambodian currency.
In 2013, a warrant was issued for Johnson’s arrest on an unrelated case by officials in Lincoln County, Oregon. Local law enforcement officers worked with the FBI to locate Johnson overseas. The FBI in turn worked with the U.S. Department of State to revoke Johnson’s passport based on the Oregon warrant. Through the work of the FBI, Action Pour Les Enfants, a non-governmental organization dedicated to ending child sexual abuse and exploitation in Cambodia, and the Cambodian National Police (CNP), Johnson was located in Phnom Penh.
On December 9, 2013, CNP arrested Johnson. Based on disclosures made by children at the orphanage, Cambodian officials charged Johnson and detained him pending trial. In May 2014, Johnson was convicted by a Cambodian judge of performing indecent acts on one or more children at the orphanage and sentenced to a year in prison. Following his release from prison, Johnson was escorted back to the U.S. by the FBI.
Based on the sexual-abuse allegations against him, the FBI undertook a lengthy investigation of Johnson. During the course of their investigation, agents interviewed more than a dozen children and adults who had resided at the orphanage. Many of the interviews were audio- and video-taped and, in several instances, conducted in Cambodia by trained child-forensic interviewers. Some victims were interviewed multiple times before disclosing Johnson’s abuse.
Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon on December 20, 2014 on one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. Seven additional charges were added by superseding indictment on May 17, 2017.
While in custody awaiting trial, Johnson made multiple efforts to tamper with witnesses and obstruct justice. Johnson contacted his victims online, encouraging them to lie and offering money and gifts. One message, sent via his relative’s Facebook account to an adult in Cambodia, discussed visiting a victim’s family and encouraging them to convince the victim to retract their statement, potentially in exchange for $10,000. Another message explains the need for a victim to say they were under duress and “pushed by police” to thumbprint a document.
Johnson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and is subject to a 30 year mandatory minimum. He will be sentenced on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
This case was investigated by the FBI. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet and Ravi Sinha, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, and Lauren E. Britsch, Trial Attorney for the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. Amy E. Potter, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, assisted with the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice and led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced today that on May 16, 2018, United State District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Rodney Lillard, age 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, for his conviction for felon in possession of a firearm. Lillard was sentenced to a jail term of 30 months and was placed on supervised release for one year.
Defendant was arrested in May of 2017 for driving under the influence and possession of a handgun. At the time of the arrest, he had just been released from prison for another conviction for felon in possession of a firearm and was on supervised release for that crime. This is the defendant’s third conviction for possessing a firearm while a felon.
This case was investigated by Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to 262 Months for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jason Delaney Kiplinger, age 36, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was sentenced to 262 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. The charge arose from an investigation by the Sallisaw Police Department, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Indictment alleged that on or about February 6, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
“Methamphetamine distributors profit from their businesses while individuals, families, and communities are destroyed by their poisonous product. The defendant in this case possessed thousands of dosage units that would have arrived in various communities in Southeast Oklahoma if it weren’t for the work of the Sallisaw Police Department, Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the DEA,” said United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester. “Because of their thorough and professional investigation the members of this office were able to successfully prosecute the defendant thereby holding him accountable and ending his ability to distribute methamphetamine.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Wilson represented the United States. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the non-paroleable sentence will be served.
New York Man Admits Role in Counterfeit Credit Card Scheme Targeting Western PA BusinessesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Albans, New York, has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Dashamae Wayne, 27, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in June 2016, Dashamae Wayne and conspirators used counterfeit credit cards at multiple stores in Western Pennsylvania to purchase gift cards and merchandise, which totaled approximately $91,000.
Judge Fischer scheduled the sentence for November 2, 2018 at 9 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both at each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force (WPFCTF), conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of this defendant. The WPFCTF was established as a collaborative, multi-agency effort to effectively combat financial crimes, including identity fraud, in Western Pennsylvania. Partnering in this effort are the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Robinson Township Police Department.
Navajo Man from McKinley County Sentenced to Prison for Federal Child Abuse ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Roland Skeets, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Smith Lake, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 21 months in prison for his conviction on child abuse charges. Skeets will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Skeets was arrested in Aug. 2017, on an indictment charging him with child abuse resulting in great bodily injury and child abuse. According to the indictment, the crimes took place on March 25, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.
On Dec. 6, 2017, Skeets pled guilty to an information charging him with assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. In entering the guilty plea, Skeets admitted that on March 25, 2016, he assaulted a four-year-old child by pushing the child to the ground and yanking him back up by the arm, which fractured the child’s clavicle. Skeets was intoxicated when he assaulted the child.
After assaulting the child, Skeets continued yelling, causing his girlfriend to flee with the injured child and other children to a neighbor’s house in order to call police.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case.
Monongalia County man sentenced to nearly eight years for firearms violationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Roger Dale LaMar, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 96 months and 18 days incarceration, to be served concurrently to with his state sentence, for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Lamar, age 49, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in December 2017. Lamar, having previously been convicted of second degree murder in Preston County Circuit Court in 2001, admitted to having three firearms in his possession. The crime occurred in February 2017 in Taylor 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 Traci M. Cook prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.