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Wednesday 14 March 2018
Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart will hold a brief press conference at 9:00am on Thursday, March 15, 2018 to discuss collaborative efforts to address the opioid scourge and violent crime in the City of Huntington.
WHO: Mike Stuart, United States Attorney, SDWV
Mayor Steve Williams, City of Huntington
Interim Police Chief Hank Dial, Huntington Police Department
Supervisory Special Agent Wes Quigley, FBI
Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Gourley, DEA
Resident Agent in Charge Adam Black, ATF
Corky Hammers, Cabell County Prosecuting Attorney
Sharon Frazier, Cabell County Assistant Prosecutor
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: Thursday, March 15, 2018 @ 9:00am
WHERE: Sidney L. Christie Federal Building
845 Fifth Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Maryland MS-13 Member Convicted in Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Including MurderRead the Press Release
A federal jury today convicted Raul Ernesto Landaverde-Giron, aka Humilde and Decente, of Silver Spring, Maryland of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise in connection with his gang activity as a member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. Landaverde-Giron was also found guilty of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and murder resulting from the discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The conviction was announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Schenning for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Chief Douglas Holland of the Hyattsville City Police Department; Chief Edward Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
“With more than 10,000 members across 40 U.S. states, MS-13 is one of the deadliest gangs in America,” said Attorney General Sessions. “That’s why the Trump administration and this Department of Justice have worked aggressively to dismantle this vicious gang and take its members off of our streets. Maryland in particular has suffered terribly because of MS-13’s campaign of rape, murder, and extortion. Today’s conviction is another victory for the American people against this uniquely barbaric gang, and I want to thank everyone who played a role in making it possible, especially Homeland Security Investigations, Prince George’s and Montgomery County police, Hyattsville police, and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice Trial Attorneys who prosecuted the case. MS-13 thinks that they are targeting us—but we are targeting them.”
According to the indictment, MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Frederick County, Maryland. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the gang. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. MS-13 imposes “greenlights,” or orders to be killed, on members or associates who betray the gang by cooperating with law enforcement or violating significant gang rules.According to evidence presented at the three-week trial, from at least 2012 through at least 2016, MS-13 members planned and committed numerous crimes, including murders and attempted murders in Prince George’s County and Frederick County. Gang members also extorted owners of illegal businesses, among other crimes. Landaverde-Giron was a member of the MS-13 Normandie Locos Salvatrucha Clique.
Trial evidence showed that on Nov. 30, 2013, Landaverde-Giron, along with two other Normandie Clique members, murdered an individual in Frederick, Maryland, who had fled El Salvador to escape a greenlight imposed by MS-13 members in El Salvador. After a co-conspirator recognized the victim in Frederick, Normandie Clique members called an MS-13 leader in prison in El Salvador to confirm the greenlight was still in effect. A co-conspirator then lured the victim to a wooded area in Frederick, where he shot the victim in the head and Landaverde-Giron and another co-conspirator stabbed the victim in the face and neck. Landaverde-Giron was promoted within the Normandie Clique for his participation in this murder.
Landaverde-Giron faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for June 13. Landaverde-Giron remains detained.
In addition to this conviction, five of the seven defendants charged in this case have previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering conspiracy.
HSI Baltimore, Frederick Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Hyattsville City Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation and prosecution. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Moomau and Lindsay Eyler Kaplan of the District of Maryland.
Maryland MS-13 Member Convicted in Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Including MurderRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Raul Ernesto Landaverde-Giron, a/k/a “Humilde,” a/k/a “Decente,” of Silver Spring, Maryland of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise in connection with his gang activity as a member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. Landaverde-Giron was also found guilty of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; using, carrying and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence; and murder resulting from the use, carrying and discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence.
The conviction was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela D. Alsobrooks; Chief Douglas Holland of the Hyattsville City Police Department; Chief Edward Hargis of the Frederick Police Department; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
“With more than 10,000 members across 40 U.S. states, MS-13 is one of the deadliest gangs in America,” said Attorney General Sessions. “That’s why the Trump administration and this Department of Justice have worked aggressively to dismantle this vicious gang and take its members off of our streets. Maryland in particular has suffered terribly because of MS-13’s campaign of rape, murder, and extortion. Today’s conviction is another victory for the American people against this uniquely barbaric gang, and I want to thank everyone who played a role in making it possible, especially Homeland Security Investigations, Prince George’s and Montgomery County police, Hyattsville police, and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice Trial Attorneys who prosecuted the case. MS-13 thinks that they are targeting us—but we are targeting them.”
According to the indictment, MS-13 is a national and transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Frederick County, Maryland. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence to maintain membership and discipline within the gang. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. MS-13 imposes “greenlights,” or orders to be killed, on members or associates who betray the gang by cooperating with law enforcement or violating significant gang rules.
According to evidence presented at the three-week trial, from at least 2012 through at least 2016, MS-13 members planned and committed numerous crimes, including murders and attempted murders in Prince George’s County and Frederick County. Gang members also extorted owners of illegal businesses, among other crimes. Landaverde-Giron was a member of the MS-13 Normandie Locos Salvatrucha Clique.
Trial evidence showed that on November 30, 2013, Landaverde-Giron, along with two other Normandie Clique members, murdered an individual in Frederick, Maryland, who had fled El Salvador to escape a greenlight imposed by MS-13 members in El Salvador. After a co-conspirator recognized the victim in Frederick, Normandie Clique members called an MS-13 leader in prison in El Salvador to confirm the greenlight was still in effect. A co-conspirator then lured the victim to a wooded area in Frederick, where he shot the victim in the head and Landaverde-Giron and another co-conspirator stabbed the victim in the face and neck. Landaverde-Giron was promoted within the Normandie Clique for his participation in this murder.
Landaverde-Giron faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2018, at 9:30 am. Landaverde-Giron remains detained.
In addition to this conviction, five of the seven defendants charged in this case have previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended HSI Baltimore, Frederick Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, Hyattsville City Police Department, and Montgomery County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorneys William D. Moomau and Lindsay Eyler Kaplan, and Trial Attorney Francesca Liquori with the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the case.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Arrest of NYPD Officer Charged with Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James J. Hunt, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), James P. O’Neill, Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), and George P. Beach II, the Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), announced that YESSENIA JIMENEZ, a New York City Police Department Officer, and LUIS SOTO, were arrested and charged yesterday in Manhattan federal court with heroin trafficking and firearms offenses. JIMENEZ and SOTO were presented yesterday before Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, Yessenia Jimenez, a New York City Police Department officer, along with Luis Soto, trafficked heroin in New York City, the city she took an oath to serve and protect, and used her police department service weapon to carry out her illegal activities. Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the DEA, NYPD, and the New York State Police, Jimenez and Soto have been arrested and can no longer contribute to the opioid epidemic plaguing this city.”
DEA Special Agent-In-Charge James J. Hunt said: “Allegedly, this New York City Police officer and her co-defendant pushed heroin onto the streets at the same time that other law enforcement officers across the nation are fighting an opioid epidemic. I commend the men and women at the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and Southern District of New York for their tireless efforts in dismantling drug trafficking crews throughout this city and nation.”
Commissioner James P. O’Neill said: “Cops are charged with enforcing the law, not breaking it. Today’s arrest—for serious allegations of trafficking heroin—are troubling.”
Superintendent George P. Beach II said: “The charges brought today against these two individuals are the direct result of the vigilant work done by our law enforcement partners at all levels. These partnerships are key when it comes to shutting down illegal drug trafficking operations, keeping dangerous drugs off of our streets, and stopping the heinous crimes that are associated with these activities. This sends a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated especially when they are perpetuated by individuals who have been entrusted with enforcing and upholding the law. Such criminals will be prosecuted to the fullest.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[[1]]:
Following a months’ long investigation into heroin trafficking, the DEA identified SOTO as an individual believed to traffic in kilogram quantities of heroin, and to collect narcotics proceeds. The investigation uncovered that SOTO was working with JIMENEZ, an NYPD officer, to carry out his drug trafficking activities. Following extensive surveillance and GPS tracking, the DEA, the NYPD, and the NYSP apprehended JIMENEZ and SOTO in possession of approximately $50,000, which represent proceeds from the sale of narcotics. JIMENEZ, who was not in uniform and was off duty, was carrying her loaded NYPD service firearm in her purse, alongside approximately $25,000 of the drug proceeds. Following the arrest, law enforcement agents obtained a search warrant for the defendants’ apartment and discovered approximately 250 grams of heroin.
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JIMENEZ, 31, of the Bronx, New York, and SOTO, 34, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison; one count of possession of at least 100 grams of heroin with intent to distribute, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of using and carrying a firearm in relation to their heroin trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative work of the DEA and NYPD in this investigation. He added that the investigation is continuing.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thane Rehn is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Maine man charged with sexual assault of woman on Delta flightRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - William Charles Pelletier has been indicted by a federal grand jury charged with abusive sexual contact for sexually assaulting a female passenger on a Delta flight to Atlanta, Georgia.
“This defendant allegedly believed he could sexually assault a fellow passenger on a flight to Atlanta,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “This conduct is unacceptable, and anyone who chooses to act in this manner will be prosecuted. Citizens deserve to feel protected from sexual assault and should not have to fear this happening to them while traveling.”
“Behavior like what this defendant is accused of will not be tolerated by the FBI or any other law enforcement agency,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “No citizen should have to confront this type of behavior any time or anywhere. And no person should ever think they can get away with such alleged actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the Indictment, and other information presented in court: on November 10, 2017, on a Delta flight from Charlottesville, Virginia, to Atlanta, several passengers reported that Pelletier was verbally abusive and unruly during the flight. As passengers were preparing for landing Pelletier threw a pretzel bag at the female passenger seated directly in front of him. The female passenger initially ignored Pelletier. But seconds later, she felt Pelletier reach around her seat and put his cupped hand on her breast. A passenger seated next to Pelletier witnessed the alleged assault and requested that the flight attendant contact the police. Pelletier was arrested when the flight arrived in Atlanta.
Arraignment for William Charles Pelletier, 35, of Andover, Maine, has not been determined. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains an allegation of criminal conduct. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charge and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Atlanta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phyllis Clerk is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
MEDIA ADVISORY-- U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson to Testify Before U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on “Opioids in Indian Country: Beyond the Crisis to Healing in the Community”Read the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The Honorable John C. Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, will testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs during an oversight hearing on “Opioids in Indian Country: Beyond the Crisis to Healing in the Community,” at 2:30 p.m. (EDT)/12:30 p.m. (MDT), Wednesday, March 14, 2018. U.S. Attorney Anderson will be part of a three-witness panel which will include Capt. Christopher Jones, Pharm. D., M.P.H., Director, National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and RADM Michael Toedt, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Indian Health Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
WHO:
The Honorable John C. Anderson, U.S. Attorney, District of New Mexico, U.S. Department of Justice
Capt. Christopher Jones, Pharm. D., M.P.H., Director, National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
RADM Michael Toedt, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Indian Health Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
WHEN:
Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 2:30 P.M. EDT/12:30 P.M. MDT
WHERE:
The hearing can be viewed in real time on the Committee’s webcast at https://www.indian.senate.gov/hearing/oversight-hearing-opioids-indian-country-beyond-crisis-healing-community
Lovington Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Baret Wayne Smith, 28, of Lovington, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 51 months in prison for violating the federal firearms laws by being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Smith will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Smith was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in April 2016, with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and body armor on Jan. 22, 2016, in Lea County, N.M. According to the complaint, law enforcement officers arrested Smith, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, based on two outstanding warrants. During a search incident to Smith’s arrest, the officers seized ammunition, methamphetamine, a glass pipe commonly used for smoking methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in Smith’s pockets. The officers also seized a firearm from Smith’s vehicle. Court documents indicate that months earlier, on Nov. 12, 2015, officers found multiple rounds of ammunition in Smith’s clothing after he was taken to a hospital in Hobbs, N.M., where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the stomach.
Smith subsequently was indicted on Nov. 8, 2017, and was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to the indictment, Smith was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his numerous felony convictions. Smith pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement on Nov. 14, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander B. Shapiro of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Liberty Attorney Sentenced for Stealing Victim Restitution FundsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Liberty, Mo., attorney was sentenced in federal court today for obstruction of justice after stealing funds earmarked for victim restitution.
Robert J. Young II, 48, of Liberty, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to three years and one month in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 6, 2017, Young was found guilty of one count of obstruction of justice at the conclusion of a one-day bench trial.
Young represented defendant Rodney J. Tatum, who was indicted by a federal grand jury and convicted of mail fraud in connection with the embezzlement of funds from his employer. Young obstructed justice by embezzling money that was given to him by Tatum’s family for the purpose of paying restitution to the victim in the criminal case. Young instead made numerous transfers of restitution funds into his personal bank account. Young then spent restitution funds to purchase a motorcycle for himself, to make numerous cash withdrawals, to make rent payments and to make retail purchases.
Young utilized an Interest on Lawyers Trust Account to accept four separate deposits from Tatum’s wife for the purpose of making restitution. Tatum’s wife also made one deposit into Young’s business account for restitution purposes. These checks totaled $42,412. In addition, Young advised Tatum’s wife to draft a check, made payable to Young, as the FBI was pursuing money laundering charges against Tatum and the Tatums’ joint checking account would be frozen. Young stated he would be able to protect the funds in his business account. Tatum’s wife gave Young a check for $20,000. Young had been expected to provide this total $62,412 as partial victim restitution at Tatum’s sentencing hearing on Jan. 21, 2016.
Young was not able to provide the restitution at Tatum’s sentencing hearing and falsely informed the court that the proceeds of assets sold on behalf of Tatum were in his Missouri Lawyer’s Trust Fund. The $62,412 in restitution eventually was paid after Young was relieved from the case and a federal public defender was appointed to represent Tatum. The sentencing hearing was continued to March 3, 2016, at which time the court ordered Tatum to pay a total of $442,810 in restitution. Tatum was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
Today’s sentence also reflected Young’s conduct during the trial in which he perjured himself by lying under oath when he claimed that the money he took was legitimate fees for his services. According to court documents, Tatum had already paid Young $11,500 in legal fees and Young had agreed that the additional funds would be used for restitution.
According to court documents, Young had 11 pending complaints (including the Tatums’ complaint) with the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel at the time of his indictment. Those complaints included one from an individual who retained Young to represent him in a traffic matter and had given Young money to pay the fine. However, Young never paid the fine and the individual was later arrested on an outstanding warrant. The other nine complaints were allegations that clients had paid Young money for representation and he had not provided any services.
Young’s license to practice law was suspended on Aug. 23, 2016.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the FBI.
Kennewick Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane– Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Wayne Lee Lafferty, age 53, of Kennewick, Washington, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty on October 24, 2017, to possession of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge Edward F. Shea sentenced Lafferty to a ten-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a fifteen-year term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. Lafferty will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent was conducting an online undercover investigation relating to the distribution of child pornography. During that investigation, an IP address affiliated with Lafferty and his residence in Kennewick was identified as distributing images of child pornography. Law enforcement agents obtained a federal search warrant for Lafferty’s residence.
Law enforcement agents with HSI and Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SER-ICAC) executed the search warrant at Lafferty’s residence and seized electronic devices including a computer. During a forensic examination, agents identified over 47,000 images and video files of child pornography. The child pornography on Lafferty’s electronic devices included images of infants and toddlers and sadistic and masochistic conduct. When interviewed by law enforcement, Lafferty admitted he started viewing child pornography on his computer, after his supervision by the Washington State Department of Corrections for a prior state conviction for possession of child pornography had ended.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Shea addressed the psychological consequences suffered by the minor victims depicted in the images possessed by Lafferty, as detailed in victim impact statements submitted to the Court. Judge Shea categorized Lafferty’s criminal conduct as a “concerning pattern of behavior that has gone on for years” and his history as “consistent with a person who has a fundamental core problem with child pornography,” despite a prior state conviction and treatment for a similar offense.
Joseph H. Harrington said, “The Court’s sentence should serve as a warning to those criminals who possess child pornography – they will be actively pursued by federal and state law enforcement officers. This case is an example of the superb work that can be accomplished when Homeland Security Investigations and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force work together. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute aggressively child pornography crimes that occur in the Eastern District of Washington.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
• Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
• Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
• Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
• Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
• Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources".
Homeland Security Investigations and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation of this matter. The case was prosecuted by Laurel J. Holland, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Jury Convicts Cheektowaga Man of Bank RobberyRead 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 a federal jury has found Thomas Cascio, 52, of Cheektowaga, NY, guilty of bank robbery. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul C. Parisi and Scott S. Allen, Jr., who handled the trial of the case, stated that on March 6, 2017, at approximately 1:09 p.m., Cascio entered the Key Bank at 5200 Main Street in Amherst, NY. Wearing a hard hat, safety vest, and eye protection goggles, the defendant approached a teller and passed a bank robbery note. The teller only recalls reading the word “Robbery” at the top of the note before the individual took the note back and told her to “Hurry up!” and “Don’t give me funny money!” The teller gave money to Cascio who then departed the bank. Witnesses described the defendant as having a distinctive nose and gray hair.The Amherst Police Department issued a high quality bank robbery surveillance photo to local media stations which aired the photo on the evening of March 6, 2017, asking for public assistance. On March 7, 2017, eight people contacted either the Amherst Police Department or FBI identifying the robber as Thomas Cascio. In addition, there were numerous anonymous calls to the Amherst Police Department that identified Cascio as the bank robber.
In 2000, the defendant was convicted in federal court of four bank robberies and sentenced to 48 months in prison. In some of those robberies, Cascio’s movements were similar to his movements on May 6, 2017, including taking the note back from the teller before leaving the bank.
In 2009, Cascio was convicted in state court of one bank robberies and served two years in prison.
The verdict is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Lyons; the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Askey; the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack; and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 21, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo who presided over the trial of the case.
Jacksonville Pimp Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison on Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Christopher Loran Bentley (31, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possessing a pistol after having been convicted of a felony, and for possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine and heroin. He pleaded guilty to the offenses on October 19, 2017.
According to court documents, Bentley possessed a stolen firearm outside a house in Jacksonville in April 2017. He was encountered by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office patrol officers responding to investigate activities at the house. The officers observed Bentley sitting in his parked truck with a bag of marijuana in plain view. The officers ordered Bentley out of the truck, but he resisted and tried to escape. While removing Bentley from the truck, a bag of drugs, including powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin fell from his lap, onto the ground. The firearm was sitting in the driver’s seat, where Bentley had been sitting. Bentley had been previously convicted of selling cocaine.
At sentencing, multiple witnesses’ testimony established that Bentley had been involved in pimping women in the Philips Highway area of Jacksonville for several years. Bentley controlled his sex trafficking victims through violence, threats of violence, coercion, and mental and emotional manipulation. On one occasion, Bentley threatened to bash one of his victims’ teeth in using a gun, broke his hand punching the victim in the head, then forced his victim to pull down her pants so that he could beat her with a pipe. Testimony also established that Bentley had used his victims’ drug addictions to coerce them into prostitution. One of Bentley’s victims died of an overdose in 2016, after obtaining fentanyl and cocaine from him. On another occasion, Bentley fired his gun at another individual who had been trying to collect a debt from one of the women prostituted by Bentley.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Jacksonville Man Indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force on A Cruise ShipRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Brian Holland (23, Jacksonville) with aggravated sexual abuse by force. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment in federal prison, and a potential lifetime of supervision.
According to the indictment and court records, Holland is charged with sexually abusing a passenger-victim on February 27, 2018, while aboard a Carnival cruise ship based out of Jacksonville.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Washington and Jay Taylor.
Inmates at FCI-Berlin Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – United States Attorney Scott W. Murray announced today that Leonard Johnson and Robert Dales, both inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution FCI-Berlin, pleaded guilty to assaulting another inmate on May 23, 2017. A sentencing hearing for Leonard Johnson and for Robert Dales will be held on June 27th, 2018. .
According to documents filed with the court and statements made during the change of plea hearings, on May 23, 2017, Johnson and Dales were in Unit A-4 of the prison when they attacked another inmate. The attack, which was captured on videotape, included Johnson and Dales punching, kicking and stomping on their victim. Johnson and Dales continued the attack even though prison staff ordered them to stop. Only after the defendants were threatened with use of pepper spray did the attack end.
The victim was treated for his injuries at Androscoggin Valley Hospital. He suffered lacerations and bruising to his head, eyes and ears.
The staff at FCI-Berlin conducted the investigation of this case.
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Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROBERTO UMANA-ROSA, age 45, a native of Honduras, pled guilty today to a one-count Indictment charging him with illegal entry of a removed alien.
According to the court documents, UMANA-ROSA was previously removed from the United States on October 15, 1998. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on June 13, 2017, and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
UMANA-ROSA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt set sentencing for June 6, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
Historic St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, Public School Desegregation Case Successfully ResolvedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon Fremin for the Middle District of Louisiana and Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice announced today the successful resolution of the oldest current school desegregation case in the State of Louisiana, involving the St. Helena Parish Public School District.
In 1952, Robert Carter and others filed this action asserting that the St. Helena Parish School Board was operating in a racially dual system in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Justice Department subsequently joined the litigation as a plaintiff-intervenor in 1961. The case predated the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. The Complaint under which this historic lawsuit was commenced was signed by Thurgood Marshall before he was seated on the Supreme Court.
On May 20, 1960, the Court entered an order enjoining the State of Louisiana, including the St. Helena Parish School Board, from excluding African-American students from public schools because of their race. Since then, the U.S. District Court has overseen the school district’s efforts to comply with the 1960 order and further orders mandating the desegregation of its schools. Such oversight would continue until the school district achieved unitary status, a milestone it recently reached.
Judge James J. Brady issued a ruling on April 5, 2016, declaring that St. Helena Parish Public School District had obtained unitary status in all areas except student assignment. On February 15, 2018, all parties to the litigation filed a joint motion seeking dismissal of the action and a declaration that the school district has achieved full unitary status. This morning, Chief U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson granted the joint motion, dissolving all injunctions emanating from the action and dismissing the matter with prejudice.
U.S. Attorney Brandon Fremin stated, “Today is a historic day for all the people of St. Helena Parish. The road to desegregating our schools has undoubtedly been challenging and marked by great difficulties, but it is a road that had to be traveled, both legally and morally. I commend Chief Judge Jackson and his predecessors, including the late Judges Brady and Parker, as well as the parties and their attorneys, for their collective dedication to this important and historic matter.”
Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division John Gore stated, “We commend the St. Helena Parish School District for satisfying its remaining obligations in this case and ensuring equal educational opportunities for all students. We have been pleased to work with the district to resolve outstanding issues and bring the case to a successful close.”
This matter was handled by Franz Marshall and Christopher Awad of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice as well as Assistant United States Attorney John Gaupp, who serves as the Chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office.
Promoting school desegregation and enforcing Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Historic St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, Public School Desegregation Case Successfully ResolvedRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and United States Attorney Brandon Fremin for the Middle District of Louisiana announced today the successful resolution of the oldest current school desegregation case in the State of Louisiana, involving the St. Helena Parish Public School District.
In 1952, Robert Carter and others filed this action asserting that the St. Helena Parish School Board was operating in a racially dual system in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Justice Department subsequently joined the litigation as a plaintiff-intervenor in 1961. The case predated the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. The complaint under which this historic lawsuit was commenced was signed by Thurgood Marshall before he was seated on the Supreme Court.
On May 20, 1960, the Court entered an order enjoining the State of Louisiana, including the St. Helena Parish School Board, from excluding African-American students from public schools because of their race. Since then, the U.S. District Court has overseen the school district’s efforts to comply with the 1960 order and further orders mandating the desegregation of its schools. Such oversight would continue until the school district achieved unitary status, a milestone it recently reached.
Judge James J. Brady issued a ruling on April 5, 2016, declaring that St. Helena Parish Public School District had obtained unitary status in all areas except student assignment. On Feb. 15, 2018, all parties to the litigation filed a joint motion seeking dismissal of the action and a declaration that the school district has achieved full unitary status. This morning, Chief U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson granted the joint motion, dissolving all injunctions emanating from the action and dismissing the matter with prejudice.
“We commend the St. Helena Parish School District for satisfying its remaining obligations in this case and ensuring equal educational opportunities for all students,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “We have been pleased to work with the district to resolve outstanding issues and bring the case to a successful close.”
“Today is a historic day for all the people of St. Helena Parish," said U.S. Attorney Brandon Fremin. "The road to desegregating our schools has undoubtedly been challenging and marked by great difficulties, but it is a road that had to be traveled, both legally and morally. I commend Chief Judge Jackson and his predecessors, including the late Judges Brady and Parker, as well as the parties and their attorneys, for their collective dedication to this important and historic matter.”
This matter was handled by Franz Marshall and Christopher Awad of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice as well as Assistant United States Attorney John Gaupp, who serves as the Chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office.
Promoting school desegregation and enforcing Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Harlingen Bank Robber Heads to PrisonRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 34-year-old Harlingen man has been ordered to federal prison for his role in the robbery of a Bank of America in Harlingen on May 26, 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Adrian Paul Ross pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen handed Ross a 42-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court considered Ross’s mental health history and other characteristics. Ross was further ordered to undergo mental health treatment while incarcerated. At the hearing, Ross acknowledged his criminal conduct and apologized for what he had done.
On Nov. 29, 2017, Ross entered the Bank of America located on Van Buren Street wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. He waited in line, then approached a bank employee and claimed to want to make a deposit. He approached the teller and displayed what was written on his smart phone screen. In all caps Ross had written “EMPTY OUT YOUR DRAWER.” The teller then gave Ross the money she had in her possession but also triggered the silent alarm. Ross fled the scene, but was apprehended shortly thereafter.
Ross has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and Harlingen Police Department conducted the investigation.
Grenade Launcher Conspirators Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two people have been ordered to federal prison following their convictions related to a conspiracy to purchase and smuggle an M203 Grenade Launcher as well as three semi-automatic rifles, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
ulce Maria Rippstine, 38, of San Juan, and Juan Martin Segura-Olvera, 57, of Reynosa, Mexico, pleaded guilty Dec. 7, 2017, and June 29, 2017, respectively.
Today, U.S. District Rolando Olvera ordered Rippstine to serve 37 months in prison, while Segura-Olvera received a 50-month term of imprisonment. Rippstine was further ordered to serve two years of supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, Segura-Olvera is expected to face deportation proceedings following his prison term. The court acknowledged Rippstine’s and Segura-Olvera’s similar roles in the offense, but gave individual consideration to their actions as well as the actions of the other co-defendants.
Beginning in the fall of 2016, purchasers located in Mexico had negotiated the sale of a grenade launcher and three assault rifles with undercover federal agents who were posing as black market arms dealers. Acting on behalf of the purchasers in Reynosa, Rippstine and Segura met with the agents on Feb. 7, 2017, in Los Fresnos. Following the purchase, Rippstine and Segura were to act as the munitions transporter to facilitate the exportation and smuggling into Mexico.
Oscar Fredy Garcia, 31, of Reynosa, and Jorge Cortez-Trujillo, 42, of Veracruz, Mexico, were also members of the conspiracy. Garcia had been living illegally in the United States when he arrived in Los Fresnos on Feb. 7, 2017. In his possession was $5,000 to pay for the previously negotiated exchange. Cortez-Trujillo also illegally entered the United States prior to Feb. 7, 2017. His role was to inspect the grenade launcher and other munitions to insure the quality for the buyer in Mexico.
Rippstine had travelled to Reynosa to pick up Segura-Olvera before returning to the United States to meet at the predetermined location on Feb. 7. After an initial meet-and-greet, money was exchanged and Cortez-Trujillo inspected the grenade launcher, commenting that he was familiar with the weapon and was ex-Mexican military. He also stated that ammunition for the weapon was available in Mexico and that he had crossed these weapons previously. After he completed the inspection, Cortez-Trujillo directed the agents to load the munitions into the backseat of Rippstine’s vehicle. At that time, all four men were taken into custody.
Garcia and Cortez-Trujillo were each sentenced to five years in prison for their role in the conspiracy late last year.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Corley is prosecuting the case.
Fort Mill Woman Pleads to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Shiquisa Monique Watts, a/k/a “Quisha,” age 23, of Fort Mill, plead guilty today in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). United States District Judge Michelle Childs, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the United States Probation Office.
Evidence presented in court established that on September 10, 2016, officers with the Fort Mill Police Department responded to a fight in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Officers gathered information that one of the individuals involved in the altercation was Watts and that she had been armed with a handgun. Watts and others involved had since left the area. However, officers made contact with Watts at her home as she was exiting a vehicle. Officers located a loaded Ruger .380 caliber handgun in the car and Watts admitted possessing it. Further investigation revealed that the firearm had previously been reported stolen.
Watts is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon her prior state convictions for distribution of marijuana and distribution of marijuana within the proximity of a park.
Watts faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Fort Mill Police Department and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
Project Ceasefire is South Carolina’s continued application 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.
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Former Plymouth Township Parks and Grants Director Charged with TheftRead the Press Release
The former Director of Parks and Grants for Plymouth Township, Michael Mitchell, 49, of Rockford, IL, was charged today by Information with one count of theft from a local government receiving federal assistance, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Jeffery E. Peterson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Thomas Tiderington, Plymouth Township Chief of Police.
According to the Information, in October of 2016, while serving as the Director of Parks and Grants for Plymouth Township, Mitchell stole property belonging to the township, including a commercial lawnmower, a John Deer Gator utility vehicle, and other equipment, with a total value of about $10,000. Mitchell faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Schneider stated, “When public officials use their jobs to steal from taxpayers, their theft isn’t just measured in dollars - it is measured by the damage caused by robbing the public of honest government. We will stand up and fight this corruption at all levels.”
"Today’s charges of Mr. Mitchell should reassure the citizens of Michigan that the FBI and members of our Detroit Area Public Corruption task force are committed to holding public officials at all levels of government accountable for their actions if they decide to break the law,” said Jeffrey E. Peterson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI.
"I would encourage anyone with information about potential public corruption in Michigan to contact the Detroit FBI’s Public Corruption tip line at 313-965-2222 or our main number 313-965-2323.”
This case is part of the government’s wide-ranging corruption investigation centered in Macomb County, Michigan. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Plymouth Township Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Michael Bullotta.
Former North Hills Investment Planner Sentenced to Prison for Using Clients' Funds to Pay Personal ExpensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident has been sentenced in federal court to two years in prison and two years supervised release on his conviction of mail fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence on Cameron Howat, 58, of Allison Park, Pennsylvania.
According to the information presented to the court, Howat solicited investment funds from friends and acquaintances for the purpose of investing those funds in the foreign exchange market. Howat represented to the investors that his compensation for making the investments on their behalf would be to take fifty percent of the profits from the investments. Instead of investing all of the funds, as promised to the investors, Howat took portions of each investor’s money and used it to pay for personal expenses. As part of his sentence, Howat was ordered to pay $420,000 to his victims.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Attorney commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Cameron Howat.
Former Mon Valley Attorney Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Defrauding Elderly ClientRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 33 months' imprisonment, a $100,000.00 fine, and restitution in the amount of $505,131.95, as well as forfeiture in the amount of $235,515.93, on his conviction of mail fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Keith A. Bassi, age 61, of Fayette City, Pennsylvania.
According to the information presented to the court, between 2012 and 2016, Keith A. Bassi, then a licensed Pennsylvania attorney, misappropriated for personal use approximately $505,000 in funds belonging to the estate of an elderly person diagnosed with dementia. Bassi held a power of attorney for the victim, and then engaged in a series of financial transactions in which he diverted the victim’s assets into bank accounts he created and controlled at Charleroi Federal Savings and PNC Banks. In one instance, Bassi made insurance premium payments using the victim’s funds on a whole life policy purchased at Pacific Life in the name of someone other than the victim, and then later cancelled the policy and kept the surrendered cash proceeds for himself. He also used the victim’s estate funds to operate Mid Mon Valley Publishing Co.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Attorney commended the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Keith A. Bassi.
Former Equifax employee indicted for insider tradingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jun Ying has been indicted on federal charges of insider trading relating to his sales of Equifax Inc. securities in advance of its announcement regarding a data breach.
“This defendant took advantage of his position as Equifax’s USIS Chief Information Officer and allegedly sold over $950,000 worth of stock to profit before the company announced a data breach that impacted over 145 million Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Our office takes the abuse of trust inherent in insider trading very seriously and will prosecute those who seek to profit in this manner.”
“The alleged actions of this defendant undermine the public’s confidence in the nation’s stock markets,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “By prosecuting cases like this, the FBI and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are sending a strong message to company insiders that they must follow the same rules that govern regular investors. Otherwise, they face the severe consequences for failing to do so.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges, and other information presented in court: Equifax Inc. is a consumer credit reporting agency headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. During the summer of 2017, Equifax was the victim of a data breach, where hackers acquired names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and addresses of over 145 million American citizens. Jun Ying was the Chief Information Officer of Equifax U.S. Information Solutions in August 2017. In that role, he became aware of information that resulted in him determining that Equifax had been the victim of that data breach before that information was made public.
On Friday, August 25, 2017, Ying texted a co-worker that the breach they were working on “Sounds bad. We may be the one breached.” The following Monday, Ying conducted web searches on the impact of Experian’s 2015 data breach on its stock price. Later that morning, Ying exercised all of his available stock options held at UBS Financial Services, resulting in him receiving 6,815 shares of Equifax stock, which he then sold. He received proceeds of over $950,000, and realized a gain of over $480,000. On September 7, 2017, Equifax publicly announced its data breach, which resulted in its stock price falling.
Jun Ying, 42, of Atlanta, Georgia, will arraigned later this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker on the charges. Ying was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 13, 2018. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission made contributions to the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber and Lynsey M. Barron are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Detroit Police Officer Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for ExtortionRead the Press Release
Former Detroit Police Department Officer Anthony Careathers was sentenced today to twenty-four months’ imprisonment for accepting a bribe from an owner of an automobile collision shop in exchange for referring stolen and abandoned vehicles recovered in the City of Detroit to that shop, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by Jeffrey E. Peterson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Patricia Armstrong, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Detroit Division and Chief James Craig, Detroit Police Department. The defendant was actively employed with the Detroit Police Department at the time of the offense.
Anthony Careathers, age 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland. Careathers previously pleaded guilty to one count of extortion.
According to the facts alleged in the indictment and further developed at the plea hearing and in sentencing briefing, Careathers accepted cash payments from the owner/operator of a Detroit collision shop in exchange for referring abandoned vehicles to that shop for repairs and for warning the business owner of law enforcement activity.
This is the first defendant to have been sentenced as a result of this investigation. The others awaiting sentencing or a trial are:
- James Robertson, age 45, pleaded guilty to an Information charging 2 counts of Extortion
- Jamil Martin, 46, pleaded Guilty to an Information charging 1 count of Extortion
- Martin Tutt, age 29, pleaded guilty to an Information charging 2 counts of Extortion
- Charles Wills, age 52, pleaded guilty to two counts of Extortion charged in a Superseding Indictment.
- Deonne Dotson, age 45, is awaiting trial.
All of the Officers were charged with engaging in extortion for using their official positions as Police Officers to refer cars to certain collision shops in exchange for cash payments.
“The vast majority of Detroit Police Officers are courageous, dedicated public servants, but unfortunately these defendants are an exception to that rule,” U.S. Attorney Schneider said.
"I certainly appreciate the collaborative partnership of the state and federal agencies who took part in conducting this investigation." said Chief James Craig. "Although, the actions of these officers are disappointing, I echo U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider in saying that the vast majority of the men and women on this department, serve the residents of this city with the utmost level of integrity and dedication."
“Anthony Careathers, a former Detroit Police Officer, was held accountable today for his own individual actions. Careathers' acts should not be considered representative of the vast majority of law enforcement professionals at the Detroit Police Department who serve the citizens of Detroit with honor and integrity every day," said Jeffery E. Peterson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Detroit Police Department and the following agencies from the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force: Michigan State Police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, Investigative Operation Division.
The FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force is comprised of personnel from the Detroit Division of the FBI; Michigan State Police; Michigan Department of Attorney General; Detroit Police Department; U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, Investigative Operations Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and
Fraud Investigations; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General; and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of the Inspector General.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen and Craig A. Weier.
Former Boss of Operating Engineers Union Local 324 Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Extortion ConspiracyRead the Press Release
John Hamilton, the former top elected official of the 18,000 member Operating Engineers Local 324, International Union of Operating Engineers, was sentenced to twenty-four months in prison today for conspiring to commit extortion, United States Attorney Matthew Schneider announced.
Schneider was joined in the announcement by James Vanderberg, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey E. Peterson, Ian Burg, District Director of the Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards, Special Agent in Charge Manny Muriel, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations, and L. Joe Rivers, Regional Director for the Cincinnati Regional Office of the Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration.
Hamilton, 63, of Ocala, Florida, had been convicted of conspiring to commit extortion with at least two other former top Local 324 officials. Hamilton imposed a climate of fear by coercing business agents and other employees of Local 324 to each pay him kickbacks of over $5,000 from their salaries per year into what was called the “Team Hamilton Slate Fund.” Ostensibly, the slate fund was to be used for union election campaign expenses. However, Hamilton instead used a significant portion of the money that was forced from union business agents for his own personal benefit. Hamilton threatened union employees with termination if they complained about the payments to his slate fund. In fact, in 2010, Hamilton fired one business agent who had complained about the payments to Hamilton’s fund. Hamilton used some of the money that he extorted to pay for meals and liquor, as well as $5,000 to his daughter as a wedding present. After losing re-election in an August 2012 membership vote, Hamilton then proceeded to pocket for himself $71,000 from his slate fund, as well as distributing over $35,000 each to Steven Minella and David Hart, two other top Local 324 officials.
As part of its sentence, the Court ordered Hamilton to pay $250,000 in restitution to the victims of his crime.
In 2015, Minella, the former Local 324 President, and Hart, the former Local 324 Financial Secretary, both pleaded guilty to felonies for helping to conceal Hamilton’s scheme. Hart is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2018, and Minella is set to be sentenced on April 11, 2018.
Local 324 represents heavy equipment and crane operators throughout Michigan. Hamilton served as the Business Manager of the union, its top elected official, from 2003 through 2012. The union is headquartered in Bloomfield Township, Michigan.
“This union official created a climate of fear of retaliation against the hardworking men and women of the union, all for his personal gain,” United States Attorney Matthew Schneider said. “The court’s sentence today sends a strong message that union officials who abuse their positions of trust to personally profit will face significant punishment.”
“John Hamilton betrayed the trust of members of Local 324 by conspiring to extort payments for personal financial gain from fellow members, including union officers. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards and Employee Benefits Security Administration to safeguard the assets of union members,” said James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
“Conduct of this sort from individuals, such as Mr. Hamilton, who exercise control over union and employee benefit assets must be eradicated,” said L. Joe Rivers, Regional Director for the Cincinnati Regional Office of the Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration.
“Protecting financial integrity and combatting corruption in labor unions is a very high priority for OLMS,” said Ian Burg, Director of the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) Detroit-Milwaukee District Office, which enforces the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA).” “This case sends a clear message that OLMS will fully investigate and seek justice when anyone attempts to use their union position for personal financial gain.”
"Today’s sentencing of John Hamilton for running an extortion scheme forcing financial contributions from union members, leveraged and enforced with bullying tactics, for his own personal benefit illustrates our continued commitment to hold those chosen by members to represent them accountable for violating their trust," said Jeffery E. Peterson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. “The FBI, by working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate anyone in leadership roles, within the labor union movement, choosing to illegally profit at the detriment of their members”.
The case was investigated by agents of the Department of Labor, Office of Investigations—Labor Racketeering and Fraud, the Office of Labor Management Standards, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David A. Gardey and Dawn N. Ison.
Five Men Sentenced for Illegally Possessing and Dealing Firearms in the Augusta AreaRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: On March 12, 2018, Mark Winston Pickrell and Aubrey Dean Bullard were sentenced for their respective roles in a conspiracy to illegally possess and sell unregistered firearms. The sentences were handed down by the Honorable Chief Judge J. Randal Hall, United States District Court.
Pickrell and Bullard were two of five defendants indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2017 in an eighteen-count indictment charging controlled substance and firearms violations. All five defendants – Pickrell, Bullard, Danny Lee Thomas, Ralph Guemell Poole, and Christopher Earl Duckworth – entered into plea agreements in which they acknowledged committing crimes related to the illegal possession and sale of firearms.
According to his plea agreement, Pickrell admitted that between March 2, 2016 and May 10, 2016, he engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a license. Specifically, Pickrell admitted that he was responsible for selling seven firearms, to include four machine guns, knowing that the weapons would likely end up in the hands of those who would commit crimes. Pickrell pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A). Judge Hall sentenced Pickrell to 56 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
According to his plea agreement, Bullard admitted, that on May 10, 2016, he unlawfully possessed and transferred two Sten 9 mm machine guns, and that he test fired those machine guns in order to facilitate their illegal sale. Bullard pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, in violation of 26 U.S.C. §§ 5841, 5861(d) and 5871. Judge Hall sentenced Bullard to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
On February 26, 2018, Judge Hall sentenced Thomas, Poole, and Duckworth to 38, 120 and 188 months, respectively, for their roles in this conspiracy and related controlled substance violations.
United States Attorney Bobby L. Christine stated, “The United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia is committed to aggressively prosecuting violations of gun laws currently on the books.”
“This investigation serves as a textbook example of the success that can be achieved when we blend our investigative experiences with our state and local partners as we continue to aggressively address the crimes that plague our communities,” said Resident Agent in Charge Timothy Graden. “Individuals who are brazen enough to sell machine guns and drugs pose a clear and present danger and they must be removed from our street.”
U.S. Attorney Christine commended the hard work and dedication of the ATF, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO), North Augusta Department of Public Safety (NADPS), Aiken County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Aiken Department of Public Safety (ADPS), Burke County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which investigated the case. Special Agent Ronald Rhodes led the ATF’s investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Tara M. Lyons prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. For any questions, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a HandgunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former Ohio resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on March 13, named Timothy Anderson, 26, formerly of Sacramento, California, and Dayton, Ohio, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about January 24, 2018, Anderson, a convicted felon, possessed a silver and black Ruger P93CD 9mm semi-automatic handgun, bearing serial number 306-08627. Federal law prohibits an individual with a felony conviction from possessing a firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dayton, Ohio, Police Department, the Shenango Township Police Department, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Bureau of Narcotics, and the New Castle Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Grand Jury IndictmentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that a Federal Grand Jury in Greenville, South Carolina, returned Indictments against the following:
McCormick County Woman Indicted for Bank Embezzlement. Amy June Schaufelberger, a/k/a Amy Schaufelberger Brown, age 31, of Parksville, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count Indictment with bank embezzlement, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 656. The maximum penalty Schaufelberger could receive is a fine of $1,000,000.00 and/or imprisonment of 30 years. The case was investigated by agents of the United States Secret Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens of the Greenville office for prosecution.
Illegal Alien Indicted on Reentry of a Removed Alien and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Luis Cenobio Barrera, a/k/a “Daniel Munguia Casanova”, a/k/a “Felipe Molina Garcia”, age 24, of Greenville, South Carolina, was charged in a two-count indictment. Luis Cenobio Barrera was charged with Reentry of Removed Alien, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section §1326(a), and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section §922(g)(1). The maximum penalty Barrera could receive is 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. The case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William J. Watkins, Jr., of the Greenville office for prosecution.
Illegal Aliens Indicted for False Use of Social Security Numbers. Juana Farfan-Garcia, a/k/a “MYP”, of Guatemala, was charged in a two-count indictment. Juana Farfan-Garcia was charged with Reentry of Removed Alien, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section §1326(a), and False Use of a Social Security Number, a violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section § 408. The maximum penalty Farfan-Garcia could receive is 2 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, for Illegal Re-entry and 5 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, for False Use of a Social Security Number. The case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen, of the Greenville office for prosecution.
Martina Guzman-Vasquez, a/k/a “CIRM”, of Guatemala, was charged in a two-count indictment. Martina Guzman-Vasquez was charged with False Use of a Social Security Number, a violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section § 408, and False claim to be a citizen of the United States, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section § 911. The maximum penalty Guzman-Vasquez could receive is 5 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, for False Use of a Social Security Number, and 3 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, for False claim to be a citizen of the United States. The case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen, of the Greenville office for prosecution.
Maria Barillas-Orozco, a/k/a “MRG”, locally from Saluda, South Carolina, was charged in a one-count indictment with False Use of a Social Security Number, a violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section § 408. The maximum penalty Barillas-Orozco could receive is 5 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, for False Use of a Social Security Number. The case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen, of the Greenville office for prosecution.
Juan Ramirez-Gomez, a/k/a “MB”, of Guatemala, was charged in a two-count indictment. Juan Ramirez-Gomez was charged with False Use of a Social Security Number, a violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section § 408, and False claim to be a citizen of the United States, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section § 911. The maximum penalty Ramirez-Gomez could receive is 5 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, for False Use of a Social Security Number, and 3 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, for False claim to be a citizen of the United States. The case was investigated by agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen, of the Greenville office for prosecution.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in these indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Grand Jury Charges Non-Indian Man from Espanola with Federal Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has filed an indictment charging Kevin Vigil, 52, a non-Indian man from Espanola, N.M., with child sexual abuse offenses, announced U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and Special Agent in Charge William McClure of District IV of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services.
The indictment charges Vigil with two counts of aggravated child sexual abuse. The indictment alleges that Vigil sexually abused an Indian child under the age of twelve years on Feb. 4, 2018, on Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo in Rio Arriba County, N.M. Vigil is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., on March 21, 2018.
Vigil has been in federal custody since Feb. 17, 2018, following his arrest on a criminal complaint. If convicted of the aggravated sexual abuse charges, Vigil faces a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. Charges in criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI and the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police Department and the New Mexico State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback as part of the Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. Individuals with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse are encouraged to contact the Children’s Advocacy Center tipline at (575) 526-3437.
Dual Iranian-American Citizen Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiring and Attempting to Acquire Surface-To-Air Missiles and Other Items for the Government of IranRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that REZA OLANGIAN, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison, after being found guilty in November 2016, of conspiring and attempting to send surface-to-air missiles (“SAMs”) and military aircraft parts to the Government of Iran. OLANGIAN was arrested in Estonia on October 10, 2012, pursuant to a U.S. request for his provisional arrest, and he was extradited to the United States on March 26, 2013. OLANGIAN was convicted after a two-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Reza Olangian was convicted by a unanimous jury for attempting to assist the Iranian government in brokering deals for missiles capable of destroying aircraft from the ground. Olangian’s actions were in violation of critical international sanctions designed to protect our national security. Today he was sentenced to 25 years for his efforts to support a designated state-sponsor of terror in obtaining deadly military weapons and other items.”
According to the evidence presented during the trial:
In 2008, OLANGIAN worked with Iranian officials to obtain approximately 375 SAMs for use by the Iranian government. Ultimately, that missile deal was unsuccessful.
Beginning in early 2012, OLANGIAN worked to negotiate another, separate missile deal, this time with a confidential source (the “CS”), who was working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and who purported to be a weapons and aircraft broker. From his base of operations in Tehran, and from approximately May 2012 through October 2012, OLANGIAN arranged for the purchase of “IGLA-S” SAMs and various aircraft components. During covertly recorded meetings in May 2012, and in subsequent recorded conversations and e-mails with the CS, OLANGIAN described in detail his plans for procuring the SAMs and aircraft parts and then smuggling them over land into Iran, from Afghanistan or from another neighboring country. OLANGIAN also expressed his interest in purchasing numerous other types of weapons and military parts for the Iranian government, including the so-called “S-300” missile defense system and Russian-made naval vessels.
OLANGIAN’s 2012 negotiations included his participation in a videoconference with the CS, during which OLANGIAN remotely inspected a missile that the CS presented as a sample of the larger quantity of the SAMs that OLANGIAN sought to purchase. After inspecting the sample missile and inquiring about its specifications, OLANGIAN stated that he would want “at least 200 . . . minimum 200” of such SAMs. In his communications with the CS, OLANGIAN also indicated that he was arranging for a missile expert to inspect and test the SAMs.
At the same time that he was negotiating with the CS, OLANGIAN was also working with other individuals, both inside and outside Iran, to acquire numerous other items for the Iranian government and Iran-based entities. For example, OLANGIAN worked with individuals and entities in China, Russia, and Europe to acquire commercial aircraft for use by Iranian airlines. In one of these commercial aircraft deals, OLANGIAN and his coconspirators planned to purchase aircraft for $80 million and sell them to an Iranian company for $110 million.
During October 2012, OLANGIAN traveled to Estonia in connection with the SAMs deal and in anticipation of later traveling to Russia in connection with one of the aircraft deals. He was arrested in Estonia, and following his arrest, he was interviewed by U.S. law enforcement agents. OLANGIAN stated, among other things, that he had been working with Iranian government officials, that the SAMs he had arranged to purchase were being obtained for the Iranian government, and that the aircraft parts he attempted to acquire were to be used in Iranian military aircraft.
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In addition to today’s sentence, OLANGIAN, 57, was sentenced to 5 years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit. Mr. Berman also thanked the DEA’s Copenhagen Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and its National Security Division.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean S. Buckley is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Robert E. Wallace of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Doctor who Illegally Distributed Prescription Painkillers and Laundered Proceeds Sentenced to 160 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A San Gabriel Valley doctor who pleaded guilty to a federal drug trafficking charge for illegally distributing the powerful opioid best known by the brand name OxyContin was sentenced today to over 13 years in federal prison.
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Dr. Daniel Cham, 49, a Covina resident who formerly operated a clinic in La Puente, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Andrew J. Guilford.
As he was sentencing Cham today, Judge Guilford expressed concern “that other doctors haven’t gotten the message of the seriousness of this activity.”
Cham pleaded guilty in April 2016 to one count of distribution of oxycodone, a powerful and addictive painkiller marketed under various names, including OxyContin, Vicodin and Norco. Cham also pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering.
In documents filed in relation to today’s sentencing, prosecutors wrote that Cham “stands before the court for selling prescriptions for massive amounts of oxycodone to persons he well knew were drug dealers and addicts, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Defendant’s illegal prescriptions killed at least two addicted youths, including a 22-year-old woman and 28-year-old man.”
The young woman, who was a resident of Oregon, died after ingesting narcotics prescribed by Cham to members of Oregon-based drug trafficking conspiracy. Cham issued prescriptions in the names of the Oregon drug traffickers – many of whom he had never met – and Cham created fake paperwork to make it falsely appear he had examined the “patients.” Investigators in Oregon identified over 12,000 pills of oxycodone that Cham illegally prescribed to the drug traffickers in that state.
“There is an opioid-abuse epidemic in this nation, and some of that drug abuse is fueled by unscrupulous doctors like this defendant,” said United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna. “The lengthy sentence imposed in this case is the direct result of this defendant’s profiting from prescribing narcotics to persons he knew to be addicts and drug dealers – actions that led to fatal overdoses for two people.”
In a plea agreement filed in this case, Cham admitted that he unlawfully prescribed oxycodone to an undercover agent posing as a patient in March 2014 in exchange for $300 in money orders, which Cham then deposited into a bank account held in the name of another business. Cham made the deposit “knowing that the transaction was designed to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the money orders,” according to the plea agreement.
Acting on tip about a pharmacy that was filling a large number of prescriptions written by Cham, special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration discovered a “large-scale criminal operation” in which Cham was writing thousands of prescriptions for powerful painkillers, often in combination with alprazolam (often sold under brand name Xanax) or carisoprodol (often sold under the brand name Soma), according to court documents. “The combination of these drugs is particularly dangerous, and is associated with the majority of overdose deaths,” according to a sentencing memorandum filed in court.
A doctor who specializes in pain management and addiction reviewed Cham’s history of writing prescriptions and found “gross and overwhelming evidence of inappropriate prescribing of narcotics and controlled drugs.” The expert also reviewed recordings made by undercover operatives who obtained prescriptions from Cham and found that the doctor was “essentially at that point dealing drugs.”
An affidavit previously filed in this case discussed how an undercover officer made three visits to Cham’s La Puente office in 2014, and how Cham wrote prescriptions for controlled substances in exchange for $200 or $300 in cash or money orders. As discussed in the court document, Cham issued a prescription for oxycodone even though the undercover operative said he “had been high and drunk while receiving controlled substance prescriptions” previously from Cham. On another occasion, Cham prescribed oxycodone even though the undercover law enforcement officer presented, in lieu of photo identification, a written notice that his license had been suspended for driving under the influence.
“Dr. Cham broke the Hippocratic Oath he swore to uphold when he became a physician – instead of serving the public good, his actions caused harm and death,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge David J. Downing. “Cham was no longer functioning as a healer but a common drug dealer, and his sentence should serve as a cautionary tale to other physicians who would choose this path for the sake of greed.”
“Not only did defendant Cham abdicate his oath as a physician, he deliberately caused harm by continuously drugging addicts who were in need of rehabilitation,” said Paul Delacourt, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to end illegal drug networks operating out of doctors’ offices.”
In his plea agreement, Cham also agrees to forfeit to the government more than $60,000 in cash that he admits are “proceeds of illegal activity.”
“While exploiting his patients’ addictions for his own personal gain, Cham laundered tens of thousands of dollars in cash and money orders through bank accounts held in fake business names such as Good Life 2 LLC. The good life Cham created for himself was fueled by a callous disregard for his patients’ well-being,” stated R. Damon Rowe, Special Agent in Charge for IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS Criminal Investigation contributes our financial expertise in an effort to stop criminals who profit from the illegal trade of dangerous narcotics and take away any financial benefit they receive from their criminal activity.”
The investigation into Cham was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Los Angeles and Portland Field Offices, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Health Authority Law Enforcement Task Force, the California Medical Board, and the Los Angeles Police Department.
The case against Cham was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Barron of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Sex Offense for Attacking Woman on the StreetRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elias Hailu, 37, of Washington, D.C., has pled guilty to sexually abusing a stranger on the street in broad daylight last fall in the 14th Street corridor of Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Hailu pled guilty on March 13, 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted third-degree sexual abuse. After completing any term of incarceration imposed by the Court, Hailu will be subject to 10 years of registration as a sex offender and a period of supervised release. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, Hailu encountered the victim on the afternoon of Nov. 15, 2017, as she was walking on U Street toward 13th Street NW. He began to follow the victim, who was a stranger to him, for several blocks while she proceeded to work. All the while, Hailu made sexually explicit proposals to the victim and ignored her repeated requests that he leave her alone. Hailu sexually abused the victim by forcefully grabbing the victim’s breast with his hand. The victim made an immediate report to law enforcement.
Surveillance footage that captured a portion of Hailu’s conduct showed Hailu’s distinctive clothing, some of which he had been wearing the day before in the same area. Based on the description provided by the victim and the surveillance footage, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was able to identify Hailu as the perpetrator. He was arrested on Nov. 17, 2017, wearing some of the same clothing he had worn during the sexual assault.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Tracy Owusu, Paralegal Specialist Donhue Troy Griffith, and Criminal Investigator John Marsh. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Matt Williams and Marisa West, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Disney Cruise Ship Employee Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
For Further Information, Contact: Assistant U.S. Attorney
Joseph J.M. Orabona (619)546-7951
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – March 13, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Renan Dias Da Rocha Gomes, a former employee aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for wire fraud in connection with his scheme to embezzle more than $260,000 from The Walt Disney Company.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations arrested Gomes on October 27, 2017, when the Disney Wonder made port in San Diego, California. According to his plea agreement, Gomes admitted that from at least October 2015 through October 27, 2017, he was employed as a merchandise host and assigned to work in the merchandise stores aboard the Disney Wonder. He admitted he executed his scheme by fraudulently obtaining money through his access to an online payment system in order to embezzle funds from Disney for his own personal use and benefit.
As evidenced by his guilty plea, Gomes made approximately $260,000 in unauthorized charges to Disney’s bank account, and loaded the value of the funds onto Disney gift cards while working aboard the Disney Wonder on the high seas. During the search of Gomes’ cabin aboard the Disney Wonder, investigators found approximately 217 gift cards, a stolen watch, and $1,240 in cash.
Gomes also admitted that from April 23, 2017 through May 7, 2017, he spent approximately $37,700 of the embezzled funds for his own personal benefit by taking his family on a Disney World vacation. While on this vacation, Gomes stated that he used the gift cards with the embezzled funds to pay approximately $8,200 on lodging, approximately $29,500 on food, beverage, merchandise and entertainment expenses.
As part of the sentence today, the Court ordered Gomes to pay restitution to The Walt Disney Company in the total amount of funds he stole. In addition, the Court ordered Gomes to criminally forfeit the stolen watch and $1,240 in cash which were proceeds of his wire fraud.
In order to work aboard the Disney Wonder, Gomes, who is a Brazilian national, obtained a temporary visa. As a consequence of his criminal conviction, Gomes’ visa was cancelled and he will be removed from the United States to Brazil following the completion of his prison term.
“Today’s sentence should remind the public that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting consumers and enforcing the law against employees who embezzle funds from their employers for their own personal benefit,” said United States Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “The defendant in this case has been held accountable for his criminal conduct and for the way he cheated his employer.”
“The FBI is committed to identifying, investigating, and bringing those responsible for fraudulent criminal activity to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge John A. Brown. “We want to encourage San Diego citizens and businesses alike to report suspicious or fraudulent activity to the FBI. It is this partnership between our community and law enforcement partners that allows us to better protect against these fraudulent actors.”
DEFENDANT Criminal Case No. 17CR3897-CAB
Renan Dias Da Rocha Gomes Age: 32 Citizenship: Brazil
SUMMARY OF CHARGES:
Count 1 – Wire Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343)
Maximum Penalties: maximum of 20 years in prison; maximum fine of $250,000; maximum term of supervised release of three years; restitution; criminal forfeiture
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Delaware Man Charged in Artifact TheftRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Michael Rohana, 23, of Bear, DE, was charged today by indictment[1] of theft of major artwork from a museum, concealment of major artwork stolen from museum and interstate transportation of stolen property. According to the indictment, on, December 21, 2017, Rohana stole from the Franklin Institute, a piece (“the Thumb”) from one of the terracotta sculptures dating from 210 to 209 B.C. Rohana then transported the Thumb from Philadelphia to his home in Bear, Delaware.
If convicted, Rohana faces a maximum term of thirty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine.
This case was brought to the immediate attention of authorities by the Franklin Institute. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney KT Newtown.
[1]An Indictment or Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
DOJ Officials, Arkansas First Lady to Open NCAC International SymposiumRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE – Two top U.S. Department of Justice officials and the First Lady of Arkansas will open the 34th International Symposium on Child Abuse presented by the National Children’s Advocacy Center March 19-22 at the Von Braun Center.
The annual symposium is a premiere conference that provides expert training and numerous networking opportunities to professionals in the child maltreatment field, and is one of the few conferences that addresses all aspects of child maltreatment, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, poly-victimization, exploitation, intervention, trafficking and prevention. The NCAC will bring together approximately 1,400 law enforcement, medical, prosecution, victim advocacy, child protection and mental health professionals, and youth-serving organizations from 48 states, Washington, D.C., and 12 countries for the symposium.
Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Alan Hanson and Arkansas’ First Lady Susan Hutchinson will speak at the symposium’s opening session Tuesday, March 20, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
NCAC Executive Director Chris Newlin said, “We are honored to have officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, along with First Lady Hutchinson of Arkansas, with us to welcome participants from throughout the United States and the world and provide an inspirational message about the impact and value of the work being done at Children’s Advocacy Centers. The Department of Justice has long supported the multidisciplinary work of Children’s Advocacy Centers in responding to child abuse.”
“Since its inception in 1985, the NCAC has been a model in caring for abused children and in coordinating the work of the numerous agencies that treat and care for those courageous children with the agencies that investigate and prosecute cases involving them,” Town said. “The NCAC and its international symposium have trained thousands of professionals in the best methods of caring for the children and investigating their cases. The Justice Department has awarded valuable grants to support the NCAC’s important work, and I welcome Acting Associate Attorney General Panuccio and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Hanson to Alabama to address the symposium and underscore the invaluable service the NCAC provides to children and communities across our country,” he said.
Hutchinson, a former schoolteacher, has a lifetime of experience advocating for and working with children. Before becoming Arkansas’ first lady, Hutchinson spent several years on the board of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County, one of 16 non-profit Children’s Advocacy Centers in Arkansas that work with abused children.
Panuccio is the third-ranking officer in the Department of Justice, overseeing more than a dozen department components, including the Antitrust, Civil, Civil Rights, Environment and Natural Resources, and Tax Divisions, and the Office of Justice Programs and the Office on Violence Against Women.
Hanson, who worked as general counsel, chief of staff and legislative director for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, brings more than 17 years of congressional policy, management, appropriations and political experience to the Justice Department.
The three-day international gathering will offer more than 160 workshops with tracks designed specifically for administration, child protective services, forensic interviewing, human trafficking/sexual exploitation, law enforcement, medical, mental health/treatment, prevention, prosecution/legal, secondary traumatic stress, victim advocacy and youth-serving organization.
For information or to arrange an interview with NCAC Executive Director Newlin or a speaker, contact Pam Clasgens, NCAC Community Awareness and Prevention Director, 256-327-3761 (direct line), or 256-533-5437 (main line) or [email protected].
About the NCAC: The NCAC revolutionized the response to child sexual abuse in the U.S. There are currently more than 1,000 Children’s Advocacy Centers in the U.S. and 33 other countries are based on the model developed in Huntsville, Ala., in 1985. The NCAC provides services to children and families in the Huntsville-Madison County area, and is a national and international leader in training for professionals responsible for the protection of children.
The NCAC models, promotes and delivers excellence in child abuse response and prevention through service, education and leadership. For information, contact 256-533-5437 or visit www.nationalcac.org.
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Corvallis Man Receives Federal Prison Sentence for Defrauding Local CompanyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore. – On Tuesday, March 13, 2018, Matthew Linderman, 50, of Corvallis, Oregon, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised released for wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Linderman was also ordered to pay over $1.7 million in restitution.
According to court documents, Linderman used his position as business area manager at Corvallis-based Trimble Forestry Automation to approve invoices from companies with whom he was personally associated. He used his knowledge of Trimble’s invoicing procedures to ensure that he alone would be required to authorize the expenditures. Linderman received a substantial amount of each vendor payment in the form of kickbacks to companies he owned including Strategic Enterprises and Santiam Organics.
Between 2009 and 2013, Linderman approved over $2.2 million in payments to Precision Mobile Integration and J. Waldien Designs. After he was terminated, Trimble discovered that the owner of the two vendors was a friend and former military colleague of Linderman’s, Jeffery Waldien. Waldien pleaded guilty and was sentenced in a separate case in January 2018.
A detailed financial analysis conducted by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) discovered that of the more than $850,000 Trimble paid to J. Waldien Designs, more than $763,000 was based on fraudulent invoices. Approximately $636,000 of those funds were transferred to Strategic Enterprises and used by Linderman to start Santiam Organics. The analysis further discovered over $1 million in fraudulent payments to Precision Mobile Integration, the majority of which Linderman used for business and personal expenses.
Linderman pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and filing a false federal income tax return on September 15, 2016.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS CI and prosecuted by Gavin Bruce and Amy Potter, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Columbia Man Pleads to Conspiracy to Steal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Jonathan Donnell Thompson, age 36, of Columbia, plead guilty in federal court to conspiracy to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. In January 2018, Thompson’s co-defendant, Cedric K. Reddick, age 24, of Columbia, plead guilty to conspiracy to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). United States District Judge Michelle Childs, of Columbia, accepted both guilty pleas and will impose sentence on both Thompson and Reddick after she has reviewed the presentence reports, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented in court established on August 5, 2016, Tony’s Guns and Police Supplies, a federal firearms licensee, in Sumter was burglarized and 69 handguns stolen. The investigation revealed similarities between that burglary and other burglaries of liquor stores in several counties. Through the joint investigation, law enforcement developed information that lead to Thompson being a suspect and later a DNA match linked co-defendant Reddick to a burglary of one of the liquor stores. Further investigation linked Thompson and Reddick to the burglaries through various means, including phone records and social media posts. Additionally, a search warrant at Reddick’s apartment revealed a 9mm handgun stolen during the burglary of Tony’s Guns and Police Supplies. Upon arrest, Reddick confessed to his involvement and implicated Thompson.
Thompson faces a maximum of 5 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the conspiracy charge.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Clinton Police Department, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
Project Ceasefire is South Carolina’s continued application 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.
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Colombian Drug Kingpin Found Guilty by Miami Federal JuryRead the Press Release
Colombian drug kingpin Henry de Jesus Lopez Londoño was convicted today by a jury in Miami.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
A Miami jury found Henry de Jesus Lopez Londoño, a/k/a “Mi Sangre,” 47, a citizen of Colombia, guilty today of conspiring to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine with the knowledge that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 959 and 963. Sentencing is set for May 30, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. in Miami. The defendant faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison.
The evidence presented at the six week trial, which included the testimony of special agents from DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, Argentinean National Police, and multiple co-conspirators, showed that the defendant in Colombia was as a leader of the Urabeños, one of the largest and most dangerous drug cartels in the world. As a leader, the defendant was part of a drug distribution chain spanning from Colombia to Central America, Mexico, and the United States. The evidence at trial showed that as part of this conspiracy, the defendant was responsible for trafficking over 60,000 kilograms of cocaine. The evidence at trial also revealed that at one point, Lopez Londoño attempted to cooperate with U.S. law enforcement. However, when it was discovered that the defendant was lying and committing acts of violence, he became a target of investigation. That trial evidence further showed that Lopez Londoño had engaged in unauthorized drug trafficking activities while attempting to cooperate.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg stated, “The conviction of Henry de Jesus Lopez Londoño is the result of extraordinary international cooperation. It also reflects years of hard work, commitment and perseverance of our Colombian, Argentinean and U.S. law enforcement partners to stem the flow of cocaine into the United States and bring a major international drug trafficker to justice.”
“Henry Lopez-Londono’s conviction marks the success of the DEA Miami Field Division’s strong alliance and cooperation with our foreign and other U.S. law enforcement partners.” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Adolphus P. Wright. “As a result of this partnership, we are able to reach out to other parts of the globe to target transnational criminal organizations and bring to justice the leaders of those drug trafficking organizations.”
The prosecution was part of Operation Golden Eagle, which is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
Mr. Greenberg would like to commend the DEA Miami Field Division, DEA Bogota Country Office, DEA Buenos Aires Country Office, the Governments of Colombia and Argentina, the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the Office of the Judicial Attaché in Colombia, and the U.S. State Department for their assistance in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Emery and Michael B. Nadler.
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.
Chelsea Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Trans-National Methamphetamine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chelsea man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering ring operating between Massachusetts and California.
Russell Ormiston, 51, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2018.
In November 2016, Ormiston and 10 co-defendants were charged with various methamphetamine offenses relating to a transnational trafficking scheme.
Beginning in at least 2013 and continuing to November 2016, Ormiston was involved in a conspiracy that transported methamphetamine from San Diego, Calif., to Massachusetts, where it was distributed in the greater Boston area. Proceeds from the sale of that methamphetamine were then transported and/or transferred back to California and laundered in various ways.
Ormiston received methamphetamine from a co-conspirator, who received it from a supplier in California. Ormiston redistributed a portion of the methamphetamine to his customers.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; William Ferrara, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans made the announcement. The Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Reading, Watertown, Quincy, Chelsea, Braintree, Peabody, Waltham, and Woburn Police Departments; and Connecticut State Police assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Beausey of Lelling’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the cases.
California Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Scheme to Steal 94,000 Debit and Credit Cards from Michaels’ Stores in 19 StatesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Riverside, California, man was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to steal 94,000 credit and debit cards from customers at approximately 80 Michaels’ Stores and use that information to make fraudulent withdrawals from the customers’ bank accounts, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Angel Angulo, 28, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to Count One and Count Two of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The conspirators installed devices that acquired customers’ bank account and personal identification number (PIN) information on point of sale (POS) terminals at stores operated by Michaels. The stolen account information was used to produce counterfeit bank cards, which were used with the stolen PINs to withdraw funds from the compromised bank accounts.
The conspirators allegedly replaced 88 POS terminals in 80 different stores operated by Michaels across 19 states, including New Jersey, with counterfeit POS devices. Each counterfeit device was equipped with wireless technology, which the conspirators used to retrieve the stolen information. From February 2011 to April 2011, conspirators stole approximately 94,000 debit and credit card account numbers.
From April 2011 to May 2011, Angulo, Crystal Banuelos, and others obtained counterfeit cards with the corresponding PIN numbers written on them from other conspirators. They used the cards and PIN numbers to withdraw money using ATMs from hundreds of bank accounts. On May 14, 2011, Angulo and Banuelos possessed 179 counterfeit cards in New Jersey.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Angulo to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $480,300.
Banuelos previously pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 5, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Mark McKevitt, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Shapiro of the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Defense counsel: Lisa Lewis Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden
Bank Robber Gets More Jail Time After Assaulting GuardRead the Press Release
Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that on March, 12, 2018, United States District Court Judge Leslie J. Abrams sentenced Christopher Belt, age 27, of Columbus, GA, to 84 months imprisonment for the offense of assault on a federal employee. Mr. Belt had pled guilty to the offense on December 12, 2017.
The evidence supporting the plea showed that in April 2016, Mr. Belt was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service as a result of his commission of an armed bank robbery. On August 18, 2017, Mr. Belt was being held at the Sumter County Jail while awaiting sentencing on the bank robbery charge. Mr. Belt became involved in a verbal dispute with another inmate. A corrections officer attempted to calm the situation by sending Mr. Belt to a different area of the jail. Rather than relocate as instructed, Mr. Belt rushed toward the other inmate to try to make physical contact with him. The officer put her arm out in an attempt to block Mr. Belt’s advance, and her arm was broken. The injury required immediate surgical correction.
On August 22, 2017, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Clay D. Land imposed a sentence of 106 months imprisonment on the bank robbery charge. On March 12, 2018, the Honorable Leslie Abrams ordered that the 84-month sentence imposed as a result of the assault in this case be served consecutively to the sentence for the bank robbery charge. As a result, Mr. Belt faces a total sentence of 190 months imprisonment. Mr. Belt was also ordered to pay over $28,000 in restitution related to the officer’s medical bills incurred as a result of the injury he inflicted.
“This office is dedicated to ensuring that the correctional facilities which house those we prosecute are safe places in which punishment and rehabilitation can take place,” said United States Attorney Peeler. “Violence against officers or other inmates will not be tolerated. Our office will do everything we can to see that such acts result in additional jail time being imposed and that those responsible for the costs be made to bear them.”
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the United States.
Questions concerning this case should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.
Andrew Birge Appointed by the Court to Continue Serving as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - Andrew Byerly Birge, who has led the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the last 14 months, has been appointed by the U.S. District Court to continue leading the Office. In an order signed yesterday afternoon, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Jonker announced:
"Upon the unanimous vote of the Court, the Court exercises its authority . . . and appoints Andrew Byerly Birge to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, effective immediately upon expiration of Mr. Birge's existing appointment . . . and continuing until the President fills the position with a nominee confirmed by the United States Senate."
Mr. Birge initially assumed the duties of Acting U.S. Attorney by operation of law following Patrick Miles, Jr.’s resignation in January of 2017. Attorney General Jefferson B. Sessions appointed Mr. Birge interim U.S. Attorney in November for a period of 120 days or until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a successor, whichever is shorter—which is the limit of the Attorney General’s authority. That 120-day period expires this week. Whenever an Attorney General’s authority expires, the Court must appoint a U.S. Attorney.
Mr. Birge’s job has been to carry out effectively the priorities of the Department of Justice in West Michigan. Today, he vowed to continue the efforts he began last year. "Attorney General Sessions has identified violent crime, the opioid epidemic and the enforcement of criminal immigration law as our prime concerns. I am pleased to report that last year my office increased the number of firearm cases and defendants prosecuted by over 65%, increased drug cases prosecuted by 30% and increased the overall number of cases prosecuted by over 12%." Mr. Birge noted that the Attorney General in December awarded his office an additional full time prosecutor position to address violent crime in the district. "Federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies work very well together in West Michigan, which allows us to be particularly effective." He explained that criminal immigration prosecutions, which typically involve aliens with prior records and those involved in document fraud, historically comprise about 25% of the office’s caseload. He expects his office will bring about the same number of those cases this year as last year. "But these focus areas obviously don’t mean a holiday for those who commit other crimes. For example, we will continue to actively pursue white collar criminal activity as well as all manner of crimes arising on Tribal lands."
Among many outreach efforts, the office is advancing a public information campaign to stem the tide of the opioid epidemic. "When we prosecute, we are addressing the supply of drugs. But we also need to address the demand. And we do that through these public information campaigns to hopefully prevent future addiction and help those who are already addicted." Mr. Birge identified other outreach activities as well. "I meet as often as I can with community leaders to facilitate mutual understanding and build trust in law enforcement. If residents don’t trust law enforcement, we can’t succeed in making their community safer."
Mr. Birge knows his office well. He previously served for over nine years as the First Assistant, the senior-most management position in the office. A First Assistant functions as the chief advisor to the U.S. Attorney and oversees the office’s civil and criminal litigation as well as its administrative operations. U.S. Attorney Charles Gross first tapped him for the role in May of 2007, under then-President George W. Bush’s administration. U.S. Attorneys Donald A. Davis and Patrick Miles each subsequently asked him to continue serving in that capacity. Mr. Birge has been with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for over 17 years and an attorney for over 23 years. Before he served as the First Assistant, he oversaw the office’s appellate practice and handled all manner of criminal cases.
"When I assumed leadership of the office last year, I noted that I take great pride in what we do. This office has remarkably dedicated and talented attorneys and staff. They are the story behind this office’s success."
Mr. Birge began his legal career as a law clerk to the late Chief U.S. District Court Judge Richard A. Enslen, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He obtained his law degree from the Columbia University School of Law, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton College, where he graduated cum laude and with Distinction as a history major.
END
Additional Charges Filed Against Former Monroe County Financial Advisor for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on March 13, 2018, Anthony Diaz, age 48, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was charged in a superseding indictment with additional charges of mail and wire fraud.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Diaz, who was a financial advisor, was originally indicted on May 12, 2016, and charged with six counts of wire fraud by using false and misleading statements and misrepresentations to induce his clients to purchase high risk and/or otherwise unsuitable investment products, through which Diaz received substantial fees and commissions to which he was not entitled. Today’s superseding indictment added five counts of mail and wire fraud and additional victims.
Diaz allegedly operated the scheme between approximately 2006 and 2015, while he was a registered representative and/or a certified financial planner associated with financial investment firms. Diaz had his own office, under the name of Financial Planners Group of America, with employees reporting to him during the periods when he was associated with other firms. From December 2006 through May 2015, Diaz allegedly sold what were called “alternative investment products” to his clients. Such products are generally high risk, speculative and illiquid (i.e., they cannot readily be converted to cash); may require long holding periods of up to nine years, and have “suitability requirements” related to the net worth and/or income of investors.
As part of the scheme, Diaz allegedly instructed clients to sign blank or partially completed documents, and provided false information on documents concerning the clients’ net worth, income, risk tolerance and/or investment experience to falsely make it appear that the clients met the applicable requirements to invest in the products.
Diaz also allegedly failed to explain to clients that alternative investment products lacked liquidity and had no public market for resale. He allegedly falsely assured clients they would have access to their funds and falsely told some of them the investments were “guaranteed” to earn a certain rate of return, when, in fact, he knew there was no guaranteed rate of return.
Diaz allegedly told his clients that he voluntarily left the broker dealers he was associated with at various times and for the clients’ benefit, when, in fact, he was terminated or asked to leave. As a result, some clients incurred additional fees and expenses.
The indictment charges Diaz with seven counts of wire fraud and four counts of mail fraud. Each count relates to an interstate wire transmission or interstate mailing concerning investments made in connection with the fraud scheme, totaling approximately $611,000 investments, between December 2012 and May 2014.
In May 2015, the Financial Industry Regulating Authority (FINRA), part of the U.S. Treasury Department, permanently banned Diaz from acting as a broker or otherwise associating with firms that sold securities to the public. Shortly thereafter, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities banned Diaz from representing an issuer or seller of securities in Pennsylvania and from being registered as a broker-dealer, agent or investment advisor in Pennsylvania.
Anyone with information concerning financial services rendered by Diaz and/or Financial Planners Group of America, should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 570-348-2800.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Evan Gotlob, Robert O’Hara and Phillip Caraballo are prosecuting the case.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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.
The maximum penalty under federal law is 30 years of imprisonment for each mail and wire fraud count, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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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2 New York Men Plead Guilty to Using Counterfeit Credit Cards at Giant Eagle StoresRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Two New York residents have pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
William O. Candelaria, 29, and Christopher T. Candelaria, 25, both of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that in June 2016, William and Christopher Candelaria and others conspired to use counterfeit credit cards at Giant Eagle stores in Western Pennsylvania to purchase gift cards and merchandise, which totaled approximately $91,000.
Judge Fischer scheduled Christopher T. Candelaria’s sentence for July 18, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. and William O. Candelaria’s sentence for July 18, 2018 at 11 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both at each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force (WPFCTF), conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of these defendants. The WPFCTF was established as a collaborative, multi-agency effort to effectively combat financial crimes, including identity fraud, in Western Pennsylvania. Partnering in this effort are the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Robinson Township Police Department.
Tuesday 13 March 2018
“Pill Mill” Distributor Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute OxycodoneRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – United States Marvin J. Garbis sentenced Donald Russell, age 53, of Waldorf, Maryland today to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for his participation in a drug conspiracy in connection with the operation of purported pain management clinics that were actually “pill mills.” Eleven co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to the same charge.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; Chief Gary Gardner of the Howard County Police Department; Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry; St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron; Chief Hank Stawinski of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Calvert County Sheriff Mike Evans; Chief Peter Newsham of the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department; Commissioner Darryl DeSousa of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police.
According to court documents, “pill mills” routinely engage in the practice of prescribing and dispensing controlled substances - primarily oxycodone - outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. The owners kept the profits from the pill mill operations and from the sales of oxycodone in cash. According to the indictments, the owners recruited “distributors” and “runners” to visit their clinics so that they would profit from the cash fees charged for an office visit. Runners are recruited - usually by a distributor - to enter pill mill clinics with fictitious complaints of pain in order to obtain prescriptions for oxycodone and other controlled substances. Typically, runners filled the prescription and gave the oxycodone tablets they received to the distributor. Runners were typically paid in either cash or oxycodone tablets for their services. The distributors then generally sold the pills for a profit.
According to the plea agreement, from February 2014 through May 2015, Russell and co-defendant Bruce Kevin Lewis, age 52, of Deale, Maryland, owned and operated PG Wellness Center, LLC (PG Wellness), and A Plus Pain Clinic, LLC (A Plus Pain), purported pain management clinics located in Oxon Hill, Maryland and Washington, D.C., respectively. PG Wellness and A Plus Pain were actually pill mills.
Russell was captured on numerous wiretap calls buying and selling oxycodone pills, or prescriptions for oxycodone pills, from persons who regularly visited the clinics and/or arranged for others to do so. For example, on September 28, 2014, Russell and co-defendant Walter Moffett had a series of calls about Mr. Moffett bringing two patients to the clinic.
Russell worked with at least 62 different individuals who visited the clinics to obtain illicit oxycodone prescriptions. These included codefendants Melissa Catlett, Terrell Downing, John Fields, Ronald Kans, Robert Long, Walter Moffett, Ronald Rust, Danielle Silberstein, Peter Snyder, and Ronald Tennyson.
According to the plea agreement, on or about October 31, 2014, Russell and Lewis discussed the profits reaped that month from their clinics: $4,400 - 4,500 from A Plus Pain and $48,000-50,000 from PG Wellness. They talked about hiding the money and discussed methods that regulatory authorities had used when examining other pill mill clinics.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Russell distributed at least 2,307,000 milligrams (2,307 grams) of oxycodone.
The following 11 individuals have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy:
Bruce Kevin Lewis, age 55, of Deale, Maryland; Danielle Silberstein, age 34, of Waldorf; Robert Long, age 37, of Mechanicsville, Maryland; Jamie Davis, age 31, of LaPlata, Maryland; Ronald Tennyson, age 35, of Mechanicsville; Terrell Downing, age 28, of New Carrollton, Maryland; John Fields, age 65, of Temple Hills, Maryland; Ronald Rust, age 47, of Alexandria, Virginia; Walter Moffett, age 54, of Chestertown, Maryland; Ronald Kans, age 44, of LaPlata, Maryland; and Peter Snyder, age 37, of Ocean City, Maryland.Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning praised the DEA Tactical Diversion Squads from Baltimore and Washington DC, HHS-Office of Inspector General, Howard County Police Department, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Prince George’s County Police Department, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Baltimore City Police Department, and Virginia State Police for their work in this pharmaceutical investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth S. Clark who is prosecuting this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.
“Murdaland Mafia Piru” Bloods Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering and Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
March 13, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – Takuma Tate, a/k/a “Oop,” a/k/a “Ook,” age 39, of Baltimore pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as Murdaland Mafia Piru (MMP) and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Tate was one of 26 alleged MMP gang members and associates charged in this case. Thirteen of the 26 defendants indicted have pleaded guilty to their participation in the racketeering conspiracy.
The plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives—Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Darryl DeSousa of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to court documents, MMP, also known as the “Mob” or “Mobsters,” is a violent subset of the Bloods gang that for many years controlled the drug trade in large swaths of Northwest Baltimore City and neighboring Baltimore County. MMP was modeled after the Italian Mafia. Members and associates of MMP operated street-level drug distribution “shops” in various locations in Baltimore City and distributed heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, among other controlled substances. The gang’s drug shop in the 5200 block of Windsor Mill Road was particularly lucrative due to its close proximity to Interstate 70 and frequently attracted drug customers driving from western Maryland and neighboring states. MMP members were required to pay dues to the gang consisting of a portion of the proceeds of their criminal activities, and they were subject to reprisal—and sometimes murder—for failing to do so. Non-members who wished to sell drugs in MMP’s territories were forced to pay a “tax” or were targeted for violence by MMP members. MMP members enhance their status within the gang by carrying out acts of violence against rivals; for instance, members can earn a “lightning bolt” tattoo for “killing for the Mob.”
The 32-count second superseding indictment alleges that from at least 2011 through 2017, the defendants were members and associates of MMP who engaged in criminal activities in furtherance of the gang, including five murders, six attempted murders, assaults, abduction, witness tampering, and drug distribution resulting in nonfatal overdoses. Tate admitted that he agreed with members of MMP to conduct and participate in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity that included offenses involving drug distribution. He also agreed that it was reasonably foreseeable to him that between one and three kilograms of heroin and between 280 and 840 grams of cocaine base would be distributed by members of the conspiracy.
The following 13 defendants were charged in the superseding indictment unsealed on September 27, 2016, and charges remain pending against them in the second superseding indictment:
Dante Bailey, a/k/a “Gutta,” “Almighty,” and “Wolf,” age 37, of Windsor Mill, Maryland; Dontray Johnson, a/k/a “Gambino,” “Bino,” and “Tray,” age 31, of Windsor Mill; Adrian Jamal Spence, a/k/a “Spittle,” “SP,” and “AJ,” age 29, of Baltimore; Randy Banks, a/k/a “Dirt,” age 38, of Baltimore;Ayinde Deleon, a/k/a “Murda,” and “Yin,” age 31, of Baltimore; Jamal Lockley, a/k/a “T-Roy,” and “Droid,” age 37, of Baltimore; Jacob Bowling, a/k/a “Jakey,” “Ghost,” and “Fred,” age 30, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland; Corloyd Anderson, a/k/a “Bo,” age 33, of Owings Mills, Maryland; Devon Dent, a/k/a “Tech,” age 26, of Gwynn Oak; Tiffany Bailey, a/k/a “Tiff,” age 31, of Windsor Mill; Shakeen Davis, a/k/a “Creams,” age 22, of Baltimore; Sydni Frazier, a/k/a “Sid,” a/k/a “Perry,” age 26, of Baltimore; and Malcolm Lashley, a/k/a “Spook,” age 27, of Baltimore.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
In addition to Tate, the following 12 defendants have pleaded guilty to their participation in the racketeering conspiracy:
William Banks, a/k/a “Trouble,” age 27, of Baltimore; Dominick Wedlock, a/k/a “Rage,” and “Nick,” age 29, of Baltimore; Dwight Jenkins, a/k/a “Huggie,” and “Unc,” age 48, of Baltimore; Melvin Lashley, a/k/a “Menace,” age 26, of Baltimore; Maurice Pollock, a/k/a “Reese,” age 22, of Baltimore; Delante Lee, a/k/a “Tay Tay,” age 21, of Baltimore; William Jones, a/k/a “Bill,” and “Smalls,” age 27, of Baltimore; Jarmal Harrid, a/k/a “J-Rock,” and “PJ,” age 27, of Gwynn Oak; Jamal Smith, a/k/a “Mal,” and “Lil Mal,” age 25, of Gwynn Oak; Charles Blackwell, a/k/a “Ci-Bo,” and “Lil Charlie,” age 21, of Woodlawn; Kenneth Torry, a/k/a “Kenny,” age 39, of Owings Mills; Jay Greer, a/k/a “Champagne,” “Montana Gold,” and “Slick,” age 24, of Baltimore.
Tate and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Tate will be sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for June 19, 2018 at 9:15a.m.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the ATF, Baltimore City and Baltimore County Police Departments, and the Baltimore City and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Offices for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Lauren E. Perry, who prosecuted the case.
“Great Outdoors Bandit” Sentenced for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Josue Daniel Alfaro, a/k/a Danny Alfaro, a/k/a the “Great Outdoors Bandit,” age 32, of Portland, Oregon, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the crimes of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery. Chief United States District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Alfaro to pay $31,216 in restitution to the six victim banks and to forfeit $28,930 in unrecovered cash proceeds and $2,826 in recovered cash proceeds. Previously, on December 20, 2017, Alfaro pleaded guilty to Counts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 of the indictment.
According to the plea agreement, Alfaro admitted to robbing and attempting to rob, the following banks on the following dates and in the following amounts:
-On December 21, 2016, the U.S. Bank at 10500 West Overland Road in Boise, Idaho for $3,174;
-On December 21, 2016, the Idaho Central Credit Union at 1615 South Celebration Avenue in Meridian, Idaho for $2,100;
-On March 24, 2017, the Bank of the West at 9140 West Emerald Street in Boise, Idaho for $3,469;
-On May 24, 2017, the Alpine Credit Union at 351 East 800 South in Orem, Utah for $12,736;
-On August 7, 2017, the Bank of the West at 9140 West Emerald Street in Boise, Idaho. Attempted robbery, no loss;
-On August 7, 2017, the Pioneer Federal Credit Union at 850 East Fairview Avenue in Meridian, Idaho for $9,637;
-On August 7, 2017, the Clarity Federal Credit Union at 555 South Meridian Road in Meridian, Idaho for $100.
According to the plea agreement, for each of the robberies, Alfaro obscured his face with a baseball cap and black sunglasses. He provided the tellers with notes demanding money. One of the notes, provided to the Idaho Central Credit Union on December 21, demanded $40,000 in large bills. Another note, provided to the Bank of the West on March 24, stated: “Give me money or I will shoot the teller next to you.” Yet another note, provided to the Pioneer Federal Credit Union on August 7, stated: “give me all of your hundred dollar bills, I have a gun.”
In total, Alfaro robbed $31,216 from the six banks and credit unions, whose deposits were federally insured.
According to the plea agreement, on August 13, 2017, Alfaro was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport attempting to board an international flight to Brussels, Belgium. In his carry-on bag, Alfaro possessed $2,826 in cash that he obtained from the robberies.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Boise, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles field offices), the Boise Police Department, and the Meridian Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Announces Suit Against the MTA and New York City Transit Authority for Failure to Make A Bronx Subway Station Accessible After A Full RenovationRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States has filed a Complaint-in-Intervention (the “Complaint”) in a lawsuit, Bronx Independent Living Services v. Metropolitan Transit Authority, filed against the Metropolitan Transit Authority (“MTA”) and the New York City Transit Authority (“NYCTA”) to remedy violations of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the “ADA”). The United States’ Complaint alleges that the MTA and NYCTA violated the ADA when they altered the Middletown Road subway station on the number 6 line in the Bronx without insuring that the station was rendered readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs, to the maximum extent feasible. Due to the failure to comply with the ADA, the Federal Transit Administration (“FTA”) concluded that it would not provide any funding for the cost of the renovation of the Middletown Road station. The Complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief requiring MTA and NYCTA to install elevators at the Middletown Road station.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “There is no justification for public entities to ignore the requirements of the ADA 28 years after its passage. The subway system is a vital part of New York City’s transportation system, and when a subway station undergoes a complete renovation, MTA and NYCTA must comply with its obligations to make such stations accessible to the maximum extent feasible.”
The United States’ Complaint alleges that MTA and NYCTA violated the ADA by failing to install an elevator at the Middletown Road subway station serving the Pelham Bay neighborhood in the Bronx, despite spending more than $27 million on renovations of the station. The renovations included replacing floors, walls, ceilings, and stairs leading to the street and platform. Prior to beginning construction, the FTA and the U.S. Department of Transportation corresponded with MTA and NYCTA about their obligation to install an elevator at the station unless the MTA and NYCTA could demonstrate that it was technically infeasible to do so. While that dialogue continued, and after the FTA had informed NYCTA that NYCTA’s analysis of the feasibility of installing an elevator was insufficient, MTA and NYCTA completed the renovation without installing an elevator and sought reimbursement from FTA for the cost of the renovation. FTA ultimately concluded that it would have been technically feasible for MTA and NYCTA to install one or more elevators at the station. As a result of MTA’s and NYCTA’s failure to install an elevator at the Middletown Road station, individuals with mobility impairments, including individuals who use wheelchairs, are unable to access the station.
Mr. Berman thanked the FTA for its assistance with this matter.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara K. Eshkenazi and Ellen Blain are in charge of the case.
U.S. Attorney Announces 98-Count Superseding Indictment Against Owners, Managers and Physicians Associated with HOPE Clinic and Related CompanyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today a federal grand jury returned a 98-count superseding indictment against the owners, managers and physicians associated with HOPE Clinic. The superseding indictment added 29 counts of distributing and dispensing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and not for medically legitimate purposes to six different customers on various occasions from 2013 through 2015 by Sanjay Mehta, D.O., Michael T. Moran, M.D., Mark Clarkson, D.O., Vernon Stanley, M.D., Brian Gullett, D.O., William Earley, D.O., Paul W. Burke, Jr., D.O., and Rowsell Tempest Lowry, M.D. Among the 29 counts added, two counts charge Joshua Radcliffe, the son of PPPFD owner, Mark T. Radcliffe, with aiding, abetting, counseling, commanding and procuring, Sanjay Mehta, D.O., with the distribution of controlled substances on two separate occasions to two separate customers.
“The additional 29 charges were necessary as a result of the facts underlying this terrible case,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart. “A physician’s first oath is to ‘do no harm,’ but sadly when physicians do not uphold this oath, a lot of irrevocable harm is done.”
In addition, the superseding indictment charges all defendants with a conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and not for medically legitimate purposes, and charges defendants Blume and Mark Radcliffe with maintaining drug-involved premises in Beckley, Beaver and Charleston. Included in the superseding indictment are 91 counts charging several physicians with distribution of controlled substances not for legitimate medical purposes and outside the usual course of professional practice. Sanjay Mehta, D.O., a former physician at the Beckley and Beaver HOPE Clinic locations, is also charged with two counts of distribution of controlled substances causing death. Ten of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to launder drug proceeds by paying bonuses to HOPE Clinic physicians and employees of Patients, Physicians, and Pharmacists Fighting Diversion, Inc. (PPPFD), to encourage continued prescribing of Schedule II narcotics to customers.
The investigation was conducted by the following agencies:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, OIG
- Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations
- Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- West Virginia State Police
- Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT)
- Beckley Police Department
- Kentucky State Police
- Harrison County (KY) Sheriff’s Department
- Appalachia HIDTA
The additional charges announced today are part of the on-going effort by the United States Attorney’s Office to aggressively target medical professionals involved in the unlawful distribution of opioids and other dangerous controlled substances.
If convicted on all charges as alleged in the indictment, Dr. Blume and Mark Radcliffe face up to 100 years; Joshua Radcliffe faces up to 60 years; Teresa Emerson faces up to 20 years; Michael Moran faces up to 80 years; Sanjay Mehta faces a forty year mandatory minimum sentence up to life imprisonment; Vernon Stanley faces up to 300 years; Brian Gullett faces up to 380 years; Mark Clarkson faces up to 100 years; William Earley faces up to 300 years; Paul Burke faces up to 200 years; and Roswell Tempest Lowry faces up to 140 years.
This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Please note: An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two Men Convicted of Two Additional Counts Related to Extortion/Kidnapping PlotRead the Press Release
Fort Worth, Texas – Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor convicted Nygul Anderson, 19, and Albert Gonzalez, 18, of two additional counts for their role in an extortion and kidnapping scheme that occurred in Fort Worth in October 2017, announced Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
On March 2, 2018, following a one-day trial, Judge O’Connor convicted the two men of one count of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit a travel act violation. At that time, Judge O’Connor reserved ruling on the two remaining counts. Yesterday, Judge O’Connor convicted Anderson and Gonzalez of one count of conspiring to possess extortion proceeds and one count of attempted money laundering.
Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for June 25, 2018. They face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $750,000.
According to the evidence presented at trial and the documents filed in this case, on September 22, 2017, a victim began receiving threatening calls from an unrecognizable Mexican telephone number. The caller stated he had kidnapped the victim’s two brothers in Rioverde, San Luis Potosi, Mexico and demanded $300,000 or they would be killed. The next day the ransom demand was lowered to $40,000 and then again to $20,000. Instructions were given to deliver the money, once the money was delivered the caller disclosed the location of the brothers and they were found tied up in a motel room in Rioverde, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
On September 29, 2017, the same victim received another call from the same Mexican telephone number demanding an additional $100,000 or else they would kidnap the brothers again and kill them. The deadline for the second ransom drop was Friday, October 13, 2017.
On October 13, 2017, the kidnappers in Mexico and the victim agreed to a location at a Home Depot in Fort Worth for the money drop. At approximately 4:30 p.m., a controlled money drop was made at the agreed upon meeting location.
Shortly thereafter, four individuals – Anderson, Gonzalez, Fernando Cabrera (who previously pled guilty), and a 17 year-old minor – were arrested as they attempted to collect the ransom money.
During trial, the government proved that these four individuals believed that they were collecting $20,000 in unlawful proceeds. The four conspirators had met in McAllen, Texas, and then drove to Houston, then to Dallas, and then to Fort Worth in an attempt to collect the money. These four conspirators communicated with other conspirators in Mexico during the trip about the location of the money pick, the amount of money to be retrieved, and precautions that should be taken to avoid detection.
The FBI and the North Richland Hills Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and Chris Wolfe prosecuted.
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