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26 April 2018
Staten Island Man Sentenced to 17 Years’ Imprisonment for Attempted Murder of A Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Fareed Mumuni was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Margo K. Brodie. Mumuni pleaded guilty on February 9, 2017 to all counts of an indictment charging him with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, assaulting and conspiring to assault federal officers, and attempted murder of federal officers.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“Heroic American law enforcement officers remain locked in a life-and-death struggle with terrorists like Fareed Mumuni,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “We will do everything in our power to work with the FBI, the NYPD and all our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners to incapacitate terrorists and protect the American people. I commend the FBI Special Agents and Task Force Officers for doing an outstanding job in this case.”
“The women and men of law enforcement put their lives on the line to keep us safe every day. We will not tolerate attacks on them or plots to kill Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “I applaud the tireless efforts of the agents and prosecutors that led to the defendant’s arrest and conviction. The National Security Division remains committed to defending our country and taking action against those who would harm it.”
“Mumuni now follows a familiar path of like-minded individuals before him - to federal prison. His intent was clear, but our resolve to thwart individuals like this is even more resolute,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “I would like to thank the many JTTF agents and task force personnel, surveillance teams and FBI SWAT agents who interdicted Mumuni and his associates, often at great personal risk. Thank you for keeping our city safe.”
As alleged in the indictment and in other court filings, Mumuni pledged allegiance to ISIS, and he and co-conspirator Munther Omar Saleh discussed and worked to raise money to travel to ISIS-controlled territories. Mumuni stated that if he were unable to travel to join ISIS, then he would fight in the United States.
Saleh informed ISIS attack facilitator Junaid Hussain that Saleh, Mumuni, and three other co-conspirators located in New York and New Jersey had confronted law enforcement officers who were surveilling them continuously. Saleh sought and received authorization from Junaid Hussain permitting Mumuni to conduct a suicide “martyrdom” attack by using a pressure-cooker bomb against law enforcement officers who were following the co-conspirators and thus preventing them from traveling to join ISIS.
On June 17, 2015, during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Staten Island, Mumuni charged at an FBI agent with a kitchen knife as the agents attempted to clear the house. Mumuni stabbed the FBI agent multiple times in the torso, using sufficient force to break off the tip of the knife. The agent was saved from serious injury or death only by his magazine carrier, which deflected and chipped the point of Mumuni’s knife while Mumuni was thrusting it into the agent’s side. Fortunately, the agent sustained only minor injuries.
Saleh was sentenced on February 6, 2018 to 18 years’ imprisonment for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, and assaulting and conspiring to assault federal officers.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Douglas M. Pravda and Ian C. Richardson, of the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section, with assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Robert Sander and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The Defendant:
FAREED MUMUNI
Age: 23
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-393 (MKB)
St. Louis County Man Indicted on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Everett James, 60, of St. Louis County, Missouri, has been indicted on charges of Social Security fraud, making false statements and theft of government funds.
The indictment alleges that James started part-time employment with the City of Kinloch Police Department in September 2013. In November and December 2013, James worked an average of 32 hours per month. In January 2014, his hours increased to 124 hours per month. In December 2013, James began working a second part-time job as a guard with a private security company.
In December 2013, James filed an application for disability benefits claiming that he had not worked since October 16, 2013, as a result of a disabling medical condition. When interviewed by a representative of the Social Security Administration (SSA), James advised he was only working 24 hours per week for the City of Kinloch, and did not mention his work with the security company. On reports that James filed with SSA, he stated his disability affected, among other things, lifting, walking, understanding and hearing.
Social Security evaluates the amount of monthly income an individual could earn through their activities in order to determine if a person is eligible for such benefits.
An investigation conducted by SSA starting in late 2016 revealed not only the above-referenced employment, but employment with other police agencies as well.
If convicted, James faces up to 5 years imprisonment, a fine of not more than $250,000 or both per count on the false statements (counts 1 and 2) and Social Security program fraud charges (count 3). On the charge of theft of government funds (counts 4-7), he faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of not more than $250,000 or both per count. Restitution to the Social Security Administration is mandatory.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Adminstration-Office of Inspector General. Tracy Berry is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Spencer Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Drug UserRead the Press Release
A former Federal Firearms Licensee who unlawfully discharged a loaded firearm while under the influence of eight different controlled substances was sentenced, April 25, 2018, to more than three years in federal prison.
Shane Zellaha, 57, from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 30, 2017, guilty plea to one count of being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of a firearm.
The government presented evidence that on January 26, 2017, Zellaha discharged a loaded firearm while under the influence of methamphetamine, amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, opiates, oxycodone, and benzodiazepines. Weeks later, Zellaha violated his state pretrial release by possessing an additional three firearms, ammunition, a baggie containing methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. After being indicted federally, Zellaha was released despite the government’s objection. He violated his pretrial release by failing to remove contraband from his residence, providing a diluted urine sample, skipping a urinalysis examination, skipping a substance abuse evaluation, and failing to abide by radio frequency monitoring. At the time of his arrest on the pretrial violations, United States Marshals Service deputies seized 2,400 rounds of ammunition from Zellaha’s possession.
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.
Zellaha was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. Zellaha was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay J. Alexander and investigated by the Spencer Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-4013-MWB.
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South Florida Securities Broker-Dealer Charged with Conspiracy to Unlawfully Sell Unregistered SecuritiesRead the Press Release
A South Florida securities broker-dealer has been charged with participating in a conspiracy to unlawfully sell unregistered securities. This conduct was part of a scheme to sell shares of fraudulently registered companies that could then be used for pump and dump and other stock manipulation schemes.
Randy A. Hummel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Delaney Equity Group LLC, a registered broker-dealer based in Palm Beach Gardens, was charged by a criminal information with one count of conspiracy to unlawfully sell unregistered securities, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, in Case No. 18-CR-20336. The defendant company faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years of probation and a fine up to $500,000 or double the proceeds of the offense. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in Miami.
According to court documents, including the charging information, from October 2009 through at least June 2013, Delaney Equity Group LLC (“Delaney Equity”), through certain employees including Ian C. Kass, participated in a conspiracy to sell shares of bogus microcap companies, knowing that the companies had been created using nominee officers and were secretly controlled by shell principals Steven Sanders, Daniel McKelvey, and Alvin S. Mirman. The shell principals would fraudulently create public companies, known as issuers, by filing documents with the SEC that falsely described the companies and their share ownership. These documents would indicate that the companies were controlled by a nominee, or straw chief executive officer (CEO). The straw CEO would be listed as the owner of the control block, or restricted shares, but in reality the companies were controlled by the principals. The principals would also create documents with the names of various shareholders for each company, to make it appear that these shares were owned by persons unaffiliated with the company. These shares would later be classified as unrestricted or “free trading.” Thereafter, the principals would sell the companies to criminal actors who would secretly obtain the control shares and the purported “free trading” shares, without disclosure to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the investing public. This would allow the buyers to engage in stock manipulation schemes using the purported “free trading” shares.
According to the allegations in the information, Delaney Equity was a securities broker-dealer that was registered with the SEC and was a market maker for penny stocks in the over-the-counter securities markets. Acting at the direction of the shell principals, Delaney Equity sponsored nine fraudulent shell companies for electronic trading, and facilitated the sale of shares of these bogus entities to criminal actors. According to court documents, Delaney Equity utilized fraudulent paperwork to deposit shares into broker accounts in the names of the fraud principals, including Steven Sanders, Daniel McKelvey, and Alvin S. Mirman. Delaney Equity also obtained authorization from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for shares of the companies to be electronically traded. Delaney Equity also opened brokerage accounts for the shell principals and deposited shares of the bogus entities into these accounts, later selling the shares to the investing public knowing that the companies were sham entities with nominee officers. These activities, according to allegations in the information, facilitated the unlawful sale of securities that should have been classified as restricted, facilitating the securities fraud scheme.
Ten other defendants have been convicted in connection with the Shell Factory Fraud investigation: John Ahearn and Andrew Wilson, Case No. 17-20883-CR-KMW; Yelena Furman, Case No. 17-20713-CR-CMA; David Lubin, Case No. 17-20508-CR-MGC; Sheldon Rose and Ian Kass, Case No. 16-20706-CR-JEM; Steven Sanders and Alvin S. Mirman, Case No. 16-20572-CR-CMA; and, Daniel McKelvey and Jeffrey Lamson, Case No. 16-20546-CR-RNS.
A criminal information is a charging instrument containing allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.
Mr. Hummel commended the investigative efforts of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Mr. Hummel also thanked the SEC’s Miami Regional Office for their assistance. The SEC previously filed a parallel administrative enforcement proceeding related to this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerrob Duffy.
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.
Snapchat Photos Lead to the Arrest of A Lyndonville Man on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Nolan Donald, 19, of Lyndonville, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and being an unlawful user in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth T. Molisani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between February 17, 2018, and April 18, 2018, the defendant posted videos and photos to the social media application "Snapchat" in which he appeared to be in possession of a pistol and large quantities of marijuana, and using what appeared to be marijuana and prescription medicine.
On April 18, 2018, Special Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a federal search warrant at Donald’s North Lyndonville Road residence. Agents recovered a pistol with an obliterated serial number, which was loaded with eight rounds of ammunition, and a 12-gauge shotgun. A small quantity of suspected marijuana, suspected edible marijuana cookies, plastic baggies and ammunition for a shotgun were also recovered.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder and was released on conditions pending a detention hearing on April 27, 2018.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Seven Sentenced Following A Joint Local, State and Federal Law Enforcement Operation in Columbus, Georgia for Attempting to Have Sex with A MinorRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS: United States Attorney Charles E. Peeler announces Jonathan David Jenkins, 23, of Columbus, Georgia; Collis Dwight Eaton, 48, of Midway, Alabama; Uthemes Taylor, 30, from Columbus, Georgia; Michael Andrew Everett, 22, of Columbus, Georgia; Brian A. Corcoran, 42, from Columbus, Georgia; Robert Alan Moore, 31, from Ledonia, Alabama; and Jarrod R. Long, 27, of Columbus, Georgia were sentenced April 24, 2018 to 46 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for Use of Facilities in Interstate and Foreign Commerce to Transmit Information about a Minor. The sentences were handed down by Chief United States District Court Judge Clay D. Land in Columbus.
On November 10, 2017, the Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted an undercover operation centered in Columbus, Georgia which targeted online child predators who were willing to pay to have sex with a child.
The seven were indicted on November 16, 2017 and entered their pleas in January 2018 following “Operation Hidden Guardian,” a proactive, online undercover investigation centered in Columbus, Georgia, which was coordinated by the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit, the Columbus Police Department, the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
“Those sentenced today knowingly preyed on who they believed to be children,” United States Attorney Charles Peeler said. “As a citizen in the Middle District of Georgia, I am disgusted by their actions and plan to continue vigorously working with our law enforcement agencies to prosecute others who wish to do our children harm.”
“This conviction illustrates the great work of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes against children,” said GBI Director Vernon Keenan. “The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse cases.”
“You never know who you are communicating with on line. That’s a warning not only for parents and their children, but also for sexual predators,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Fortunately, these individuals’ activity on-line connected them with an undercover agent and they have become another example of how hard we work to protect our nation’s children.”
Along with those agencies who participated in the planning and coordination of the operation, twelve additional law enforcement agencies participated in “Operation Hidden Guardian” as members of the Georgia ICAC Task Force. These agencies were: Federal Bureau of Investigation – Columbus Resident Agency; the United States Secret Service; Athens-Clarke County Police Department; Floyd County Police Department; Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office; Hall County Sheriff’s Office; Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center (GISAC); Glynn County Police Department; LaGrange Police Department; Marietta Police Department; Polk County Police Department; and the Tallapoosa Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Crawford Seals and Melvin E. Hyde, Jr. prosecuted the case for the government.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Sanford Man Sentenced to Five Years for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Rusty Hood, 38, of Sanford, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to five years in prison and ten years of supervised release for transporting child pornography. Hood pleaded guilty on January 29, 2018.
According to court records, in May 2016, Hood chatted online with an individual in Ohio. During the chat, the two men exchanged images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Hood claimed during the chat that he was interested in babies, and that he had engaged in sexual activity with a young girl.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the Sanford Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
San Francisco Business Owner Sentenced in Bid-Rigging Conspiracy Involving State Government ContractsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — John Brewer, 48, of San Francisco, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 15 months in prison for bid rigging, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Brewer and his co-defendant, Brent Vinch, were the owners of, and senior executives for, a company called Expert Network Consultants (ENC), which submitted bids to the State of California for various government contracts. Brewer admitted that from 2008 through early 2012, he conspired with co-defendants Vinch and Loraine Dixon, among others, to rig the state’s competitive bidding process by creating inflated bids for submission by co-conspirators to state contracting agencies in an effort to ensure that Expert Network Consultants received the contracts. Brewer solicited bids from individuals and companies that had no intention or ability to perform the work called for in the contracts, and Brewer directed Vinch to create and submit noncompetitive bids. In total, ENC won more than 40 state contracts as a result of the bid-rigging conspiracy from multiple state agencies, including the Employment Development Department, Department of Justice, Department of Motor Vehicles, and Department of Insurance. The value of those contracts exceeded $3 million.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Yelovich is prosecuting the case. The United States is grateful for the assistance of the California Attorney General’s Office in conducting the initial investigation into this matter and referring it to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Co-defendant Vinch pleaded guilty to bid rigging on December 14, 2017, and is awaiting sentencing. Charges are pending against Dixon. The charges against her are allegations, and she is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Use of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that FRANCISCO MEDARDO-SANTOS, age 32, a native of El Salvador, pleaded guilty yesterday to illegal use of a Social Security number. MEDARDO-SANTOS, who is not a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States, applied for employment with a local business using a false permanent resident card and another person’s Social Security card. On a federal employment eligibility verification form, MEDARDO-SANTOS falsely claimed to be this other person, falsely claimed to be a lawful permanent resident, and falsely claimed that the person’s Social Security number was his own. MEDARDO-SANTOS faces up to five years imprisonment at his sentencing, which is set for July 18, 2018, before Chief Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon is in charge of the prosecution.
Rockford Man Arrested on Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was arrested Tuesday by federal law enforcement officers on drug trafficking and firearm charges.
ANTWON D. TATE, 29, was indicted on April 10, 2018, by a federal grand jury in Rockford on five counts of distributing heroin in Rockford in January and February, two counts of illegally possessing a firearm (two 9mm Hi-Point rifles) as a convicted felon, and one count of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Celinez Nunez, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
Tate was arraigned Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Iain D. Johnston and pleaded not guilty. Tate is currently in custody and scheduled to appear before Judge Johnston for a detention hearing on April 26, 2018.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Each count of distributing heroin carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Each charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, and the charge of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret J. Schneider.
Rochester Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Brendon Allan Young, 35, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of production, distribution and possession of child pornography, was sentenced to 35 years in prison and 20 years supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who handled the case, stated that between 2012 and 2017, Young sexually abused a minor female, beginning when the child was only four or five years old. By the time the victim turned nine years old, the defendant produced child pornography depicting the victim, which he uploaded and traded via the internet. The victim’s images were ultimately found in the United Kingdom when British authorities arrested a perpetrator in that country during a child pornography sting. Using information found on the British suspect’s computer, British authorities contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Washington, D.C., which was relayed the information to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Buffalo, NY. Within days, using metadata associated with the images, HSI Agents located the victim in Rochester, NY.
At the same time, the Rochester Police Department and Monroe County Child Protective Services had begun an investigation after the victim made a disclosure of sexual abuse to a friend’s mother. HSI Agents, the Rochester Police Department, and Child Protectives engaged in a joint investigation that led to Young’s arrest by both state and federal authorities. On November 1, 2017, the defendant was sentenced to 30 years in State Court.
“This sort of depravity deserves extended captivity,” stated U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “While a long sentence such as this cannot undo the harm suffered by the victims of the defendant’s brutal conduct, it can protect other children by ensuring that the defendant cannot have future access to them.”
“This investigation is a perfect example of the international law enforcement community’s cooperation in cases involving child exploitation and victim identification, said HSI Buffalo Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly. “In addition, we coordinated with our partners at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to identify and bring this subject to justice and remove him as a threat to our community.”
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Lyons; Monroe County Child Protective Services, the Bivona Child Advocacy Center, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Sandra Doorley.
Robstown Based Heroin Conspiracy DismantledRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The final member of a 10-defendant heroin and money laundering conspiracy has pleaded guilty, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Jesus Gutierrez, 46, of Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin and conspiracy to launder money.
The court learned today that the defendants had been part of a significant, long-term heroin distribution ring operating in Robstown. Evidence also showed that on Oct. 4, 2017, authorities seized approximately a kilogram of heroin and almost $100,000 during the arrests related to this investigation.
The evidence presented during today’s plea demonstrated that Gutierrez and his nephew, Enrique Gutierrez Jr., regularly obtained kilogram quantities of heroin during the conspiracy which was then distributed via the other defendants. The overall scope of the conspiracy was estimated to be between 10-30 kilograms of heroin. The conspiracy operated between April 2016 and October 2017, according to the evidence presented to the court.
Previously, Gutierrez Jr., 31, of Sandia, Louie Molina, 36, of Robstown, Arturo Garcia, 55, of Mathis, Michael Flores, 36, of Robstown, and Jesus Leal Jr., 34, of Robstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. Gutierrez Jr. also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder drug money as did Renee Gutierrez, 37, of Corpus Christi. Tim Molina, 34, of Robstown, Sakhone Chanhrattana, 35, of Jarrell, and Javier Ramirez, 52, of Alice, entered their pleas to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Sentencing for Gutierrez has been set before Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos for Aug. 8, 2018. At that time, he faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the conspiracy and a maximum of 20 years for the money laundering.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Muschenheim is prosecuting the case.
Riviera Beach Resident Sentenced to over 10 Years in Prison for Operating a Fraudulent Tax Preparation Business and Using Stolen Identities to File TaxesRead the Press Release
After having been convicted at trial, Corry E. Pearson, of Riviera Beach, was sentenced yesterday to more than 10 years in prison for operating a fraudulent tax preparation business and submitting fraudulent tax returns using the stolen personal identification information of other individuals.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Michael J. DePalma, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.
Pearson, 28, was sentenced by United States District Judge Beth Bloom to 124 months in prison. On October 2, 2017, a federal jury in Miami convicted Pearson of 18 criminal charges, including: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349; wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343; aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A; money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i); and money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957.
Evidence presented at trial and sentencing established that, from 2011 through 2013, Pearson and his accomplices filed at least 770 fraudulent tax returns in the names of various people. The conspirators filed many of these returns using two tax preparation businesses in West Palm Beach, Florida, that they controlled, Tax King, Inc. and NPN Multiservices. In addition, the conspirators filed other returns in a manner that made it appear as if the taxpayers had filed the returns themselves, without using a tax preparation business. In some cases, the conspirators filed Federal income tax returns in the names of people who were actually victims of identity theft. The conspirators also listed stolen identities as tax preparers on fraudulent tax returns, making it appear that the fraud had been perpetrated by people who were actually victims of the identity theft. In total, the returns filed by the conspirators claimed approximately $5,173,274 in fraudulent refunds. Pearson also engaged in financial transactions with the proceeds of the fraud to disguise his control over the proceeds.
Pearson’s co-defendant, Stephane Cindy Anor, a/k/a “Stephanie Anor, 28, of West Palm Beach, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 36 months in prison. Anor worked as a tax preparer at Tax King.
In a related case, Irene Wilson, 52, of Riviera Beach, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by a false claim and was sentenced to 3 years of probation. Wilson assisted Pearson to file a fraudulent return and to disguise Pearson’s control of those proceeds.
A restitution hearing has been scheduled for July 13, 2018.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Osborne and Roger Stefin.
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.
Reserve Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DERRELL JOSEPH, age 38, of Reserve, pled guilty today to charges relating to narcotics trafficking and illegal possession of firearms.
According to court documents, JOSEPH possessed with the intent to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin. For that charge, JOSEPH faces a term of imprisonment of at least five and up to forty years, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment,
JOSEPH also pled guilty to possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. JOSEPH possessed a Glock Model 19, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. For the firearms charge, JOSEPH faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years, which must run consecutive to any other sentence, and a maximum term of life imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
Judge Lance M. Africk set sentencing for July 26, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas D. Moses and Jeffrey K. Sandman are in charge of the prosecution.
Reno Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Posing Online as A Teenage Boy to Receive Sexually Explicit Photos from GirlsRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A Reno parolee who posed online as a teenage boy and enticed about a dozen girls to send him sexually explicit photos was sentenced in federal court today to 22 years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division.
Ira Gene Weirich Jr., 59, pleaded guilty on August 11, 2017, to one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Miranda Du sentenced him to lifetime supervised release. He is also required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Weirich was serving a life sentence in state prison for the 1978 rape, kidnapping, and robbery of a woman. He was granted parole in February 2013. During his parole, the State of Nevada provided him an iPad to take online classes. In December of the same year, during a search, Nevada parole officers discovered Weirich was using the iPad to obtain nude and sexually explicit photos of girls. He had been posing as a teenage boy on social media and chat applications and contacting girls. He engaged in sexually explicit chats and convinced as many as 15 girls to send him nude and sexually explicit photos of themselves. He received and saved a total of 300 sexually explicit photos and videos that he later traded with others.
During an interview with law enforcement, Weirich admitted he received and distributed child pornography. He stated it was the enjoyment he felt in having control and power over the victims and “it wasn’t necessarily about the nude picture, it was about getting the nude picture.”
The case was investigated by the Northern Nevada Child Exploitation Task Force, which is comprised of members of the FBI, the Reno Police Department, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Nevada Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon M. Bryant prosecuted the case.
If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, make a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.org.
The 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 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 more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Reno Man Pleads Guilty to Creating over 8,000 Fraudulent Online Accounts with Stolen Identities to Commit $3.5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A Reno man pleaded guilty in federal court today to using stolen identities to create more than 8,000 fraudulent online accounts to commit a $3.5 million fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada.
Kenneth Gilbert Gibson, 47, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of filing a false tax return, and one count of aggravated identity theft. United District Court Judge Miranda Du accepted the guilty pleas. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2018.
According to admissions made in connection to his plea agreement, between 2012 and 2017, Gibson developed and operated a scheme to fraudulently obtain the identities of multiple victims and used their identities to open unauthorized online accounts, credit accounts, bank accounts, and prepaid cards. He obtained the identities of multiple victims from a database in Reno. Then, he used those stolen identities to create approximately 8,000 unauthorized and fraudulent online accounts. He would use those fraudulent and unauthorized accounts to transfer, deposit, and send approximately $3.5 million to himself via hard copy checks and through electronic transactions to approximately 500 bank accounts and pre-paid debit cards owned and under his control.
In addition, he admitted to filing a false federal income tax return for the 2013 tax year. He did not include approximately $1,049,070 of taxable income he received from the fraud scheme.
At the time of sentencing, the maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud and mail fraud counts; the maximum statutory penalty is three years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the filing a false tax return count; and the statutory maximum penalty of two years in prison for the aggravated identity theft count. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release and a criminal forfeiture money judgment.
The case is being jointly investigated by a Task Force consisting of the FBI, United States Secret Service, the IRS, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Reno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla B. Higginbotham is prosecuting the case.
You can report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at www.identitytheft.gov or by phone at 1-877-438-4338. For identity theft prevention tips and free resources visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
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Remarks of United States Attorney McSwain Addressing the Philadelphia Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
Remarks as prepared for delivery
Thank you very much, Deputy Commissioner Coulter, for that kind introduction. It is truly an honor to be here with all of you. And it is the honor of my lifetime to serve as your United States Attorney.
I’m going to talk to you today for a while, but before I get into the details of my speech, I have a message for you. It’s an important message, a serious message – it’s a message you need to hear. I’m going to keep it real simple. Are you listening? I want everyone in this room to look at me right now and hear this message.
I love what you do. I love what you stand for. When you put on your uniform, you are telling the world that you have dedicated your life to public service, dedicated your life to keeping our communities safe – and that you’re even willing to risk your own life to do it. I respect you, I admire you, and I thank you. Everybody in this room is a hero to me. That’s what I think, and now you know exactly where I stand.
I am blessed to be leading a U.S. Attorney’s Office that is filled with good, honorable, dedicated prosecutors who want nothing more than to serve the public and do justice. And they are very, very good at what they do. But no prosecutor has ever prosecuted any case without the help of an outstanding law enforcement partner, like our partners in the Philadelphia Police Department.
Throughout my life, I have always been interested in how others define their core values. After all, those who spend the time considering and publicly stating their values are more likely to follow through and live their lives based on those values. The Philadelphia Police Department memorializes its values in the Department motto on its official shield: “Honor, Service, Integrity.” You believe in these values so strongly that you literally wear them on your uniform sleeve every single day. The Department’s stated mission is to be the model of excellence in policing by partnering with the community to fight crime, enforcing laws while safeguarding the constitutional rights of all people, and providing quality service to all of Philadelphia’s residents and visitors. The Department also strives to recruit, train, and develop exceptional individuals within its ranks.
When I consider the Department’s values, they make me thankful, and they make me proud. I see many of my own core values mirrored in those of this Department. This should come as no surprise. After all, the missions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Philadelphia Police Department are rooted in the same foundation: to serve and protect the community, and to do justice. Earlier this month, in my first few days as the U.S. Attorney, I met with all of my prosecutors to explain my core values to them. These values help us to pursue justice and serve our community in every situation, no matter the individual, location, or circumstance. My core values are these: accountability, bravery, integrity, respect, determination and excellence. These are values that are also embraced by Commissioner Ross and this Department.
And living by these values has allowed the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Philadelphia Police Department to achieve great success in the pursuit of justice. For example, together, we continue to fight the war against the opioid epidemic. In late December, four Philadelphia men (Basil Bey, Reginald White, Tyrik Upchurch, and Amin Wadley) were convicted by a federal jury on all counts in connection with their participation in a large heroin and crack cocaine distribution ring. For over a year and a half, this group worked in shifts to sell these deadly narcotics nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week to customers in South Philadelphia. Some of these drug deals were within 1,000 feet of a playground. Due to the dedicated efforts of this Department and other law enforcement, we were able to obtain a wiretap in the case, and law enforcement made approximately thirty-five controlled purchases of heroin and/or crack from this drug group, with all purchases being captured on video. It is this kind of extensive and dedicated police work that allowed a jury to return a verdict of guilty on all counts. Congratulations to the 1st, 3rd and 17th Police Districts – over a dozen Task Force Officers and police officers testified at trial and assisted in the investigation.
We also know that drug-trafficking is not just happening in the streets, but also in doctor’s offices across our jurisdiction. Just this month, in another joint effort with your Department, Dr. Azad Khan was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and two counts of distribution of controlled substances. Khan and his doctor co-defendants held themselves out as professional addiction treatment specialists, but instead preyed on the very people they should have been helping. They abandoned their ethics to engage in the prescription-for-pay criminal world, recklessly selling preprinted prescriptions for cash and choosing greed over their duty to heal. Dr. Khan would not have been indicted and convicted at trial without the determination and dedication of this Department. Congratulations to the Department’s Intensive Drug Investigation Squad for its undercover work during this investigation.
And we do not only pursue resolutions in the courtroom, but outside of the courtroom as well. In February, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that it had joined with the Philadelphia Police Department and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to form an Opioid Law Enforcement Task Force. The Task Force will be responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating a robust prosecution response to this national health emergency, and the Task Force could not be successful without your partnership.
Our work together does not only involve the drug epidemic. For example, in January, a federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment, charging defendant Kenneth Lewis with wire fraud. The indictment alleges that the defendant committed wire fraud by applying for credit cards using information of several non-profit organizations and an individual, and used the cards to purchase gold coins, precious metals, and diamond earrings. In this case, your Department partnered with the U.S. Postal Service in its investigation. Kudos to detectives in the Northeast Division for helping to put this case together.
And just last month, a grand jury returned a federal indictment charging Shyniquah Lightner and Malik Hudson with sex trafficking of a minor. According to the Indictment, the defendants used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to make multiple women engage in commercial sex acts, with two of those females being under 18 years of age. If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years of incarceration, up to a lifetime sentence. It was this Department’s hard work and collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other partners on the Philadelphia Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force that made this investigation successful and furthered our collective goal to keep our children safe from exploitation. Congratulations to your Special Victims Unit – Anti Human Trafficking Task Force for its work on that case.
I could go on and on about our successful pursuits together. It is by living this Department’s values – Honor, Service, Integrity – that allows everyone in this room and on this force to pursue challenging investigations, succeed in stopping crimes, and hold the responsible parties accountable. And you have had many successes, and I know that you will continue to do so. But that does not mean that this will always be an easy road.
Indeed, it is harder today than perhaps in any time in American history to be serving in law enforcement. It has become somewhat fashionable in certain segments of the population to come out against the police and law enforcement. To his great credit, Commissioner Ross has not shied away from having an open dialogue about this criticism. Commissioner Ross has embraced this challenge, to make sure that every individual in every community knows that this Department is here for them, to serve and protect them. He has stressed building partnerships across this city, and under his leadership, this Department has made great strides.
But even with such strides, we all know that each and every one of you lives your life under a microscope. And not only are the police under scrutiny like never before, the tools of that heightened scrutiny are ever-present. Everything that you do and everything that you say can be posted on Facebook, tweeted, and made into a national news story in a matter of seconds. For those of you with family members who have previously served in law enforcement, this is one of those times where you can tell them at the Thanksgiving table that you do, in fact, have it much harder than they ever did.
You need to be aware of this constant drumbeat of attention. But I encourage you not to shy away from it. I want you to embrace it. Because when the media and the citizens of our community actually get the opportunity to look more closely, they get to see hard-working police officers who are keeping our communities safe every single day. Some agenda-driven individuals may want to highlight a more critical viewpoint for their own purposes. But I prefer to deal with the truth that can be found in statistics and facts, rather than in anti-factual ideology.
The fact is that officer-involved shootings have decreased significantly over the past few years. In 2012, there were 59 officer-involved shootings in Philadelphia. In 2017, there were 14, which is a 76% decrease from 2012 and over a 41% decrease from only the year before. I know that this is not by happenstance or good fortune, but by Commissioner Ross’s and the Department’s focus on improved training, internal accountability, and an ever-present commitment to public safety. These are not the only numbers that are down. Compared to this time last year, homicide is down by approximately 15%. This is due to many factors, including your ability to build better and lasting relationships between different Philadelphia communities and law enforcement. This Department has made foot patrols a staple of its strategy. Every new police officer walks a foot beat, and this makes a real difference in this city. It helps the community see you, and it shows our citizens that you are responsive and available for developing meaningful relationships and for having conversations with them, not just in an emergency, but in everyday life.
This Department has seen many successes under Commissioner Ross’s leadership. Not only do the statistics prove that, but so does the fact that I easily found those statistics (and many more) on the Internet, right on the website of the Philadelphia Police Department. And the free-flowing information does not end there. This Department now uses social media to connect with the world, providing testimonials by and for current and future police officers, while also trying to entice the public to learn more in order to have a greater understanding of who you are and what you do. Under the Commissioner’s leadership, this Department has embraced transparency more than ever before. There are real benefits of such openness with the community. First, this kind of transparency is one of many tools that can be used in crime prevention, and it may help spark community ideas as to how to solve some of our problems. Second, the community deserves to have access to information detailing where crime is occurring. Finally, when the community sees this hard data, our residents understand the determination and successes that you have on a daily basis, and can rest assured that their trust and faith in you is deserved.
Two and a half years ago, when Mayor Kenney first announced that Commissioner Ross would lead the Department, the Commissioner answered questions from the press. I was struck at the time, and I still am, that he stated that he wanted everyone at the table and wanted to hear everyone’s input. Commissioner Ross encouraged everyone to roll up his or her sleeves and get in there. In committing both himself and this Department to improving the quality of life in Philadelphia, Commissioner Ross hoped that everyone would “take something and make it a little better than the way you found it.”
There will always be opportunities to make things better. This Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the City of Philadelphia will continue to face challenges. Philadelphia has a population of over 1.5 million people, making it the sixth most populous city in the country. This Department is the nation’s fourth largest police department, with over 6,300 sworn members and 800 civilian personnel. And while this entire Department works tirelessly to keep crime down, none of us will ever be able to eradicate crime entirely. While homicides are down in 2018, there were more homicides in the city in 2017 than there had been in any year since 2012.
One of Philadelphia’s greatest challenges right now continues to be the struggle against gun violence. I know that this Department is battling against the gun violence epidemic every single day, in part by sending officers to the most violent parts of the city at the most violent times of day. It is your determination, your hard work, and your bravery that will continue to chip away at the violence that threatens this city.
Philadelphia needs you now more than ever. We know what happens if the officers in a police department become demoralized and let it affect their work. All we have to do is look to our neighbor to the south, the City of Baltimore, which is now described as the most dangerous city in America, with an alarmingly high rate of violence and the highest per capita murder rate in the country. We’ve come too far in Philadelphia to go backwards now. We can’t become the next Baltimore. The law-abiding citizens of this City deserve better – they deserve safe neighborhoods where they can work and play without fear. They deserve your best efforts. They are counting on you, and so am I.
I know there are many leaders within the Department here today, and I want to salute your continued stewardship of this force over all of these years. You have led this Department proudly to where it stands today. And just as importantly, we have the most recent recruits in the Police Academy. To the newest members of the Department, I want to congratulate you on your success in getting here and on your willingness to devote yourselves to public service.
If you only remember one thing that I say today, I want you to remember this: thank you. Thank you for your partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in pursuing justice. Thank you for your leadership in the community and for keeping all of us safe. Thank you for the sacrifices that you and your loved ones make on a daily basis. While I have never had the honor of serving as a police officer, I did serve as a Marine prior to my legal career. I know that the hours are long, that the danger is real, and that the salary will never match what you deserve and what you could earn in the private sector. But we do not serve for the pay or the glory. We serve because there is no greater purpose in this life than to serve others.
So on your longest, hardest, most challenging days, do not give up. Remember that the U.S. Attorney’s Office stands beside you; we could not do our work without you. We see your service and we know your sacrifice. Remain determined in your pursuit of Honor, Service, and Integrity. In the words of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Thank you, and God Bless you all.
President of Florida-Based Financial Firm Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in $179 Million Sham Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago today sentenced the former president of a Florida-based financial firm to ten years in prison for his role in a $179 million sham loan scheme.
TIMOTHY G. FISHER was the president and chief operating officer of First Farmers Financial LLC when the company sold 26 non-existent loans to a Milwaukee investment firm for $179 million. The company submitted documents to the Milwaukee investment firm that falsely created the appearance that the loans were issued to borrowers in Florida and Georgia and had been guaranteed, in part, by the federal government. In fact, the sham loans, which purportedly had principal amounts ranging from $2.5 to $10 million, did not exist. The Milwaukee firm, which purchased the loans as an investment vehicle for its clients, including community banks, retirement plans, municipalities, and subdivisions in Illinois and elsewhere, suffered a loss of $179 million.
First Farmers’ former chief executive officer, NIKESH A. PATEL, of Windermere, Fla., was also charged in connection with the fraud. Patel pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and was sentenced last month to 25 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Charles P. Kocoras today imposed Fisher’s ten-year sentence after a hearing in federal court in Chicago. Fisher, 41, of Pasadena, Calif., previously pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering.
The sentencings were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Jeffrey A. Monhart, Regional Director of the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration.
“The defendant’s dishonesty was not a single lapse of judgment, but rather, involved years of significant deceit,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. King, Jr., argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “His scheme, born of greed, won him millions and was devastating to the investors who were unwitting victims.”
“Fraudulent transactions like these cause harm to companies, the financial industry, and the individuals whose hard-earned money is invested as a means of planning for their future,” said Director Monhart. “These crimes undermine legitimate companies and compromise the financial integrity of benefit plans.”
Fisher admitted in a plea agreement that he created fictitious financial statements that were sent to the Milwaukee company. After receiving money from the Milwaukee firm, Fisher unlawfully engaged in monetary transactions with a portion of the fraudulently obtained funds, including a wire transfer of $450,000 of scheme proceeds. Fisher caused these proceeds to be transferred from First Farmers’ account in Florida to his personal bank account in California. He then transferred these funds to a bank account belonging to a business in Nevada in connection with an investment in that business.
Patel submitted false statements to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to obtain certification in a USDA program that guarantees a percentage of loans issued to borrowers who improve the economic and environmental climate in rural communities. First Farmers, which had offices in Florida, Georgia and California, obtained USDA certification after Patel submitted the false statements about the company’s assets and officers.
Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Hoax Bomb Threat on MAX TrainRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Wilfredo Reyes, 60, of Portland, pleaded guilty today in federal court to falsely reporting a suspicious package on a TriMet MAX train.
According to court records, on June 9, 2017, Reyes called 9-1-1 to report a suspicious package with protruding wires on a MAX train in Portland. During the call, he intentionally conveyed false and misleading information that led the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications and local law enforcement to believe an explosive had in fact been planted on the MAX train. TriMet police and more than 40 officers from multiple agencies responded to the scene. The Metropolitan Explosive Disposal Unit rendered the device safe and concluded that it did not contain a bomb.
Surveillance cameras revealed that Reyes boarded the train with a backpack, placed it in a seat, walked to another part of the train, and then proceeded to call 9-1-1. He was interviewed by officers at the scene and initially denied being the caller. After the backpack was determined not to contain a bomb, officers found items in it with Reyes's name on them. He was arrested and admitted to owning the backpack and arranging the contents to look like a bomb.
Reyes’ conduct caused a substantial disruption to multiple law enforcement agencies and local businesses. Two business near the Hollywood/NE 42nd Avenue MAX station were evacuated. The station, several streets, and the westbound lanes of Interstate 84 were closed during the investigation.
Reyes faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. He will be sentenced on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Anna J. Brown.
The Portland FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated this case in coordination with its first response partners Portland Police Bureau, Portland Fire and Rescue and TriMet. The case is being prosecuted by Hannah Horsley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Plum Branch Woman Guilty of Bank EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina –------- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that Amy June Shaufelberger, age 31, of Plum Branch, South Carolina, has entered a plea of guilty to embezzling $40,000 from Regions Bank. The plea was accepted by Senior United States District Court Judge Henry M. Herlong, Jr., who will sentence Shaufelberger at a later date. Shaufelberger faces a possible sentence of up to 30 years imprisonment plus a fine of up to $1,000,000.00.
At the guilty plea the Court was advised by Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) David C. Stephens of the following facts. Shaufelberger was employed by Regions Bank as a teller. Regions received a complaint from a client that his account showed a balance that was not correct. Upon audit of the account it was determined that $27,265.00 had been withdrawn which the customer stated that he had not received. Each of the withdrawal slips showed that Shaufelberger had handled the withdrawals. When questioned about the matter Shaufelberger admitted that she had taken the money for her own use and also had taken a total of $13,600.00 from two other accounts.
United States Attorney Drake stated that the case had been investigated by agents from the United States Secret Service and that AUSA Stephens of the Greenville Office was in charge of the prosecution.
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Pittston Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON--The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Samuel Lombardo, age 53, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, was convicted on April 24, 2018, on drug trafficking and firearms charges after a two-day jury trial held before United States District Court Judge James M. Munley.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the jury returned a verdict of guilty after approximately one hour of deliberations and convicted Lombardo of three felony offenses for distribution and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity. The evidence at trial established that Lombardo sold heroin on August 12, 2015, and again on August 13, 2015, to a confidential informant of the Kingston Police Department. Immediately after the August 13, 2015 operation, Kingston officers arrested Lombardo and searched his car, recovering seven additional bags of heroin, brass knuckles with a hidden switchblade, over $500, and a loaded .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
This was a joint investigation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kingston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Evan Gotlob and Phil Caraballo prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the heroin initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Lombardo faces a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment and a maximum term of lifetime imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and fines totaling $3,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Owner, 2 Employees of Trucking Companies Charged in Illegal Repair of Gasoline Cargo Tanks, One of Which Exploded and Killed WelderRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment that charges three individuals and two Inland Empire trucking companies in a scheme to defeat federal transportation laws that included an illegal repair of a gasoline tanker that resulted in a fatal explosion.
The four-count indictment filed late Wednesday afternoon outlines two years of illegal and unauthorized tanker repairs, culminating with a May 6, 2014 explosion that killed a company welder and severely injured a second worker. Members of the conspiracy also allegedly helped rename the company after federal regulators ordered it to take its cargo tanks off the road.
The indictment charges three individuals:
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Carl Bradley Johansson, who also used variations on his name, such as “Brad Johnson,” 59, of Corona, the owner of the trucking companies;
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Enrique “Henry” Garcia, 43, of Pomona, Johansson’s shop manager, who supervised the welders who illegally repaired cargo tankers; and
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Donald Cameron Spicer, 66, of Fullerton, who was the safety manager at Johansson’s companies.
The indictment also charges Johansson’s Corona-based trucking companies, National Distribution Services, Inc. (NDSI), which operated from about 2009 through 2015, and NDSI’s successor company, Wholesale Distribution, Inc. (WDI), which does business as Quality Services. Johansson allegedly created WDI to take over NDSI’s operations so he could continue to operate the cargo tanks that had been ordered out of service.
All five defendants are charged with participating in a scheme to conduct illegal repairs on cargo tanks used to transport gasoline and to obstruct the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), which enforces federal laws related to the trucking industry, including the repair of cargo tanks.
After doing in-house repairs on at least a half-dozen cargo tanks – even though NDSI was not certified to conduct such repairs – Johansson and Garcia on May 5, 2014 discussed directing two NDSI workers to conduct welding on a cargo tank. The following day, Garcia issued the orders to the employees, even after one of the welders told Garcia that it was not safe, according to the indictment. The two workers began a welding project on the cargo tank, which caused an explosion that killed one worker and seriously injured the man who had warned Garcia.
Later that day, when investigators arrived at NDSI, Johansson identified himself as being a customer service representative with another company and said the welders were employed by an outside tank-repair company, the indictment alleges.
In August 2014, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an imminent hazard order – commonly called an “Out-of-Service Order” – to NDSI, which prohibited the company from operating approximately 37 cargo tanks to haul gasoline or ethanol because the FMCSA determined that those cargo tanks presented safety risks, according to the indictment. Nevertheless, Johansson continued to use them to transport gasoline and ethanol. Furthermore, Johansson and NDSI allegedly submitted false statements to the FMCSA in an attempt to have the Out-of-Service Order rescinded by the agency. The indictment alleges that Johansson signed, under oath, an affidavit that falsely claimed NDSI had never engaged in tank repairs and that Garcia worked for an outside tank-repair company.
In an attempt to circumvent the FMCSA’s Out-of-Service Order, Johansson, at the end of 2014, began a process to convert NDSI to operate under the WDI name, the indictment alleges.
Once Johansson converted the trucking company to WDI, Spicer allegedly filed documents to conceal that fact that WDI was simply a new name for NDSI, and that WDI was continuing to transport gasoline and ethanol in violation of the FMCSA’s Out-of-Service Order.
All five defendants are charged with conspiring to violate federal law by causing illegal repairs to be conducted on the cargo tanks and defrauding the United States Department of Transportation. The indictment further charges Johansson, Garcia and NDSI with one count of welding without required certifications, in violation of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Statute. Johansson is charged with one count of making a false statement to the Department of Transportation for allegedly falsely telling investigators that he did not discuss with Garcia the repair of the cargo tank prior to the explosion. Spicer also faces a charge of making a false statement to the FMCSA by failing to disclose that WDI was directly linked to NDSI.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The illegal welding count carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The other counts carry a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The indictment in this case follows the filing of two criminal complaints earlier this month. Garcia was arrested on the night of April 9 as he crossed the international border into San Diego County, and Johansson was arrested on April 10 at his business. Spicer, who was named in a second complaint, was taken into custody on April 11.
Spicer is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on May 9 in United States District Court in Riverside, and Johansson’s arraignment is scheduled for May 16. Garcia’s arraignment has not yet been scheduled.
The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips, who sits in Los Angeles.
The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint that names Johansson notes that he was aware of regulations that prevented unauthorized repair work on cargo tanks because he was previously prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for conducting illegal repairs at a company where he was president. In 2000, Johansson was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in a scheme in which another welder was killed in an explosion while he was working on a cargo tank.
The investigation in this matter is being conducted by the United States Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew W. O’Brien of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section.
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Owner of Florida Pharmacy Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for $100 Million Compounding Pharmacy Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The president and owner of a Florida pharmacy that was at the center of a massive compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, which impacted private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison and ordered to pay $54 million in restitution for his role in the scheme. Six other individuals have previously been sentenced in connection to the scheme, and another is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, April 30. Various real properties, cars and a 50-foot boat were forfeited as part of the sentencings.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
Nicholas A. Borgesano Jr., 45, of New Port Richey, Florida, the president and owner of A to Z Pharmacy of New Port Richey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2017, in the Middle District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. His sentencing was before Senior U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr of the Middle District of Florida.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Borgesano owned and operated numerous pharmacies and shell companies that he and his co-conspirators used to execute a fraud scheme involving prescription compounded medications. The scheme generated over $100 million in fraud proceeds, he admitted. Borgesano acquired and controlled A to Z Pharmacy in New Port Richey, Havana Pharmacy, Medplus/New Life Pharmacy and Metropolitan Pharmacy, all of Miami; and Jaimy Pharmacy and Prestige Pharmacy, both of Hialeah, Florida. He admitted using these pharmacies to cause the submission of false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for prescription compounded medications, chiefly pain creams and scar creams, to private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE. Borgesano admitted that he and his co-conspirators manipulated billing codes in the reimbursement claims and submitted reimbursement claims for pharmaceutical ingredients they did not have. Borgesano and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescriptions and patient identifying information used to further the scheme, including to a physician in exchange for the physician signing prescriptions for patients he never saw. Borgesano admitted using A to Z Pharmacy as the hub of his operation on behalf of all his pharmacies. He disbursed proceeds of the fraud scheme through a variety of methods, including by check and wire transfer to co-conspirators’ shell companies and through the purchase of assets, he admitted.
In addition to Borgesano, the following defendants have previously been sentenced for their roles in the scheme:
- Scott P. Piccininni, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sentenced to 51 months in prison;
- Bradley Sirkin, 55, of Boca Raton, Florida, sentenced to 46 months in prison;
- Peter B. Williams, 57, of New Port Richey, sentenced to 26 months in prison, to be served consecutively to a 60-month sentence of imprisonment he is serving as a result of his guilty plea to a separate indictment returned in the Southern District of Florida;
- Joseph Degregorio, 71, of New Port Richey, sentenced to one year and one day in prison;
- Matthew N. Sterner, 48, of New Port Richey, sentenced to 36 months in prison; and
- Edwin Patrick Young, 49, of New Port Richey, sentenced to 66 months in prison.
Wayne M. Kreisberg, 40, of Parkland, Florida, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30.
Among the items forfeited were several cars, including a 1936 Ford Deluxe, a 1964 Chevrolet Corvette convertible, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a 2008 Lamborghini convertible. Several boats were forfeited, including a 2009 50’7” Cigarette racing boat. The combined equity in the real properties, cars and boat that were forfeited is over $7.6 million. The real properties, cars and boat had been purchased with proceeds from the fraud scheme.
This case was investigated by the FBI with support from HHS-OIG and DCIS and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Timothy P. Loper of the Fraud Section. The case was previously handled by Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Hunter, previously of the Fraud Section.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
Owner of Florida Pharmacy Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for $100 Million Compounding Pharmacy Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – The president and owner of a Florida pharmacy that was at the center of a massive compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, which impacted private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison and ordered to pay $54 million in restitution for his role in the scheme. Six other individuals have previously been sentenced in connection to the scheme, and another is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, April 30. Various real properties, cars and a 50-foot boat were forfeited as part of the sentencings.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
Nicholas A. Borgesano Jr., 45, of New Port Richey, Florida, the president and owner of A to Z Pharmacy of New Port Richey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2017, in the Middle District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. His sentencing was before Senior U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr of the Middle District of Florida.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Borgesano owned and operated numerous pharmacies and shell companies that he and his co-conspirators used to execute a fraud scheme involving prescription compounded medications. The scheme generated over $100 million in fraud proceeds, he admitted. Borgesano acquired and controlled A to Z Pharmacy in New Port Richey, Havana Pharmacy, Medplus/New Life Pharmacy and Metropolitan Pharmacy, all of Miami; and Jaimy Pharmacy and Prestige Pharmacy, both of Hialeah, Florida. He admitted using these pharmacies to cause the submission of false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for prescription compounded medications, chiefly pain creams and scar creams, to private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE. Borgesano admitted that he and his co-conspirators manipulated billing codes in the reimbursement claims and submitted reimbursement claims for pharmaceutical ingredients they did not have. Borgesano and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescriptions and patient identifying information used to further the scheme, including to a physician in exchange for the physician signing prescriptions for patients he never saw. Borgesano admitted using A to Z Pharmacy as the hub of his operation on behalf of all his pharmacies. He disbursed proceeds of the fraud scheme through a variety of methods, including by check and wire transfer to co-conspirators’ shell companies and through the purchase of assets, he admitted.
In addition to Borgesano, the following defendants have previously been sentenced for their roles in the scheme:
- Scott P. Piccininni, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sentenced to 51 months in prison;
- Bradley Sirkin, 55, of Boca Raton, Florida, sentenced to 46 months in prison;
- Peter B. Williams, 57, of New Port Richey, sentenced to 26 months in prison, to be served consecutively to a 60-month sentence of imprisonment he is serving as a result of his guilty plea to a separate indictment returned in the Southern District of Florida;
- Joseph Degregorio, 71, of New Port Richey, sentenced to one year and one day in prison;
- Matthew N. Sterner, 48, of New Port Richey, sentenced to 36 months in prison; and
- Edwin Patrick Young, 49, of New Port Richey, sentenced to 66 months in prison.
Wayne M. Kreisberg, 40, of Parkland, Florida, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30.
Among the items forfeited were several cars, including a 1936 Ford Deluxe, a 1964 Chevrolet Corvette convertible, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a 2008 Lamborghini convertible. Several boats were forfeited, including a 2009 50’7” Cigarette racing boat. The combined equity in the real properties, cars and boat that were forfeited is over $7.6 million. The real properties, cars and boat had been purchased with proceeds from the fraud scheme.
This case was investigated by the FBI with support from HHS-OIG and DCIS and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Timothy P. Loper of the Fraud Section. The case was previously handled by Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Hunter, previously of the Fraud Section.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
Overland Park Man Sentenced for $3 Million Marijuana ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Overland Park, Kan., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to ship $3 million worth of marijuana through the mail for distribution in the Kansas City, Mo., area.
Justin Polson, 29, of Overland Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to five years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Polson to forfeit to the government $1.5 million, which represents the proceeds of his illegal drug trafficking.
On Sept. 19, 2017, Polson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana and to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy. Co-defendant James Mack, 38, of Westminster, Colorado, was sentenced on March 6, 2018, to five years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to the same charges. The court also ordered Mack to forfeit to the government $1.5 million.
Mack sent multiple pounds of high grade marijuana in five-gallon plastic buckets through the mail to Polson. Mack was sending anywhere from two to six buckets a week from September 2012 through May 2014. The buckets usually contained three pounds of marijuana per bucket. Between June 2014 and May 2015, Mack would send 40 pounds of marijuana per month to Polson.
Over the course of this conspiracy, Polson deposited approximately $3 million into Mack’s bank account as payment, in structured amounts below $10,000 to avoid reporting requirements.
Polson has already forfeited to the government a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette and a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro LT in a related civil case.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Oklahoma Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft, Failure to Appear, and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Fort Smith, Arkansas –Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Allen Frank Martin, age 57 of Arkoma, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $277,767.40 in restitution on one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, one count of Theft of Government Funds, and one count of Failure to Appear. The Honorable P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court records, in September 2016, a source reported to a Social Security Administration claims representative that Martin was using the identity of another person to receive disability benefits. A subsequent investigation revealed that Martin stole someone’s wallet containing personal identifying information in 1990, and thereafter, he assumed the victim’s identity until his arrest on January 11, 2017. Martin fraudulently received $277,767.40 in Social Security disability funds using the false identity since 2003. During the same time period, Martin was working and failed to report any wages earned to the Social Security Administration. From 1990 until his arrest in 2017, Martin also has used the false identity to obtain multiple Arkansas driver’s licenses, at least one California driver’s license, a social security card, a birth registration card and open a bank account.
Martin was arrested and indicted in January of 2017. Martin was originally set for a sentencing hearing in August 2017, but he failed to appear to a bond revocation hearing scheduled beforehand and removed his GPS ankle monitor and fled the district. His whereabouts were unknown until he was arrested by the United States Marshal’s Service on November 13, 2017 while working in a hotel in Oklahoma.
The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Sydney Butler prosecuted the case for the United States.
New York Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Attempted Murder of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Fareed Mumuni, 23, of Staten Island, New York, was sentenced today to 17 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Mumuni pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, 2017 to all counts in an indictment charging him with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, assaulting and conspiring to assault federal officers, and attempted murder of federal officers.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office, and Commissioner James P. O’Neill of the NYPD announced the sentence. The sentenced was issued by U.S. District Judge Margo K. Brodie.
“The women and men of law enforcement put their lives on the line to keep us safe every day. We will not tolerate attacks on them or plots to kill Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “I applaud the tireless efforts of the agents and prosecutors that led to the defendant’s arrest and conviction. The National Security Division remains committed to defending our country and taking action against those who would harm it.”
“Heroic American law enforcement officers remain locked in a life-and-death struggle with terrorists like Fareed Mumuni,” said U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “We will do everything in our power to work with the FBI, the NYPD and all our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners to incapacitate terrorists and protect the American people. I commend the FBI Special Agents and Task Force Officers for doing an outstanding job in this case.”
“Mumuni now follows a familiar path of like-minded individuals before him – to federal prison. His intent was clear, but our resolve to thwart individuals like this is even more resolute,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. “I would like to thank the many JTTF agents and task force personnel, surveillance teams and FBI SWAT agents who interdicted Mumuni and his associates, often at great personal risk. Thank you for keeping our city safe.”
As alleged in the indictment and in other court filings, Mumuni pledged allegiance to ISIS, and he and co-conspirator Munther Omar Saleh discussed and worked to raise money to travel to ISIS-controlled territories. Mumuni stated that if he were unable to travel to join ISIS, then he would fight in the United States.
Saleh informed ISIS attack facilitator Junaid Hussain that Saleh, Mumuni and three other coconspirators located in New York and New Jersey had confronted law enforcement officers who were surveilling them continuously. Saleh sought and received authorization from Junaid Hussain permitting Mumuni to conduct a suicide “martyrdom” attack by using a pressure-cooker bomb against law enforcement officers who were following the coconspirators and thus preventing them from traveling to join ISIS.
On June 17, 2015, during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Staten Island, Mumuni charged at an FBI agent with a kitchen knife as the agents attempted to clear the house. Mumuni stabbed the FBI agent multiple times in the torso, using sufficient force to break off the tip of the knife. The agent was saved from serious injury or death only by his metal magazine carrier, which deflected and chipped the point of Mumuni’s knife while Mumuni was thrusting it into the agent’s side. Fortunately, the agent sustained only minor injuries.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Douglas M. Pravda, and Ian C. Richardson, with assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Robert Sander and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Navajo Man from Crownpoint Sentenced for Federal Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Shayliss Ellsworth, 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Crownpoint, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 87 months in prison for his conviction on assault charges. Ellsworth will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Ellsworth was arrested on June 21, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with stabbing two Navajo women with a knife on June 17, 2017, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. As the result of the assault, the first victim suffered a cut across her face through her mouth, stab wounds on her left side and right breast, and a cut and stab wound to her left arm, which cut her artery and caused profuse bleeding. The second victim suffered cuts on her neck and finger and a stab wound on her right arm. According to the complaint, the first victim underwent multiple surgeries, including surgery to amputate her left arm, as the result of the assault.
Ellsworth subsequently was charged in a four-count indictment on July 11, 2017, with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, a knife, and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, Ellsworth committed the crimes on June 17, 2017, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.
On Nov. 27, 2017, Ellsworth pled guilty to two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In the plea agreement, Ellsworth admitted that on June 17, 2017, he assaulted two women with a knife causing serious bodily injury to both women. Ellsworth further admitted that the first victim suffered stab wounds to her right chest, cuts to her left arm, a deep puncture wound that cut an artery and disfiguring cuts to her face. The first victim underwent multiple surgeries and eventually had her left arm amputated as the result of the injuries caused by Ellsworth. Ellsworth also admitted that the second victim suffered stab wounds to her right shoulder and neck, which required surgery to close.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni prosecuted the case as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Multi-Agency Investigation Dismantles Las Cruces-Based Drug Trafficking OrganizationsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Sixteen individuals are facing drug trafficking and money laundering charges as the result of a multi-agency investigation led by DEA and HSI that targeted cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine traffickers and money launderers operating in southern New Mexico, west Texas and as far east as Tennessee and South Carolina. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement authorities seized approximately 3.6 kilograms of cocaine, approximately 2.5 kilograms of heroin, approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine, $124,885 in cash, eight vehicles and seven firearms. The investigation culminated yesterday when 14 of the defendants were arrested in Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Tex., by teams of federal, state, county and local law enforcement officers during a law enforcement operation.
The results of the investigation were announced by U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of the DEA’s El Paso Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jack P. Staton of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in El Paso, Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez, Jr., of the Phoenix Field Division of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Chief Patrick Gallagher of the Las Cruces Police Department, and Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique “Kiki” Vigil.
In announcing the results of the investigation, U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson said, “The charges filed and drugs seized as the result of this investigation illustrate the success of our District’s collaborative efforts to root out drug traffickers who operate in our communities. My Office is proud to work with our federal, state, county and local law enforcement partners to safeguard families in Las Cruces and throughout New Mexico.”
“Yesterday’s arrests show the value of information sharing and coordination with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to target criminal organizations that are responsible for the drug-related violence in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of DEA’s El Paso Division. “By working together to reduce drug trafficking and use across the nation, we are making our communities safer and our families stronger.”
“The success of yesterday’s enforcement action exemplifies HSI’s commitment to work with its law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational drug trafficking organizations in our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jack P. Staton of HSI El Paso. “These DTOs not only deal drugs; they commit violent crimes and wreak havoc in our neighborhoods.”
“It takes coordination, hard work and dedication to take down transnational drug trafficking organizations with each agency contributing its own expertise to the investigation. IRS-CI will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to protect the residents of New Mexico from drug trafficking organizations,” stated Special Agent in Charge Ismael Nevarez, Jr., of the Phoenix Field Division of IRS-Criminal Investigation.
“The Las Cruces Police Department is honored to work alongside our counterparts, from local and federal agencies, to help eradicate harmful drug operations that are poisoning our communities,” said Las Cruces Police Chief Patrick Gallagher. “We believe our actions will have a significant impact on drug trafficking organizations working locally and regionally.”
“There is no greater purpose for the Sheriff’s Department than to ensure the safety of our children,” said Dona Ana County Sheriff Enrique “Kiki” Vigil. “Yesterday’s joint effort to take drugs and criminals off the street is a continuation of that mission, and our community is better for it.”
The charges against the defendants, which are contained in five separate federal indictments, are the result of an investigation that began in April 2017, and initially targeted Eulalio Valentin Chavez, 31, of Las Cruces, the leader of a drug trafficking organization that allegedly distributed cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in Las Cruces. The investigation expanded to include four other drug trafficking organizations that allegedly imported cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine from Mexico, and distributed the drugs in the Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Tex., area, as well as transported drugs as far east as Tennessee and South Carolina. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
Based on the investigation, a federal grand jury returned five indictments on April 18, 2018, charging 15 defendants with federal drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms offenses. The indictments generally allege that the defendants conspired to violate the federal narcotics trafficking laws and violated the federal narcotics laws in Dona Ana County, N.M., and elsewhere. The indictments also charge certain of the defendants with money laundering and firearms offenses. Four of the indictments include overt acts that describe the DTOs’ alleged operations, including the quantities of drugs allegedly routinely distributed by the DTOs and the broad geographic scope of one of the DTO’s distribution network. The final defendant was arrested during yesterday’s enforcement operation and will be charged in a criminal complaint with drug trafficking and money laundering offenses that will be filed today.
Fourteen of the 16 defendants charged as the result of the investigation were arrested during yesterday’s law enforcement operation. The two remaining defendants were already in custody and will be transferred to federal court to face the charges against them.
The defendants arrested yesterday will make their initial appearances in federal court in Las Cruces today, April 26, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. The defendants will remain in federal custody pending arraignment and detention hearings, which are scheduled for May 1, 2018, in Las Cruces federal court.
These cases were investigated by the DEA, HSI, IRS, U.S. Border Patrol, the Las Cruces Police Department and the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, New Mexico State Police, Hatch Police Department and New Mexico Air National Guard assisted with yesterday’s law enforcement operation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Selesia Winston and Sarah M. Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the cases filed as the result of the investigation.
SUMMARY OF CHARGES IN INDICTMENTS
INDICTMENT: United States v. Jose I. Caro, et al., 18-CR-1251
Count 1 of the Indictment charges Jose I. Caro and Eulalio V. Chavez with participating in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. If convicted on this count, each faces a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine.
Count 2 charges Chavez with distributing cocaine. If convicted on this count, he faces a statutory penalty of a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.
Counts 4 to 7 and 9 charge Caro and Chavez with distributing cocaine. If convicted on this count, each faces a statutory penalty of a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.
Counts 3 and 8 charge Caro and Chavez with using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for four years and a $250,000 fine.
Jose I. Caro, 33, of Las Cruces, was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
Eulalio V. Chavez, 32, of Las Cruces, was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces. Chavez also is charged in United States v. Grado, et al., 18-CR-1254, and United States v. Ordonez, et al., 18-CR-1255.
INDICTMENT: United States v. Fidel Gonzales, et al., 18-CR-1252
Count 1 of the Indictment charges all six defendants with participating in a heroin and cocaine trafficking conspiracy. If convicted, two of the defendants face a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment and a $5 million fine, and the other four defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1 million fine.
Count 2 charges certain four defendants with participating in an international money laundering conspiracy. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $500,000 fine.
Counts 3 to 9, 11, 12, 16 and 17 charge certain defendants with using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for four years and a $250,000 fine.
Counts 10 charges four defendants with international money laundering offenses. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $500,000 fine.
Counts 13 and 14 charge two defendants with distributing cocaine. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine.
Count 15 charges one defendant with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine.
Charges against Defendants
Fidel Gonzales, 36, of Las Cruces, is charged in Counts 1, 2, 3, 4,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 16, and 17 of the indictment. Gonzales was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
Brian Estrada, 36, of Las Cruces, is charged in Counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the indictment. Estrada was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
Brian Nevarez, 33, of Las Cruces, is charged in Counts 1, 5, 12, and 14 of the indictment. Nevarez was yesterday in Las Cruces.
Barbara Lozoya Michel, 64, of El Paso, Texas, is charged in Counts 1, 2, 9, 10, and 16 of the indictment. Michel was arrested yesterday in El Paso.
Orlando Bustillos, 27, of Las Cruces, is charged in Counts 1, 12, and 15 of the indictment. Bustillos was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
Fidel M. Ortiz, 54, of Las Cruces, is charged in Counts 1, 2, 10, 11, and 17 of the indictment. Ortiz was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
INDICTMENT: United States v. Martin Montelongo-Salas et al., 18-CR-1253
Count 1 of the indictment charges Martin Montelongo-Salas and Giovanni Melero with participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.
Count 2 of the indictment charges Montelongo-Salas and Melero with distributing heroin.
Count 3 of the indictment charges Montelongo-Salas and Melero with possession heroin with intent to distribute.
If convicted on Counts 1, 2 or 3, Montelongo-Salas and Melero each face a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment and a $5 million fine.
Melero is charged in Count 4 with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. If convicted on this count, Melero faces a statutory penalty of a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1 million fine.
Count 5 charges Melero with carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on this count, Melero faces a statutory penalty of a mandatory five years of imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence imposed in this case.
Count 6 of the indictment charges Melero with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Melero is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions. If convicted on this count, Melero faces a statutory penalty of a maximum of ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Martin Montelongo-Salas, 31, of Las Cruces, was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
Giovanni Melero, 31, of Las Cruces, is in custody at the Dona Ana County Detention Center and will be transferred to federal court to face the charges against him.
INDICTMENT: United States v. Alonso P. Grado, Jr., et al., 18-CR-1254
Count 1 of the indictment charges four defendants with participating in a heroin and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. If convicted the defendants face a statutory penalty of a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life of imprisonment and a $10 million fine.
Counts 2 to 4, 6, 7, and 9 to 13 of the indictment charge certain defendants with using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for four years and a $250,000 fine.
Count 5 of the indictment charges certain defendants with distributing heroin. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment and a $5 million fine.
Count 8 charges certain defendants with distributing methamphetamine. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum of life of imprisonment and a $10 million fine.
Charges against Defendants
Alonso P. Grado, Jr., 40, of Deming, N.M., is charged in Counts 1, 8, and 12 of the indictment. Grado was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
Rene Verdugo, 44, of Las Cruces, is charged in Counts 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the indictment. Verdugo is currently in federal custody and pending disposition on a supervised release violation for a prior felony conviction. Verdugo is also charged in United States v. Ordonez, et al., 18-CR-1255.
Stephan E. Morales, 35, of Las Cruces, is charged in Counts 1, 4, 5, 9, 11, and 13 of the indictment. Morales was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
Eulalio V. Chavez is charged in Counts 1 to 8 and 10 of the indictment. Chavez is also charged in United States v. Caro, et al., 18-CR-1251, and United States v. Ordonez, et al., 18-CR-1255.
INDICTMENT: United States v. Savannah J. Ordonez, et al., 18-CR-1255
Count 1 of the indictment charges four defendants with participating in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. If convicted, the four defendants each face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1 million fine.
Counts 2 and 3 of the indictment charges two defendants with using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for four years and a $250,000 fine.
Counts 4 and 5 of the indictment charge two defendants with distributing methamphetamine. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on this count is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine.
Count 6 of the indictment charges one defendant with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The maximum statutory penalty for a conviction on each of these counts is imprisonment for 20 years and a $1 million fine.
Charges against Defendants
Savannah J. Ordonez, 33 of Las Cruces, is charged in Counts 1, 3, and 4 of the indictment. Ordonez was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces.
Eulalio V. Chavez is charged in Counts 1 and 2 of the indictment. Chavez was arrested yesterday in Las Cruces. Chavez is also charged in United States v. Caro, et al., 18-CR-1251, and United States v. Grado, et al., 18-CR-1254.
Verdugo is charged in Counts 1 to 3, and 5 of the indictment. Verdugo is also charged in United States v. Grado, et al., 18-CR-1254.
Dierdre Gonzalez, 47, of Garfield, N.M., is charged in Counts 1 and 5 of the indictment. Gonzalez was arrested yesterday in Garfield.
Charges in indictments and criminal complaints are only accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Modesto Doctor Arrested for Illegally Prescribing OpioidsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A Modesto physician, Sawtantra Kumar Chopra, 71, was arrested today, charged with prescribing opioids to patients outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. On April 19, 2018, a federal grand jury in Fresno brought a 22-count indictment against Chopra. He was arrested at his home in Modesto.
U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra made the announcement today.
“Medical professionals who abuse their position of trust and fuel the opioid epidemic for profit will be held responsible,” said Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “Prescription drug abuse is a serious public health crisis that harms families and communities throughout California. Combatting the epidemic and healing our communities takes a team effort. At the California Department of Justice, we will use every tool at our disposal to prosecute bad actors and protect the public.”
U.S. Attorney Scott stated: “Diversion of drugs with a legitimate purpose to those who abuse them or sell to abusers is a costly and dangerous enterprise. Fortunately, with the cooperative efforts of our state and local partners, we have the ability to track powerful prescription drugs and find those who attempt to divert them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has made it a top priority to prosecute those who engage in prescription drug diversion.”
“Physicians prescribing powerful medications without legitimate medical purpose is both wrong and illegal,” stated DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Jerry A. Miller. “DEA will continue to use every tool available to hold unscrupulous practitioners accountable.”
According to the indictment, between March 2017 and March 2018, on 22 occasions Chopra prescribed highly addictive, commonly abused prescription drugs, including hydrocodone, alprazolam (Xanax), and Promethazine with codeine syrup — outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. These controlled substances affect the central nervous system and may only be prescribed when medically required.
This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Drug Diversion Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza Rabenn is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Chopra faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Michigan Nail Salon Supplier Pleads Guilty to Filing A False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A resident of Troy, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to court documents, Mythi Nguyen co-owned Y & B Nail Supply, a nail salon wholesale business located in Madison Heights, Michigan. From 2009 through 2011, Nguyen underreported more than $1.1 million in business gross receipts from her tax returns, which caused a total tax loss of $272,680.72.
U.S. District Judge Gershwin A. Drain scheduled sentencing for September 13, 2018. Nguyen faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Abigail Burger Chingos and Thomas F. Koelbl, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Miami Man Sentenced to a Total of 174 Months in Federal Prison for ‘Credit Card Skimming’ ScamRead the Press Release
Spokane - Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Carlos Manuel Fleitas, age 31, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty on January 23, 2018, to conspiracy to commit access device fraud. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza Jr. sentenced Fleitas to a 30-month term of imprisonment, to run consecutive to a 144-month term of imprisonment the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida imposed on October 10, 2017, for crimes he committed in that District.
During sentencing proceedings, Judge Mendoza told Fleitas his actions affected real people and caused a loss of money and security. Judge Mendoza stated that imposing a concurrent sentence to the Florida sentence would not accomplish the ends of sentencing, noting that Fleitas appeared to have no appreciation for what he has done, and a consecutive sentence was necessary.
United States Attorney Joseph H. Harrington said, “Fleitas is part of a widespread epidemic of credit card fraud that effects people across the nation. Today, Judge Mendoza handed down a fair sentence that reflects the need to punish and deter those responsible for such fraudulent schemes.”
According to court records, during October 2015, Fleitas manufactured skimming devices or “skimmers” and placed them inside gas pumps at gas stations in northern Idaho and eastern Washington. “Skimmers” are devices used to read and steal information from the magnetic strips of credit cards, debit cards, and other access device cards. They are battery-powered, stand-alone, self-sufficient devices that can store gigabytes of data.
After using his “skimmers” to steal unwitting consumers’ credit card information, Fleitas also manufactured counterfeit credit cards and sent the counterfeit cards and stolen information to a co-conspirator in Florida, Yordano Bonachea. In furtherance of the scheme, Bonachea then ran the Fleitas-manufactured counterfeit cards through a card reader/writer at his Florida residence and encoded the stolen account numbers on the cards.
As part of the scheme, Bonachea and another Florida-based conspirator, Gilner Ernesto Garcia, traveled to Spokane, Washington, to use the counterfeit credit cards to purchase as many gift cards as possible from businesses before returning to Florida and selling them to Fleitas. Fleitas had agreed to buy the fraudulently-obtained gift cards from his conspirators at a rate as low as fifty percent below the gift card’s face value, depending on the type of card.
Bonachea and Garcia arrived in Spokane, Washington, and drove to the Tri Cities, where they began using the stolen account information and counterfeit cards. Local law enforcement became aware of the scheme when a victim from Medical Lake notified investigators that her debit card had been used at a store in Kennewick without her permission. Store surveillance video showed Garcia and Bonachea conducting transactions using fraudulent cards.
Investigators determined that Bonachea and Garcia were staying at a local hotel. During execution of a search warrant at their room, investigators seized large stacks of gift cards with a value totaling over $35,000, thirty-five counterfeit credit cards bearing the name “Gilner Garcia,” and twenty-seven counterfeit credit cards bearing the name “Yordano Bonachea.” Each card contained a different account number. Overall, the cards contained the stolen account numbers of over fifty victims.
Fleitas was charged in the Eastern District of Washington for his role in the conspiracy. He was placed on standard pretrial release conditions and returned to Miami, Florida to await trial. His release conditions included the requirement that he wear a location-monitoring bracelet around his ankle. In defiance of his release conditions, Fleitas continued to steal credit card numbers by placing skimmers in gas pumps around Miami, Florida. A search of Fleitas’ home in Florida yielded counterfeit credit cards and gift cards, modified in-line gas pump skimmers, USB data cables modified to test and download gas pump skimmers, skimmer software discs, and several gasoline pump keys and security seals. New federal charges were filed against Fleitas in the Southern District of Florida. He was arrested and his pretrial release was revoked. Fleitas subsequently pleaded guilty in Florida to charges of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, possession of access device-making equipment, and aggravated identity theft, and was sentenced to a 144-month term of incarceration for the multiple crimes he committed there.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Kennewick Police Department, Post Falls Police Department, and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Alison L. Gregoire and James A. Goeke, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
Mexican Nationals Indicted for Methamphetamine SalesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment Thursday against Jesus Alberto Lopez-Retamoza, 31, a Mexican citizen residing in Kern County, and Hugo Lemus, 29, and Alejandro Lemus, 24, both Mexican citizens residing in Tulare County. The indictment charges them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, as well as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, over the course of several weeks, Alejandro Lemus and Hugo Lemus coordinated a large methamphetamine sale with a customer. On April 18, 2018, the day of the deal, Alejandro Lemus and Hugo Lemus met in Wasco with the customer, who was an informant. While the three were discussing the transaction, Lopez-Retamoza arrived and showed the customer a plastic bag containing approximately one pound of suspected methamphetamine. Hugo Lemus and Lopez-Retamoza then went to a residence in Wasco and retrieved an additional 10 pounds of suspected methamphetamine. When they returned to the meeting location where Alejandro Lemus was waiting, they were all arrested and the methamphetamine was seized.
This case is the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Southern Tri-County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bakersfield Police Department, and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Scott is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Mexican Man Receives Significant Sentence in Alien Death CaseRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old man from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, has been ordered to prison following his conviction of conspiracy to transport aliens which resulted in death, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Omar Gonzalez-Herrera pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Gonzalez-Herrera to serve a 121-month term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence.
On Aug. 2, 2017, law enforcement found footprints near the Rio Grande River in Laredo which led them to a group of 14 people suspected of illegally being in the country. After following the prints, they encountered a group of fourteen persons. They also found a Glock handgun nearby on the ground. Upon further investigation, authorities learned the aliens had just crossed into the country via the Rio Grande River. They identified Gonzalez-Herrera as the foot guide.
Gonzalez-Herrera later admitted he was in fact the foot guide and that the Glock handgun was his. He was carrying it within his waist-band when he led the other aliens into the United States. He stated he was to be paid $1,500.
While crossing the river, three people died. All had been swept away by the current of the river and drowned. One of the victims was a child.
Gonzalez-Herrera has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation along with Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher dos Santos prosecuted the case.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Alex “Lex” Hernandez, 27, most recently of Lowell, Massachusetts, was sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison for distributing fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on three separate occasions in April, May and June 2016, Hernandez sold several “fingers” of fentanyl to an individual who was working with law enforcement. On each occasion, Hernandez was video and audio recorded, and was identified by law enforcement surveillance. In total, Hernandez distributed approximately 110 grams of fentanyl across the three deals. In October 2016, Hernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Concord. When law enforcement sought to arrest Hernandez at an apartment he maintained in Lowell, Massachusetts, they found approximately 500 grams of cocaine, an industrial-grade press and mold for making fingers, a blender, a digital scale and cutting agents. Hernandez faces pending charges in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, for the cocaine, which are not a part of his resolution of the federal charges.
Hernandez pleaded guilty to three counts of fentanyl distribution in November 2017 after jury selection for his anticipated trial had taken place. He has been in custody since his October 2016 arrest. Following his release from prison, the defendant will be on supervised release for a period of three years.
“Fentanyl is causing tremendous damage to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Those who distribute fentanyl are endangering the safety of the citizens of the Granite State. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work each day alongside our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who are responsible for distributing fentanyl and other deadly drugs.”
“New Hampshire is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, as deaths from fentanyl soar. The FBI will continue to use every resource available to identify those, like Mr. Hernandez, who are contributing to the crisis,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division. “Today’s sentence holds Mr. Hernandez accountable for his crimes, and we’ll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to put other callous distributers like him behind bars.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which consists of FBI Special Agents and members of the Manchester Police Department, the Hudson Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Nashua Police Department, and the New Hampshire Department of Corrections Probation and Parole. Investigators also received assistance of the Massachusetts State Police, Lowell, MA Police Department, and Middlesex, MA County District Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau.
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Mason City Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm while violating a no contact order was sentenced April 25, 2018, to eight years in federal prison.
Eric Brown, age 38, of Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 28, 2017, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to the plea agreement and other evidence presented in court, Brown was arrested in the driveway of a home after the resident, with whom Brown had a no contact order, called for police assistance due to Brown knocking on the windows of the residence. When apprehended, Brown had a loaded .22 caliber Colt revolver concealed in his waistband. Brown had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including armed robbery, robbery, burglary, and attempted armed robbery in Cook County, Illinois.
Brown was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Brown was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Brown is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyndie M. Freeman and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mason City Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-3032.
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Man Sentenced to Time Served for Illegal Use of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RUFINO MEJIA-ACOSTA, a/k/a Miguel A. Pacheco-Gonzalez (MEJIA-ACOSTA), age 38, a citizen of Mexico, residing in Chalmette, Louisiana, was sentenced today after having previously pleading guilty to illegal use of a social security number.
U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon sentenced MEJIA-ACOSTA to time served, to be followed by, one (1) year of supervised release, and $100 Mandatory Special Assessment Fee.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2017, MEJIA-ACOSTA, for the purpose of obtaining employment and for other purposes, knowingly and with intent to deceive, did falsely represent on a US Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Eligibility Verification Form that a Social Security Number not issued to him, was assigned to him
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution.
MS-13 Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for RICO Conspiracy Involving Attempted Murder and Conspiracy to MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An MS-13 member was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a 2014 shooting in Chelsea and a 2015 conspiracy to kill a suspected cooperating witness.
David Lopez, a/k/a “Cilindro,” a/k/a “Villano,” 22, a Salvadoran national, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Lopez will also be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In October 2017, Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
Lopez was a member of MS-13’s Enfermos Criminales Salvatrucha (ECS) clique, which operated in Chelsea and other parts of Massachusetts. On May 29, 2014, Lopez and co-defendant Daniel Menjivar, a/k/a “Roca,” approached a victim near the Washington Avenue bus stop in Chelsea. Menjivar repeatedly stabbed the victim, and as the victim was struggling for his life, Lopez ran over and shot the victim multiple times in an attempt to ensure that the victim died. The victim suffered significant life threatening injuries and cardiac arrest, but survived the attack.
Following the May 2014 attempted murder, Lopez fled from Massachusetts to New Jersey. MS-13 members in New Jersey promoted Lopez to “homeboy,” or a full member of MS-13, to reward him for his effort to commit murder.
Then, in March 2015, members of the ECS clique decided to kill a fellow MS-13 member whom they incorrectly believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Needing a more experienced member to complete the job, MS-13 members went to New Jersey to pick up Lopez so that he could return to Massachusetts to help kill the suspected cooperating witness. Law enforcement became aware of this plan and intervened by moving the victim for his safety before Lopez and others could find and kill the suspected cooperating witness.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Commissioner Thomas Turco of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Thompkins; Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes; Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie; Lynn Police Chief Michael Mageary; Revere Police Chief James Guido; and Somerville Police Chief David Fallon made the announcement. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joseph P. Kelly announced that on April 26, 2018, Angel Guadalupe Deleon, 27, of Lincoln, was sentenced to 10 years, (120 months), in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine. Following the prison term, Deleon will serve five years on supervised release.
On April 24, 2017, a search warrant was executed at Deleon’s Lincoln apartment. A baggie of methamphetamine containing at least 55 grams of actual methamphetamine was found along with a digital scale containing methamphetamine residue. Deleon admitted the drugs belonged to him.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Levittown Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession and Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
David Fetterolf, 54, was sentenced on April 25 to 10 years in prison for possessing more than 600 images and 29 videos of children being sexually abused, and for sharing the images and videos via the internet, announced United States Attorney William M. McSwain. Fetterolf pled guilty in November. Following his prison term, Fetterolf will be subject to a 10-year period of supervised release. He also received a $100,000 fine.
“This is a horrifying crime committed by a defendant who exploited children for his own sexual gratification,” U.S. Attorney McSwain said. “Fetterolf is part of a community of deviant individuals who enjoy watching the innocence of young children shattered, their intimate privacy destroyed, and the worst moments of their young lives documented forever for others.”
Fetterolf had a collection of child pornography images that included those depicting bondage and sadistic conduct.
“In a case like this, it’s important to remember his many young victims,” continued U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Each image downloaded by the defendant depicts a horrifying, life-changing moment for a child.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sherri Stephan.
Leominster Man Indicted for Passport FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Leominster man was indicted today in federal court in Boston for passport fraud.
“John Doe,” whose true identity and age are presently unknown, and whose last known address was in Leominster, was indicted on one count of making false statements in a passport application. On April 4, 2018, “Doe” was arrested on a criminal complaint and has been in custody since.
It is alleged that in December 2011, “Doe” entered a Jamaica Plain post office and used the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a United States citizen from Puerto Rico to apply for a United States passport.
The charge of passport fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra S. Bower and Lauren A. Graber of Lelling’s Criminal Division are prosecuting this case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Latin Counts Gang Members Charged and Arrested for Committing A Shooting in Southwest DetroitRead the Press Release
The Detroit One collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement has led to charges against six members of the Latin Counts street gang for committing murder conspiracy and two non-fatal shootings that occurred in southwest Detroit on October 7, 2017, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.
Joining Schneider in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge James Deir, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Detroit Division, FBI SAC, and Chief James Craig, Detroit Police Department.
According to the superseding indictment, the Latin Counts gang operates primarily in southwest Detroit and the downriver communities of Lincoln Park and Ecorse. The superseding indictment alleges that the Latin Counts are a criminal enterprise responsible for murders, robberies, and the distribution of illegal drugs. The Latin Counts use violence to retaliate against rivals, to intimidate citizens in the community, and to advance members’ positions within the gang.
Under the Detroit One initiative, and through the lead efforts of the ATF and the Detroit Homicide Task Force, law enforcement identified six violent members of the Latin Counts gang responsible for the shooting.
The two defendants arrested today were:
- Ryan Jose Taylor, a/k/a “Loco,” 22, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence;
- Christopher Nicholas Rishell, a/k/a “C-5,” 28, of Lincoln Park, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The four defendants who are already in federal or state custody are:
- Alberto Devin Roldan-Jackson, a/k/a “Berto,” 19, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm and ammunition by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence;
- Justin Robert Feiler, a/k/a “White Boi,” 21, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence;
- Gabriel Arocho, a/k/a “Kid” and “Big Kid,” 35, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence;
- Darnell Watson, a/k/a “Shadow,” 23, of Lincoln Park, charged with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
“This appalling shooting took place in a residential neighborhood and resulted in the killing of a suspected Latin Counts gang member and injuring two others. The Detroit One partners will continue to be relentless in our efforts to rid our neighborhoods of gang violence,” U.S. Attorney Schneider said.
“Protecting the public from violent criminals is at the heart of ATF’s mission,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to rid our community of these violent gang members.”
"The Detroit One initiative strives to create a higher quality of life for all residents in the City of Detroit by eliminating the threat of gang violence”, said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit FBI. “Investigating, arresting, and charging violent gang members, such as those in the Latin Counts, who seek to terrorize our local communities will continue to be a mainstay for the FBI and each of our law enforcement partners”.
Detroit One is a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicides and other violent crimes in Detroit. By working together, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies strive to maximize their ability to identify and arrest individuals and groups initiating violence in Detroit. Since its launch in 2013, homicides are down 30% and non-fatal shootings are down 45%, when comparing the homicide and shooting totals from 2012 to the totals in 2017.
The two defendants arrested today will be making their initial appearances in federal court in Detroit this afternoon. The other four defendants will appear in federal court on later dates.
A superseding indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis Crisostomo and Eric Straus.
Kingsport Pharmacist Agrees to Pay $100,000 in Civil Penalties to Settle Alleged Violations of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – P&S Pharmacy, a retail pharmacy in Kingsport, Tennessee, and Lowell Grizzle, the pharmacy owner and a licensed pharmacist, have agreed to pay the United States $100,000 in civil penalties to settle allegations that P&S Pharmacy and Grizzle violated the Controlled Substances Act. To prevent the diversion or misuse of controlled substances, including certain prescription drugs, the Controlled Substances Act requires persons and companies involved in the chain of distribution to maintain complete and accurate records relating to the controlled substances they receive and dispense.
The United States alleged that in November 2014 an accountability audit of P&S Pharmacy by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) uncovered multiple record-keeping violations. Specifically, the United States alleged that P&S Pharmacy and Grizzle failed to maintain complete and accurate records with respect to several Schedule II controlled substances as required by the Controlled Substances Act and failed to note the date and quantity of controlled substances that were received.
U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey said, “Given the severity of the opioid crisis in East Tennessee, it is imperative that pharmacies maintain accountability by keeping accurate records and ensuring that prescribed opioids do not fall into the wrong hands. Retail pharmacists and other professionals who fail to fulfill their legal obligations to keep a responsible account of these dangerous drugs increases the risk of diversion, which contributes to this crisis. This settlement is a clear message that the U.S. Attorney’s office is looking to those responsible for safeguarding and distributing prescription medication and will strictly enforce the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act.”
D. Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division, also commented on this case, stating, “The consumption of opiates being distributed for non-medical reasons continues to be a major concern. Consequently, DEA Diversion Investigators will continue to conduct accountability audits to make sure that pharmacies and other healthcare providers are abiding by specific rules and regulations. This civil fine shows that DEA and the entire law enforcement community are committed to making sure that such companies are abiding by its mandates.”
This settlement is the result of a joint effort by the DEA Diversion Control Division, Knoxville Resident Office, Diversion Group, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Sievert and Robert C. McConkey, III, represented the United States.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Kent State professor Julio Pino pleaded guilty to lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
A Kent State University professor pleaded guilty in federal court to lying to the FBI.
Julio Pino, 57, of Kent, is scheduled be sentenced Aug. 23 at noon. He was charged via a criminal information with one count of making a false statement to law enforcement earlier this week.
The charge was announced by U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.
According to the criminal information filed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland:
Pino was a Facebook friend of a St. Louis resident identified in the information at J.E. Pino posted numerous statements and images on social media regarding J.E. and J.E.’s child custody issues between May 2015 and January 2016.
Among these conversations, on or about September 11, 2015, Defendant and J.E. had the following communications:
J.E. wrote, “I’m playing the game backwards. and winning! . . . I will kill 100s of people if they take my rights as a father away!”
Pino stated, “Yes, in military terms this is known as ‘the Parthian shot’.”
J.E. wrote, “hell, 10000’s! . . . It’;s [sic] time for Men to act like men again. . . . See the thing I’ve got on my side is God. That allows me certain rights. One of those rights is to strike down evil with furious vengeance! . . . People don’t even know how crazy I am yet! That’s because no ones ever tried to take my [relative]. They’re about to meet to [the] Monster they’ve created.”
Pino responded, “Devour them, [J.E.].”
J.E. wrote, “Thank You! I will! :)
J.E. wrote on his Facebook wall a series of threatening communications in December 2015 through January 2016 directed against a St. Louis Family Court Judge adjudicating J.E.’s child custody case. On Jan. 11, 2016, J.E. also wrote on his own Facebook wall, “I (expletive) love Julio Pino, even if he does eventually do something that most consider horrible, I’ll still love him because I know him in a deeper way than most of you even could.”
Law enforcement authorities in St. Louis arrested J.E. on Jan. 11, 2016, for making threatening communications against the judge.
The FBI was involved in investigating J.E.’s threats against the judge. FBI agents on Jan. 18, 2016, interviewed Pino in Miami about his social media posts and comments concerning his interactions with J.E. and discussions with J.E. about J.E.’s child custody issues. The FBI agents recorded this interview in connection with an ongoing investigation concerning, among other things, Pino’s interactions with J.E. as described above.
Federal grand jury subpoenas from the Northern District of Ohio were issued during the course of that investigation. In response to questions from FBI agents concerning whether he ever had conversations with J.E. on the social media accounts, Pino, knowing full well the content of his social media interactions with J.E., stated he “never heard of [J.E. or] maybe I heard of him through the news,” he did not recall conversations with J.E. and that his conversations with J.E. were “invented conversation[s].” When asked again if he remembered the conversation with J.E., Pino responded, “I never heard of him, well maybe I heard of him through the news,” and then later stated, “the other way around it is certainly possible that he could have heard of me and made up this conversation, invented it.”
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Om Kakani and Michelle Baeppler.
Keebler Pleads Guilty to Attempted Destruction of Federal Property by Use of an ExplosiveRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – William Keebler, age 59, of Stockton, Utah, indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2016 in what the charges alleged was an attempt to damage or destroy a federal buildings managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, has pleaded guilty.
Keebler pleaded guilty to a one-count Felony Information filed Thursday morning charging him with attempted destruction of federal property by use of an explosive in U.S. District Judge David Sam’s courtroom Thursday morning. Keebler admitted that between June 20, 2016, and June 22, 2016, he traveled from Tooele County, Utah, to Mount Trumbull in an attempt to damage or destroy a federal facility managed by the BLM. He agreed that he attempted to detonate an explosive in order to damage the BLM structure.
According to a complaint filed in the case, Keebler served as the commander of a citizen militia group called the Patriots Defense Force, headquartered in Stockton, Utah. He was present during the Bunkerville, Nevada, standoff involving the BLM in 2014.
The Utah case followed an extensive investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and its partner agencies.
“Thanks to the professionalism and expertise of the FBI and its partner law enforcement agencies, we were able to detect a serious criminal threat and bring a successful prosecution,” U.S. Attorney John W. Huber said today. “We are pleased with the outcome of this priority case,” Huber said.
“Protecting our country and its citizens from terrorist attacks is the FBI’s highest priority. This case illustrates our commitment to dealing with individuals who attempt violent acts against the government and wish to bring harm to the public,” said Eric Barnhart, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. “This case is the result of the great work of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which brings together federal, state and local agencies together to keep our communities safe.”
The plea agreement includes a stipulated prison sentence between 12 months and one day, up to 70 months. The sentence is subject to the approval of the court. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2018, at 3 p.m. in Judge Sam’s courtroom.
Huber says federal prosecutors look forward to presenting their sentencing arguments at the hearing and will advocate for a sentence at the high end of the sentencing range included in the plea agreement. Keebler has been in federal custody since his arrest after the court determined he was a danger to the community.
KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for $4.3 Million Meth, Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three more defendants have been sentenced for their roles in a $4.3 million conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin throughout Jackson, Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties.
Gregory Bullock, 49, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, to 15 years and five months in federal prison without parole. Bullock was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions. The court also ordered Bullock to pay the government a money judgment of $365,000 based upon his drug responsibility.
Steven Lee Schreier, Jr., 33, of Excelsior Springs, Mo., was sentenced on April 10, 2018, to eight years and four months in federal prison without parole. Jay Harrison Lee Carder, 31, of Cowgill, Mo., was sentenced on March 6, 2018, to eight years and four months in federal prison without parole.
Bullock, Schreier and Carder each pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Carder also pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In 2010, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA initiated an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. Bullock, along with co-defendants Jose Luis Ruiz-Salazar, 39, his brother, Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar, 35, both of Kansas City, Mo., have admitted to being the primary sources that supplied co-conspirators with large amounts of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Co-conspirators then distributed the methamphetamine throughout Jackson, Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties in Missouri.
Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Jose Ruiz-Salazar awaits sentencing.
According to court documents, conspirators sold $4,359,600 worth of methamphetamine and heroin from 2010 to 2015. That estimate is based on a conservative street price of $1,200 for an ounce of 50 percent pure methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a conservative street price of $2,500 per ounce of heroin and an overall conspiracy distribution of approximately three pounds.
Bullock, Schreier and Carder are among 21 co-defendants who have been sentenced after pleading guilty to their roles in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Elgin Eugene Dothage, also known as “Butch,” 41, of Kearney, Mo., was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court ordered the federal sentence to be served consecutively to a nine-year sentence for his conviction in an unrelated state case. Ryan A. Battagler, 39, of Kearney, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole.
Jason Lee Kirtley, 45, of Excelsior Springs, Mo., was sentenced to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison without parole and ordered to forfeit to the government $28,800, which represents the proceeds of drug trafficking. Jackie R. Love, 61, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison without parole. Anthony Ray Stevenson, 46, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to 22 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Paula Rae Scott, 48, of Excelsior Springs, four years and 11 months in federal prison without parole. Marion Eugene Brammer, 54, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison without parole. Rodney Earl King, 52, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to five years and two months in federal prison without parole. Darin Gene Berry, 52, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to four years and five months in federal prison without parole.
Bryan D. Carroll, 29, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison without parole. Franklin Charles Carter, also known as “Frankie,” 29, of Grandview, Mo., was sentenced to eight years in federal prison without parole.
Jason Daniel Davis, 44, of Liberty, Mo., was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Taylor Lee Syas, 25, of Polo, Mo., was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison without parole. Ronald Louis Roberts, 55, of Lathrop, Mo., was sentenced to 10 years and six months in federal prison without parole.
Brian Michael Bowers, 35, of Richmond, Mo., was sentenced to 12 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Gary Dewayne Brown, 38, of Cowgill, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. Brittney James Brehm, 39, of Bland, Mo., was sentenced to six years and 11 months in federal prison without parole.
Five co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. In addition to Jose Ruiz-Salazar, co-defendants William Dean Campbell, 37, of Excelsior Springs; Joshua Keith Bowers, 34, of Polo; Sabrena Lynn Morgan, 41, of Kearney; and Caleb Dean Hayes, 37, of Kansas City, Mo., are among 26 defendants indicted in this case who have pleaded guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades, Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Clay County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA.
Indictment Charges 19 Individuals with Heroin and Cocaine Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Albert Angelucci, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, Patricia Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for Connecticut, and Anthony Campbell, Chief of the New Haven Police Department, today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging 19 individuals with federal narcotics offenses related to the trafficking of heroin and cocaine in Connecticut.
Seventeen of the 19 defendants were arrested yesterday, one defendant is in state custody, and one defendant is in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Michigan.
This matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force, FBI and New Haven Police Department that has included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of heroin and cocaine, and seizures of bulk heroin and cocaine. It is alleged that Duane Filyaw, of New Haven, operated a heroin and cocaine trafficking ring in which he conspired with others to purchase narcotics from suppliers and then distribute the drugs to other suppliers of street-level dealers in and around New Haven.
During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized more than 200 grams of heroin and more than one kilogram of cocaine through supervised purchases and interdictions of on-going transactions. In association with today’s arrests and the execution of multiple search warrants, officers seized three firearms, approximately 360 grams of fentanyl, approximately 340 grams of suspected heroin, approximately 80 grams of cocaine, more than $90,000 in cash, vehicles, jewelry and precious metals.
On April 19, 2018, a grand jury in New Haven returned a six-count indictment charging
DUANE FILYAW, 34, of New Haven
NEFTALI FERNANDEZ, a.k.a. “Nef,” 31, of Meriden
LEON GREENE, a.k.a. “Gotti,” 43, of Cheshire
RAFAEL SERRANO, 43, of West Haven
SALVATORE ORSINI, 27, of West Haven
CHRISTOPHER SERRANO, a.k.a. “Mancho,” 34, of Milford
NORMAN EDGARDO PEREZ, a.k.a. “Rico,” of Oakland, Calif.
LORENZO MORALES-ARAMBULA, a.k.a. “Viejo,” 56, of Mexico (in ICE custody)
NATIVIDAD DIAZ, a.k.a. “Nat,” 34, of Meriden
JONATHAN BRITO, 24, of Waterbury
HARRISON ELBA, 27, of Simsbury
GABRIEL ROMERO ESCALERA, 27, of San Juan, P.R.
BIRL JACKSON, 36, of New Haven (in state custody)
STEVEN McCOY, a.k.a. “S Dot,” 25, of New Haven
STEPHEN JONES, a.k.a. “EVX” and “Stevie D,” 33, of New Haven
HAKEEM BASIR, a.k.a. “Neil Ford,” 54, of Waterbury
CARLOS OVALLE, a.k.a. “Carlos Tirado,” 46, of East Hartford
NIGEL JONES, 36, of New Haven
SAMUEL CRUZ, 40, of New HavenEach of the defendants is charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. If convicted of this charge, based on the type and quantity of narcotics charged, Filyaw, Fernandez, Greene, Perez, Morales-Arambula, Diaz, Escalera and Ovalle face a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; Rafael Serrano, Orsini, Christopher Serrano, Brito, Elba, Jackson, McCoy, Stephen Jones, Basir and Cruz face a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; and Nigel Jones faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The indictment also charges Rafael and Christopher Serrano, Fernandez, Filyaw, Orsini, Elba and Brito counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin or cocaine.
“As alleged, this drug trafficking organization, which used multiple sources of supply, has been responsible for the distribution of significant quantities of heroin and cocaine in Connecticut,” said U.S. Attorney Durham. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with the DEA, FBI, and our state and local law enforcement partners to disrupt drug networks – especially those that distribute heroin, fentanyl and other dangerous opioids – and prosecute those responsible.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling large scale poly drug trafficking organizations like this one operating in the New Haven area,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Albert Angelucci. “Let these arrests serve as an example to those who distribute heroin and cocaine in order to profit and destroy people’s lives, that DEA will aggressively pursue and hold you accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in Connecticut and our strong partnership with the U. S. Attorney’s Office.”
“All illicit drugs being sold in our communities are a problem, but the illegal distribution of opioids has proven to be the greater issue here and across this country,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Ferrick. “We at the FBI along with the DEA, New Haven Police Department and many other law enforcement partners are once again proving that we will make illicit drug sales in our communities a priority. We will continue to dismantle groups like this in every city in our effort to save lives.”
“The New Haven Police Department is proud of the hard work put in by our officers and our state and federal partners in bringing those involved in illegal drug trade to justice,” said New Haven Police Chief Campbell. “Those that poison our kids and endanger our citizens deserve to be behind bars. We’re a safer city now that these arrests have been made.”
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being led by the DEA New Haven Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Haven Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Connecticut Department of Correction, Milford Police Department and East Haven Police Department are also assisting the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Gordon Hall.
In His First Public Address to Law Enforcement, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain Offers Words of Encouragement to Philadelphia PoliceRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — In his first public address to law enforcement since being sworn in as U.S. Attorney, William M. McSwain told Philadelphia police commanders, and this year’s class of recruits, that he wants them to know exactly where he stands.
“I love what you do,” U.S. Attorney McSwain said. “I love what you stand for. When you put on your uniform, you are telling the world that you have dedicated your life to public service, dedicated your life to keeping our communities safe - and that you’re even willing to risk your own life to do it. I respect you, I admire you, and I thank you. Everybody in this room is a hero to me.”
U.S. Attorney McSwain told the officers he’s well aware that they are living and working under a microscope and that this might be the most difficult time in history to be a police officer.
“And not only are the police under scrutiny like never before,” he said, “but also the tools of that heightened scrutiny are ever-present. Everything that you do and everything that you say can be posted on Facebook, tweeted, and made into a national news story in a matter of seconds. For those of you with family members who have previously served in law enforcement, this is one of those times where you can tell them at the Thanksgiving table that you do, in fact, have it much harder than they ever did.”
U.S. Attorney McSwain encouraged officers not to become discouraged by this increased scrutiny but, instead, to embrace it. “Because when the media and the citizens of our community actually get the opportunity to look more closely, they get to see hard-working police officers who are keeping our communities safe every single day.”
“If you only remember one thing that I say today, I want you to remember this: thank you. Thank you for your partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in pursuing justice. Thank you for your leadership in the community and for keeping all of us safe. Thank you for the sacrifices that you and your loved ones make on a daily basis.”
Houston Man Convicted of Racketeering Schemes that Involved the Attempted Capital Murder of State District Court Judge Julie KocurekRead the Press Release
In Austin today, a federal jury convicted 30-year-old Chimene Hamilton Onyeri on federal charges related to his leadership role in carrying out fraud and racketeering schemes that involved the attempted capital murder of State District Court Judge Julie Kocurek in November of 2015.
That announcement was made by United States Attorney John F. Bash; Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui; Austin Police Chief Brian Manley; and, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez, Houston Division.
“Today’s verdict vindicates the integrity of our judicial system and achieves justice for Judge Kocurek. I thank the jury for their conscientious service over a long trial,” stated United States Attorney John F. Bash.
Jurors convicted Onyeri of one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, seven counts of aggravated identity theft, and six counts of witness tampering.
Evidence presented during trial revealed that from January 2012 to November 2015, Onyeri, 28-year-old Marcellus Antoine Burgin of Cypress, TX, and 26-year-old Rasul Kareem Scott of Marrero, LA, all conspired to commit various fraudulent schemes for financial gain in Austin, Houston, the state of Louisiana and surrounding areas. Schemes included converting stolen debit card numbers obtained from skimming devices into cash, and Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF), through the use of the U.S. Mail. Their racketeering enterprise involved mail fraud, bribery of a public official, wire fraud, document fraud, access device fraud, money laundering and attempted murder.
According to testimony, when the existence of the criminal enterprise was threatened, Onyeri responded with violence. On the night of November 6, 2015, Onyeri attempted to murder State District Court Judge Julie Kocurek, whom Onyeri believed was going to sentence him to prison, by shooting Judge Kocurek while she sat in her car outside her home in Austin. As a result of the incident, Kocurek suffered serious bodily injury from multiple gunshots and resulting shrapnel.
Testimony also revealed that in September 2016, Onyeri attempted to contact six witnesses by smuggling a note out of the Travis County Jail and corruptly persuade them not to talk about Onyeri’s criminal activities to investigators in this case.
“The law enforcement response to this evil has been truly exemplary. The investigation was tireless and meticulous. And the United States Attorney and the Travis County District Attorney jointly delivered the resources necessary to achieve this successful prosecution,” stated Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore.
“Today’s verdict should send a clear message to those who threaten, injure or kill members of the judiciary – you will not escape the consequences of your actions. Justice will be served and you will be held accountable,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs. “It was an honor and privilege to work with Austin Police Department, and our law enforcement partners, to bring justice for a brave jurist and dedicated public servant whose life was changed forever by the defendant’s brazen and violent actions.”
“Chimene Onyeri’s criminal organization perpetuated elaborate fraud schemes driven by his insatiable greed. This trial has shown Onyeri’s blatant disregard for human life by the attempted murder of a State District Court Judge,” said Andy Tsui, Acting IRS Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio field office. “This conviction demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation’s commitment in supporting our law enforcement partners in holding criminal organizations accountable for their actions.”
“This investigation was an excellent example of a partnership between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies working together to successfully prosecute numerous violations of federal statutes. I commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all of the law enforcement agencies involved, which resulted in justice for the victims,” stated USPIS Inspector in Charge Adrian Gonzalez.
“I am grateful to our local, state and federal partners for bringing closure to this case,” said Police Chief Brian Manley. “The strong partnerships we have with our partnering agencies were crucial to this investigation. I’d like to thank the Austin Police Department’s Homicide and Homicide Cold Case Unit for their tireless work and dedication seeking justice for Judge Julie Kocurek and the Kocurek family whose lives will always be impacted by this senseless act.”
“I’m glad to see justice prevail against Onyeri and congratulate federal and state prosecutors on a job well done. I wish Judge Kocurek nothing but the best as she moves forward and continues to heal. It was the Travis County Sheriff’s Office’s honor to provide security to her and her family and to participate in the multi-agency efforts that investigated and prosecuted this case,” stated Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez.
Burgin and Scott both entered guilty pleas prior to jury selection. Burgin and Scott each pleaded guilty to the RICO conspiracy charge. Both remain in federal custody awaiting sentencing which has yet to be scheduled. Onyeri, who also remains in federal custody, is scheduled for sentencing at 9:00am on August 17, 2018, in Austin before United States District Judge Lee Yeakel.
This FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, Austin Police Department and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office investigated this case. The 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in (Calcasieu Parish) Lake Charles, Louisiana; Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office; United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Louisiana; the United States Marshals Service; Travis County Sheriff’s Office; and, the Houston Police Department provided valuable assistance during this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg N. Sofer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dayna L. Blazey of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
Hombre De Houston Condenado De Esqumas De Raqueterismo Incluso De Intentar El Asesinato De La Juez Julie Kocurek De La Corte Distrito Del EstadoRead the Press Release
Hoy en Austin, el tribunal de jurados federal condenaron a Chimene Hamilton Onyeri, 30 años, de cargos federales por su dirección en las esquemas de fraude y requeterismo incluso de intentar el asesinato de la Juez Julie Kocurek en noviembre de 2015.
Fue anunciado por el Abogado de los Estados Unidos John F. Bash, Margaret Moore, Abogada de la Oficina del Abogado del Condado de Travis; Christopher Combs, Agente Especial en Cargo de la Oficina de Investigaciones Federales (FBI por sus siglas en inglés); Andy Tsui, Interismo Agente Especial en Cargo del Servicio Interno de Impuestos – Investigaciones Criminales (IRS-CI, por sus siglas en inglés); Jefe de Policía Brian Manley; y Adrian Gonzalez, Inspector en Carga del Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos (USPIS, por sus siglas en inglés), División de Houston.
“La decisión de hoy es vindicación a la integridad del sistema judicial y lleva a cabo justicia para Juez Kocurek. Le doy gracias al tribunal por su servicio concienzudo durante el juicio,” dijo el Abogado de los Estados Unidos John F. Bash.
El tribunal de jurados condenaron Onyeri de un cargo de conspiración de violación del estatuo Requeterismo Influenciada de Organización Corrupto (RICO por sus siglas en inglés), un cargo de conspiración de cometer fraude por correspondencia; dos cargos de conspiración de cometer fraude por transmisión electrónico, siete cargos de robo de identidad agravada, y seis cargos de corromper testigos.
Evidencia presentada durante el juicio reveló que durante enero 2012 hasta noviembre 2015, Onyeri, Arcellus Antoine Burgin (Burgin), 28 años de Cypress, Tejas, y Rasul Kareem Scott (Scott), 26 años de Marrero, Louisiana, todos conspiraron para cometir varias esquemas fraudulentas para ganancias financieras en Austin, Houston, el estado de Louisiana y las áreas cercanas. Las esquemas incluyeron convertiendo números de tarjetas de débido robadas obtenidos por un aparato para obtener información electrónica (skimming device en inglés) a efectivo, y Fraude por Reembolso de Identidad Robada (SIRF por sus siglas en inglés) por medio de correo del Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos. Su raqueterismo envolvió fraude por correo, soborno de un oficial público, fraude por transmisión electrónico, fraude de documentos, fraude por aparato para obtener información electrónica, lavado de dinero, y atentar asesinato.
Durante el testimonio se descubrió que cuando la empresa criminal fue conminada, Onyeri respondió con violencia. La noche del 5° de noviembre, 2015, Onyeri atentó de asesinar la Juez de la Corte Distrito del Estado Julie Kocurek, quien Onyeri opinaba que lo iba condenar a prisión, y disparó mientras la Juez estaba sentada en su coche fuera de su casa en Austin. Resultó que Kocurek sufrió lesiones corporales serios por medio de los disparos múltipos y la mentralla que resultó.
El testimonio también resultó que en septiembre 2016, Onyeri atentó de contactar seis testigos por medio de contrabandear una nota fuera de la cárcel del Condado de Travis y corruptamente inducir los de no hablar con los investigadores sobre las actas criminales de Onyeri en éste caso.
“La reacción de los autoridades de la ley a éste malvado a sido ejemplar. La investigación fue infatigable y meticuloso. El Abogado de los Estados Unidos y la Abogada del Condado de Travis juntamente despacharon los recursos necesarios para obtener el enjuiciamiento exitoso,” dijo Margaret Moore la Abogada del Condado de Travis.
“La decisión de hoy debe de mandar un mensaje claro a los que amenazan, dañan o quitan la vida de los miembros del tribunal – no escaparan la consecuencias de sus acciones. Justicia se servirá y va ser responsable,” dijo Christopher Combes, Agente Especial en Cargo del FBI. “Fue un honor y privilegio de trabajar con el Departamento de Policía de Austin, y nuestros socios autoridades de ley, para obtener justicia para una jurista valiente quien ha dedicado su vida a servir el público cual vida fue cambiada por las acciones violentas y descaradas de parte del Demandado.”
“La organización criminal del Chinene Onyeri comitió esquemas de fraude por razón de su codicia insaciable. Éste juicio expone el desprecio de vida del Demandado por atentar de asesinar un Juez de la Corte del Distrito. La condena es demostrativa del compromiso del IRS-CI de apoyar nuestros socios de las agencias de leyes en hacer responsable las organizaciones criminales por sus acciones,” dijo Andy Tsui, Interismo Agente Especial en Cargo de la Oficina de San Antonio.
“Ésta investigación es un ejemplo excelente de la asociación de las agencias de leyes local, del estado, y federal trabajando juntos para enjuiciar varias violaciones de estatuas federales. Encomiendo el trabajo duro y las horas trabajadas por todas las agencias cual resultó justicia para los víctimas,” dijo Adrian Gonzalez, Inspector en Cargo de USPIS.
“Le agradezco nuestros socios local, del estado y federal de llevar a cabo a éste caso. La asociación que tenemos con nuestros socios fue crucial a la investigación. Me gustaría dar las gracias al Grupo de Homicidio y Casos Sin Resolución del Departamento de Policía de Austin por su trabajo y dedicación para obtener justicia para la Juez Julie Kocurek y la familia Kocurek quienes vidas siempre han cambiado por éste acto insensatez,” dijo El Jefe de Policía Brian Manley.
“Estoy argullosa ver justicia contra Onyeri y les felicito los fiscales federales y del estado en un trabajo buen hecho. Le deseo a Juez Kocurek todo lo mejor mientras continua recobrar su salud. La Oficina del Alguacil de Policía del Condado de Travis tuvo el honor de proveerle seguridad y también a su familia y participó con los esfuerzos de las agencias para investigar y enjuiciar éste caso,” dijo la Alguacil Sally Hernandez.
Burgin y Scott se declararon culpable antes de la selección del tribunal de jurados. Burgin y Scott se declararon culpable del cargo de conspiración RICO. Los dos permanecen en custodia federal mientas esperan su audencia para recibir su condena, cual no se ha citada. Ohneri, permanece en custodia federal. Su audencia para recibir su condena frente el Juez Lee Yeakel en Austin está citada para las 9:00 de la mañana el 17 de agosto, 2018.
Las agencias que investigaron éste caso: Oficina de Investigaciones Federales (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés), Servicio de Inspección Postal de los Estados Unidos (USPIS, por sus siglas en inglés), Servicio Secreto de los Estados Unidos (SS, por sus siglas en inglés), el Departamento de Policía de Austin (APD, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Oficina del Abogado del Contado de Travis (DA, por sus siglas en inglés). Las agencias que asistieron durante la investigación: La Oficina del Abogado de Lake Charles, Louisiana, La Oficina del Condado de Fort Bend, La Oficina del Abogado de los Estados Unidos del Distrito Sur de Tejas y del Distrito Este de Louisiana; el Servicio de la Guardia de los Estados Unidos (USMS, por sus siglas en inglés), el Alguacil del Condado de Travis (TCSO, por sus siglas en inglés); y el Departamento de Policía de Houston (HPD, por sus iniciales en inglés). Abogado Asistente de los Estados Unidos Gregg Sofer y Abogada Asistente Especial de los Estados Unidos Dayna L. Blaze de la Oficina del Abogado del Condado de Travis son los fiscales de parte del gobierno.