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23 April 2018
Assault Leads to Felon’s Guilty Plea for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who assaulted a woman with a firearm pled guilty on April 19, 2018, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Gage Ferdinand Skola, age 28, from Marion, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possessing a firearm as a felon.
At the plea hearing, Skola admitted he possessed a handgun in February 2018. Evidence at an earlier hearing and court documents reflect that, on February 10, 2018, Marion Police responded to a call of a woman bleeding from the head. The woman stated that she and her fiancée, Skola, had engaged in an argument that escalated throughout the day. Skola then obtained a handgun and hit her in the back of the head with it. The woman fled to a neighbor’s residence, and Skola followed her there shortly thereafter. Skola then entered the neighbor’s residence, pointed a revolver at his fiancée, then at his own head, stating that there was going to be a “double homicide.” One of the neighbors took the revolver from Skola, and Skola left the house. Marion Police officers arrested Skola a few hours later when he returned to the neighbor’s house. Skola later told officers that he drank an entire bottle of Fireball whiskey earlier in the day on February 10, and did not remember anything from the day after that.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Skola remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Skola faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The case is being investigated by the Marion Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 18-CR-00007-LRR.
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20 April 2018
Wilkinsburg Felon, 22, Sentenced to Federal Prison for Heroin/Fentanyl Dealing, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania was sentenced on April 19, 2018 to 33½ months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervision by the United States Probation Office, for drug dealing and illegal gun possession charges, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy M. Bissoon imposed the sentence on Nigel Macaya Broadus, aka Little Nige, 22, of Wilkinsburg, PA.
According to information presented to the court, Broadus sold heroin on April 30, 2015, May 4, 2015, and June 3, 2015. Broadus was in custody on other charges from September of 2015 through February of 2017. But then, starting in February of 2017, the defendant was involved in a drug conspiracy where others aided him in his drug activity, including running drugs for him, renting him vehicles, and obtaining guns for him. On April 25, 2017, Broadus was caught by law enforcement in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol purchased by his girlfriend, as well as heroin and fentanyl that he intended to sell. Federal law prohibited Broadus from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to his two separate August 30, 2016 Allegheny County convictions for Illegal Possession of a Firearm.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Bissoon noted that Broadus had spent the majority of his juvenile and adult life in the criminal justice system and stated that Broadus had to make "serious and significant changes" in his life.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt, a prosecutor in the Major Crimes section, prosecuted this case.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Monroeville Police Department, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department for conducting the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Broadus.
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.
Waterbury Resident Charged with Violating Sex Offender Registration LawsRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an Indictment charging ISMAEL SANCHEZ COLON, 44, with violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
The indictment was returned on April 12, 2018, and SANCHEZ COLON was arrested this morning. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and was ordered detained.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in December 2001, SANCHEZ COLON was convicted in the State of Wisconsin of the felony offense of causing a child between the ages of 13 and 18 to view sexual activity. He was sentenced to 60 days of incarceration and five years of probation. He also was ordered to comply with sex offender registration requirements for a period of 15 years after completion of his term of probation.
It is alleged that SANCHEZ COLON began residing in Connecticut in approximately April 2016, based on evidence that he obtained food stamps and Husky healthcare benefits at that time, and he has not registered as a sex offender in this state, as required by law. During this time, SANCHEZ COLON has been registered in Puerto Rico, and it appears that SANCHEZ COLON has traveled to Puerto Rico since April 2016 to update his registration.
SANCHEZ COLON’s alleged non-compliance with sex offender registration requirements in Connecticut was discovered when he used his Waterbury address in the process of renewing his U.S. passport.
If convicted of the offense, SANCHEZ COLON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.
Two Snow Hill Men Sentenced Following Same-Day Armed Robberies of Goldsboro Bank and Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced two Snow Hill men, ISIAH KIRKMAN, 24, to 113 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release and MALIK THOMAS, 22, to 98 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
KIRKMAN and THOMAS were named in a four-count Indictment on July 11, 2017. On January 8, 2018 both men pled guilty to one count of Interfering with Commerce By Robbery and Aiding and Abetting and one count of Discharging a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and Aiding and Abetting.
On April 12, 2016, THOMAS and KIRKMAN entered a Handy Mart convenience store in Goldsboro and robbed a store clerk at gunpoint. Both conspirators wore masks and gloves to conceal their identities. During the robbery, the conspirators, both of whom possessed handguns, demanded money and stated they would kill the clerk if she failed to comply with their directives. As the clerk attempted to open the cash register, both robbers discharged their firearms to push her to move faster. After the clerk opened the register, the robbers stole the cash drawer, which contained $161 in U.S. currency and $50 in postage stamps, and fled from the store on foot.
THOMAS became a suspect after his cell phone was recovered from the scene of a similar robbery that had occurred earlier the same day at First Citizens Bank in Goldsboro. On April 20, 2016, law enforcement arrested THOMAS, who acknowledged committing the April 12, 2016, robberies at Handy Mart and First Citizens Bank. THOMAS named KIRKMAN as his armed accomplice during both robberies.
On June 14, 2016, KIRKMAN was arrested. He was subsequently interviewed by investigators and admitted his role in both the Handy Mart and the First Citizens Bank robberies. KIRKMAN stated he needed money to pay bills, and he was willing to do whatever to get some cash. KIRKMAN acknowledged that both he and THOMAS had fired their weapons during the Handy Mart robbery.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Goldsboro Police Department, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office conducted the criminal investigation of this case, with assistance from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Two Individuals Indicted for Fraud Concerning Program Receiving Federal Funds, Bribery, and Aggravated Id TheftRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – On April 19, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Edgar Arroyo-Amezquita and Luis Serrano-Perdigón with conspiracy to obtain property by fraud from a program receiving federal funds, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, aggravated identity theft, and giving a false statement to federal authorities, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.
According to the indictment, from May 2011 through in or about May 2013, defendants Arroyo-Amezquita and Serrano-Perdigón conspired to commit an offense against the United States: theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. The object of the conspiracy was to use Arroyo-Amezquita’s official position as Director of the Facilities Department within the government of the Municipality of Toa Baja, PR, to benefit and enrich themselves and steal and obtain by fraud property worth at least $5,000 and under the custody and control of the Municipality of Toa Baja.
The defendants submitted material false and misleading quote documentation to personnel of Toa Baja in order to fraudulently obtain municipal contracts and monetary payments. They used a fictitious company, Professional Sales & Service, using the name and signature of a real person with initials J.M. despite the fact that J.M. was not aware of the quotes or the use of his name and signature to submit quotes for contract work from the municipality. They also used a fictitious social security number and email account so payments would be processed under the name Professional Sales & Service and the company would appear legitimate.
Arroyo-Amezquita and Serrano-Perdigón agreed on a price for the work to be performed and then agreed to increase the quote amount submitted under Professional Sales & Service. Arroyo-Amezquita and Serrano-Perdigón also submitted inflated quotes under the name of a company controlled by Serrano-Perdigón, A.L.S. Electronic Service (ALS), so that quotes under the name of Professional Sales & Service would have the lowest cost. Arroyo-Amezquita used his position to deliver quotes to the municipal purchaser with instructions to immediately process the paperwork for the contract at issue, preventing the purchaser from obtaining other quotes or otherwise determining the fictitious nature of Professional Sales & Service.
Contracts awarded to Professional Sales & Service were completed by Serrano-Perdigón or an employee or subcontractor designated by Serrano-Perdigón. After contracts were awarded and payments were made by the municipality to Professional Sales & Service, Serrano-Perdigón would deposit the checks into a bank account he controlled in the name of ALS. Serrano-Perdigón then made cash payments to Arroyo-Amezquita intending to influence and reward Arroyo-Amezquita. From 2011 to 2013, over $140,000 in contracts were awarded and paid by the Municipality of Toa Baja to Professional Sales & Service.
“These defendants knowingly participated in a scheme to defraud the Municipality of Toa Baja which, like many other municipalities in Puerto Rico, is facing dire financial straits, for their personal economic gain,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting financial crimes and fraud and will hold those who take advantage of their positions, accountable for their actions.”
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five (5) years of imprisonment for the conspiracy to obtain property by fraud from program receiving federal funds, a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment for bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, two (2) to four (4) years mandatory imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft charges, and a maximum sentence of five (5) years of imprisonment for lying to federal authorities. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Erbe. An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investigation is ongoing.
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Troy Man Arrested for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kurtis Walter, age 24, of Troy, New York, was arrested today on a charge of distributing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Walter made an initial appearance today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. A detention hearing has been scheduled for April 23, 2018.
The complaint filed against Walter alleges that in November 2017 he distributed child pornography via a webcasting and peer-to-peer, file-sharing application. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted on all charges, Walter faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. If convicted, Walter would also have to register as a sex offender.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Third Co-Founder of Cryptocurrency Company Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Scheme to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
Robert Khuzami, the Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, and William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the arrest of RAYMOND TRAPANI, a/k/a “Ray,” a co-founder of a cryptocurrency company called Centra Tech, Inc. (“Centra Tech”), and the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging TRAPANI with securities fraud and wire fraud offenses in connection with a scheme to induce victims to invest more than $25 million in investments through material misrepresentations and omissions in connection with an initial coin offering. TRAPANI was arrested this morning and will be presented in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Two other Centra Tech co-founders, Sohrab Sharma, a/k/a “Sam Sharma,” and Robert Farkas, a/k/a “RJ,” a/k/a “Bob,” were arrested earlier this month based on a criminal complaint charging them with the same crimes.
Deputy U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami said: “As alleged, Raymond Trapani conspired with his co-defendants to lure investors with false claims about their product and about relationships they had with credible financial institutions. While investing in virtual currencies is legal, lying to deceive investors is not.”
According to the allegations in the criminal Complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court against TRAPANI:[1]
After TRAPANI worked with Sharma and Farkas at a luxury car rental company called “Miami Exotics” in Florida, the three of them co-founded a company called Centra Tech that claimed to have developed a debit card, the “Centra Card,” that purportedly allowed users to spend cryptocurrency to make purchases at any establishment that accepts Visa or Mastercard. In approximately July 2017, TRAPANI, along with Sharma and Farkas, began soliciting investors to purchase unregistered securities in the form of digital tokens issued by Centra Tech, through a so-called “initial coin offering” or “ICO.” As part of this effort, TRAPANI and his co-conspirators, Sharma and Farkas, in oral and written offering materials that were disseminated via the internet, represented: (a) that Centra Tech had an experienced executive team with impressive credentials, including a purported CEO named “Michael Edwards” with more than 20 years of banking industry experience and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University; and (b) that Centra Tech had formed a partnership with Bancorp to have Bancorp issue Centra Cards licensed by Visa or Mastercard, among other claims. Based in part on these claims, victims provided more than $25 million in investments for the purchase of Centra Tech tokens.
The claims that TRAPANI and his co-conspirators, Sharma and Farkas, made to help secure these investments, however, were false. In fact, the purported CEO “Michael Edwards” and another supposed member of Centra Tech’s executive team are fictional people who were fabricated to mislead investors, and Centra Tech had no relationships with Bancorp, Visa, or Mastercard.
On or about September 29, 2017 – the date on which the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced that it filed a civil complaint charging a company called “RECoin” and its founder, among others, with defrauding investors in an unregistered offering of securities styled as an initial coin offering – Sharma asked TRAPANI and Farkas to remove certain materials from Centra Tech’s website that contained “fufu,” or fake information, about Centra Tech’s purported relationship with Visa because, according to Sharma, “I rather cut any fufu . . . Now . . . Then worry . . . Anything that doesn’t exist current . . . We need to remove.” Later that day, Sharma text messaged TRAPANI and Farkas that “Sec just shut down REcoin . . . Read the article . . . We gotta clean up every single thing that we can’t do . . . And can’t offer today.” Shortly thereafter, TRAPANI responded that RECoin “were pitching a straight security,” to which Sharma wrote “Yea . . . I know . . . But [still] fraud can be a word thrown around.”
In a separate action, the SEC filed civil charges against TRAPANI. Earlier this month, the SEC also filed civil charges against Sharma and Farkas.
* * *
TRAPANI, 27, is a resident of Florida. TRAPANI is charged in a four-count criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Khuzami praised the work of the FBI and thanked the SEC for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Samson Enzer and Negar Tekeei are in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Stuart Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Producing Pornography of a Teenage VictimRead the Press Release
Richard William Lockley, 34, of Stuart, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Donald L. Graham to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing pornography of a teenage victim. He was ordered to register as a sex offender. Co-Defendant Joshua Lane Rogers, 34, also of Stuart, is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Ken Mascara, Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office (SLCSO), and William D. Snyder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), made the announcement.
According to the court record, on September 3, 2017, SLCSO deputies responded to a “Missing Person Juvenile/ Runaway” call for a missing 16-year-old minor. On September 27, 2017, MCSO Detectives located Rogers with the minor victim. The investigation revealed that Rogers met the victim on-line and had the victim stay at his residence. A forensic analysis of Roger’s cellular smart phone revealed he had recorded sexually explicit activity with the minor victim on numerous occasions. Rogers distributed many of the captured images and videos to other individuals, via MMS text communications, a social media networking program, and in the personal section of a Treasure Coast website.
Rogers and Lockley, together at Rogers’ residence, also produced videos depicting sexually explicit conduct and activity with the minor victim. A forensic analysis of Lockley’s cellular smart phone revealed he had used it to record sexually explicit activity with the minor victim.
On January 17, 2018, Lockley pled to one count of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a) and (e).
On March 22, 2018, Defendant Rogers pled guilty to two counts of production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors and one count of distribution production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). Rogers is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2018 at 11 a.m., in Miami, by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Donald L. Graham.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, SLCSO and the MCSO for their work on this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida atwww.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
South Charleston Meth Dealer Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A methamphetamine dealer from South Charleston was sentenced yesterday to 135 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Carl “Yogi” Clark, 40, previously pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“135 months. More than 11 years. And a destroyed future,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “All because he decided a great career move was dealing drugs and selling meth and causing trouble in our communities. Not a good career move.”
Clark previously admitted that in January 2017, along with other individuals, they brought approximately four kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from Atlanta to Charleston. On January 12, 2017, officers with MDENT executed a search warrant at a hotel room and found over 130 grams of methamphetamine, scales, baggies, and a gun. The methamphetamine was part of the approximately four kilograms Clark and others brought back from Atlanta, and it was lab-tested and confirmed to be over 90% pure. Clark had also admitted to distributing additional methamphetamine to confidential informants during controlled buys in March 2017.
Four other defendants involved in this methamphetamine conspiracy have been sentenced to federal prison. Quinton Funk, of Webster Springs, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Jamie Harmon, of South Charleston, was sentenced to 8 years for distributing methamphetamine. Christopher Carte, of St. Albans, was sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Holly Doub, of South Charleston, was sentenced to five days in federal prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Bacaj and Haley Bunn were responsible for the prosecutions. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin is presiding over these cases.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
South Bay Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
San Francisco– Alexander Mendoza was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his part in a conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Susan Illston, U.S. District Judge, following a guilty plea entered in August of last year.
Mendoza, 36, of San Mateo, Calif., pleaded guilty on August 31, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, and five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendant entered a guilty plea without a written agreement. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted to distributing methamphetamine from the Northern District of California to Texas, and to shipping the methamphetamine on five occasions through the mail. Mendoza pleaded guilty to all counts in the indictment.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Illston sentenced Mendoza to a 5-year period of supervised release. The defendant was remanded to custody and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Vartain is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Theresa Benitez. This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Shreveport man sentenced to 86 months in prison for methamphetamine distribution, firearm possessionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Thursday to seven years and two months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and illegally possessing a revolver.
Christopher De’Lanio Taylor, 30, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the January 12, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents observed Taylor selling methamphetamine on August 3, 2016 and September 14, 2016. They later searched his home and found synthetic marijuana, digital scales, baggies containing white residue, 62.73 grams of methamphetamine, $3,450, and a Smith and Wesson, Model 30, .32 long caliber revolver with ammo.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The ATF, Caddo/Shreveport Narcotics Mid-Level Investigation Unit, and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary J. Mudrick and J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Shreveport man sentenced to 2 years in prison for possessing a pistol after felony arrestRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport felon was sentenced Thursday to 24 months in prison for possessing a pistol he displayed on a social media video even though he was a convicted felon.
Tramarciea Jovan Ruffins, 24, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of firearm possession by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced three years of supervised release. According to the January 12, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement discovered video of Ruffins on a social media site holding a black Glock pistol with a flashlight attached. Agents questioned Ruffins who said he took the weapon without permission from his cousin’s vehicle. The weapon was eventually found at a Shreveport pawnshop. The handgun was identified as a Glock, model 41Gen4, .45 caliber pistol. Ruffins is a previously convicted felon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.
Seventh Individual Charged in Opa Locka Municipal Corruption InvestigationRead the Press Release
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced federal charges against Dante Starks arising from his role in the Opa Locka municipal corruption scheme.
“The resulting harm from corruption, extortion and bribery denies law abiding citizens the right to expect honest services from government officials overseeing their business-related issues,” stated U.S. Attorney Benjamin Greenberg. “Political power and influence must not be bought or sold and those who believe otherwise will be prosecuted by this office with the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners.”
“For the public to have confidence in their government, they must be certain that officials - either elected or appointed - will not use their position for personal gain,” said Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Public corruption remains a top priority for the FBI. We encourage anyone who may have information about corruption to come forward and report it. This information is vital to our work.”
“Today's announcement demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust,” stated Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI. “The tax laws apply to everyone, and each of us is responsible for filing correct and accurate tax returns. Choosing not to file a tax return is a crime; and IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to investigate individuals who ignore their tax responsibilities.”
Starks, 55 of Miami-Dade County, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951 (a); conspiracy to commit Federal programs bribery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; aiding and abetting Federal programs bribery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666(a)(1)(B) and 2; and failure to file income tax returns (for tax years 2014, 2015 and 2016), in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7203. If convicted, Starks faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the Hobbs Act extortion conspiracy, 5 years in prison for the bribery conspiracy, 10 years in prison for each count of aiding and abetting bribery, and 1 year in prison on each of the failure to file charges. The case against Starks is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez (Case No. 18-20313-CR).
Starks is charged with conspiring with former Opa Locka City Commissioner Luis Santiago, former Opa Locka City Manager David Chiverton, and former Opa Locka Assistant Public Works Director Gregory Harris, to use the official positions and authority that Santiago, Chiverton, and Harris had with the City of Opa Locka to solicit, demand, and obtain personal payments from businesses and individuals in exchange for taking official actions, and for directing, pressuring, and advising other city employees to take official actions, to assist and benefit those businesses and individuals in their official dealings with the City of Opa Locka.
As the Indictment alleges, although Starks was not an official or employee of the City of Opa Locka, he was closely associated with and had great influence over Santiago. Starks also had and exercised significant influence over numerous other city officials and employees, including Chiverton and Harris, and he regularly used that significant influence to pressure and advise city officials and employees to take official actions on matters relating to occupational licenses, code enforcement citations and fines, liens, water service and billing, zoning, and city contracting.
Working together, Santiago and Starks solicited and obtained illegal payments from businesses and individuals in Opa Locka. In exchange for these illegal personal payments, Santiago, with the assistance of Starks, would take official actions on behalf of the paying businesses and individuals, and would also work with Starks to direct, pressure, and advise Chiverton, Harris, and other City of Opa Locka employees to take official actions on behalf of those businesses and individuals. These official actions included, but were not limited to, issuing occupational licenses; waiving, removing, and settling code enforcement matters and liens; initiating, restoring and continuing water service; reducing and eliminating water service billing balances; assisting with zoning issues; and assisting with obtaining city contracts.
Starks also is charged with participating in a conspiracy with Santiago and others to receive bribes in exchange for ensuring that a particular company received a city contract. According to the Indictment, in April 2015, the City of Opa Locka published a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) seeking bids from licensed and experienced towing firms seeking multi-year non-exclusive contracts to provide Opa Locka with citywide towing services. Shortly after this RFP was published, then-City Commissioner Santiago and Starks met with Raul Sosa Sr. (“Sosa Sr.”), who agreed to pay them a $10,000 bribe to ensure that the company Sosa Sr. was associated with, referred to as the “Towing Company,” was selected as one of the companies receiving a city towing contract.During this meeting, Sosa Sr. paid the first installment of the bribe and designated his son, Raul Sosa Jr. (“Sosa Jr.”), the Towing Company’s manager, as the person who would work with Santiago and Starks to carry out the illegal arrangement.
The Indictment further alleges that Starks arranged for Opa Locka’s Purchasing Director to assemble and prepare the Towing Company’s bid package. After this bid was submitted, Starks violated the city’s purchasing Cone of Silence rule by contacting a member of the city’s committee evaluating the towing bids and directing that individual to rank the Towing Company as the number one company. While this process was ongoing, Sosa Jr. made additional partial payments of the agreed $10,000 bribe. To complete the illegal arrangement, at the June 24, 2015, City Commission meeting, Santiago used his position as a City Commissioner to vote in favor of the resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into towing contracts with the Towing Company and three other companies. The final installment of the bribe was paid after the City Commission voted to award a contract to the Towing Company.
In addition, Starks was charged in the Indictment with failing to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Related cases arising from the Opa Locka corruption investigation are the following:
Santiago previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit Federal programs bribery and Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right (Case No. 16-20971-CR). Santiago was sentenced to 51 months in prison.
Chiverton previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit Federal programs bribery and Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right (Case No. 16-20596-CR). Chiverton was sentenced to 38 months in prison.
Harris previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit Federal programs bribery and Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right (Case No. 16-20589-CR-BLOOM). Harris was the first defendant to plead guilty to charges arising from this investigation, and received a sentence of probation.
Sosa Sr. and Sosa Jr. have been charged by Indictment with conspiracy to commit Federal programs bribery and substantive counts of Federal programs bribery (Case No. 18-20256-CR). Their case is pending before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force and IRS-CI in this matter. Mr. Greenberg thanked the Miami-Dade Police Department and Hialeah Police Department for their assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward N. Stamm and Maurice Johnson.
An Indictment merely contains allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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
Seven Defendants Sentenced Following Their Admissions to Trafficking Large Quantities of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Seven defendants charged in an indictment returned in November 2017 were sentenced in recent weeks by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings for their roles in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in the Lubbock, Texas area, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
The court imposed the following sentences:
Alejandro Garcia-Izazaga, aka “Flaco” and “Alex” – 365 months
Anthony Wayne Reiley, aka “Tony” – 235 months
Ivan Cruz-Martinez – 235 months
Zacarias Blanco-Olea – 210 months
Amanda Nicole Marney – 188 months
Ernesto Martinez, Jr. – 108 months
Patricia Ann Hernandez-Salas – 87 months
Garcia-Izazaga, Reiley, Cruz-Martinez, and Blanco-Olea have been in custody on related criminal complaints since their arrest in October 2017. Marney, Martinez, and Hernandez-Salas have been in custody following their arrests in November 2017.
According to plea documents filed in the case, Garcia-Izazaga was facilitating the transportation of pound-quantities of methamphetamine in Lubbock and other major cities in the State of Texas. On three separate occasions in the summer of 2017, Garcia-Izazaga offered to pay Reiley, Cruz-Martinez, and Blanco-Olea to transport large quantities of methamphetamine from other parts of the state to Lubbock, Texas. On each occasion, the defendants were stopped by law enforcement for traffic violations. Searches of the vehicles revealed large amounts of methamphetamine in hidden compartments.
Marney was arrested following a traffic stop in August 2017 where officers found her to be in possession of multiple ounces of methamphetamine and two firearms.
Martinez, Jr. and Hernandez-Salas each purchased and distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in the Lubbock, Texas area.
In total, law enforcement agents were able to seize in excess of 15 pounds of methamphetamine and several firearms.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Customs and Border Protection, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Lubbock Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is in charge of the prosecution.
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Sanborn Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Drug UserRead the Press Release
A convicted felon and user of methamphetamine who unlawfully possessed a firearm pled guilty on April 17, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.
Marc Gibbons, 29, from Sanborn, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance.
On March 9, 2017, law enforcement officers observed Gibbons, who was on parole, driving a vehicle in which his sole passenger was a man suspected of burglarizing a residence and stealing seven firearms. Officers approached Gibbons and questioned him regarding the suspected burglar. During the questioning, officers observed Gibbons in possession of drug paraphernalia, and informed him he would be taken into custody. Prior to leaving the residence, Gibbons, who was wearing only a t-shirt and jeans, declined to take his jacket in spite of the cold weather. Then, without warning, Gibbons bolted for the jackets, and began fumbling through them. It was during this time that the officer observed what later turned out to be a.45 caliber handgun. The handgun was one of the seven stolen firearms.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Gibbons remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Gibbons faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay J. Alexander and was investigated by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, Spencer Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-4042-LTS.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
San Jose Resident Charged with Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Jose Sanchez Flores was indicted on charges he filed false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf. Sanchez Flores was arrested and made his initial court appearance this morning in San Jose, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Howard R. Lloyd.
A federal grand jury in San Jose handed down the indictment, unsealed today, on September 21, 2017. The indictment charges Sanchez Flores, a resident of San Jose, Calif., with two counts of filing false tax returns, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1). According to the indictment, Sanchez Flores filed false federal income tax returns for tax years 2010 and 2011. Magistrate Judge Lloyd scheduled Sanchez Flores’s next court appearance for April 27, 2018, at 1:30 p.m.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Sanchez Flores faces three years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of filing false tax returns. Additional fines, penalties and supervised release also may be ordered. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Pitman is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
San Jose Resident Charged in Embezzlement Scheme at Emeryville Medical Device CompanyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Dinesh Shankar was arrested today on mail fraud charges stemming from an alleged embezzlement scheme, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.
According to the indictment unsealed this morning, Shankar, 40, of San Jose, Calif., embezzled more than $2 million from his former employer, an Emeryville, Calif., company that develops medical devices. According to the indictment, Shankar’s position at the company involved obtaining laboratory testing and quality assurance services for the company’s medical devices. Shankar allegedly used his role at the company to initiate a scheme in January 2015, in which he created six fake entities, rented post office boxes associated with each entity, and opened bank accounts under the names of the six entities. The indictment alleges that Shankar submitted false invoices to the company for payment to the purported vendors, and that after the invoices were approved the company sent checks, made out to the fake entities, to the post office boxes rented by Shankar. In total, the payments to these entities were more than $2 million, according to the indictment.
Shankar was charged with six counts of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the maximum penalty for each count of mail fraud is twenty years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Shankar made his initial federal court appearance in Oakland today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. Magistrate Judge Ryu scheduled the defendant’s next appearance for April 24, 2018, before Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore, for identification of counsel.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Farnham is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Bridget Kilkenny and Claudia Hyslop. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
San Diego Unified School Teacher Charged with Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Janet A. Cabral (619) 546-8715
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 19, 2018
SAN DIEGO – David Weaks, a fifth grade teacher at Rosa Parks Elementary School in the San Diego Unified School District, was arrested and charged yesterday with distributing pornographic images of young girls, including a toddler.
Weaks made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew G. Schopler. The government asked that Weaks be held without bond on grounds that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk. Judge Schopler scheduled a detention hearing for Tuesday April 24 at 2 p.m. to consider the matter.
Beginning in late March, Homeland Security Investigations agents were conducting an investigation of individuals suspected of making files of child pornography available for sharing on the Internet through the use of a peer-to-peer file sharing program. On April 4, 2018, agents connected to a computer with an internet protocol address associated with Weaks’ residence in San Diego. Agents were able to download two videos directly from the IP address, both of which showed young minor females engaging in sex acts with adult males.
Homeland Security agents, along with other law enforcement officers associated with the San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, searched Weaks’ home yesterday morning pursuant to a federal warrant and seized multiple computer and other digital items which were found to contain child pornography.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program is a national network representing over 4,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies, all working to combat the sexual exploitation of children through the internet. Homeland Security Investigations, is a member of the Task Force.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 18mj1862
David Gordon Weaks Age: 59 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2252(a)(2)
Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison; $250,000 fine
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Romanian National Charged with ATM SkimmingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Romanian national has been charged in federal court related to a scheme to covertly steal and utilize illicitly obtained debit card data by placing skimming devices on ATMs inside QuikTrip stores in Olathe, Kan., and Riverside, Mo.
David Velcu, also known as Luca Antoni, 23, a citizen and national of Romania residing in Anaheim, Calif., was charged in a criminal complaint filed Thursday, April 19, 2018, in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Velcu remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on April 24, 2018.
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Velcu, with the intent to defraud, possessed unauthorized access devices – approximately 78 re-encoded magnetic strip gift cards.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, a manager at an Olathe QuikTrip store noticed on April 7, 2018, that a metal piece was not sitting evenly along the card slot of the ATM. He subsequently pushed the metal piece with a key and it popped out of the card slot. Upon doing so, he noticed that one side of the metal was a mag strip reader and a circuit board was glued to the reverse side of the metal. There was also a piece of molded plastic fascia with pinhole camera that was applied directly above the keyboard designed to capture Personal Identification Numbers (PIN’s) of unwitting victims. Footage from the store’s surveillance cameras captured two unidentified juveniles responsible for placing the skimming device earlier that day.
Velcu entered the store later on the same date, the affidavit says. He wore a jacket exactly like one of the two unidentified suspects, and proceeded directly to the ATM, which had signage indicating that it was “Out-of-Service.” After staring at the ATM for an unusual amount of time, the affidavit says, Velcu purchased some food items and left the store in a sliver Audi A6 with California license plates. Surveillance video captured the same vehicle in a nearby parking lot where the two juvenile suspects had been seen earlier that morning.
Investigators used the license plates on the Audi A6 to identify the vehicle’s owner, Velcu (using the alias of Luca Antoni). Investigators determined the vehicle had recently had an oil change in Independence, Mo., and an employee of the business identified Velcu from a photo obtained from the QuikTrip surveillance camera. An Olathe, Kan., police detective then drove to several motels in the area on the hunch that perhaps he might be able to locate the suspect vehicle in a motel parking lot. The detective found Velcu’s vehicle in the parking lot of American Inn in Independence.
According to the affidavit, the motel manager told investigators that a large group of Romanians had checked into the motel on April 8, 2018, and that the group had three vehicles.
On April 9, 2018, an ATM skimmer device configuration was discovered at a QuikTrip in Riverside, Mo.
On April 10, 2018, Velcu, one of the juvenile suspects from the Olathe QuikTrip surveillance video, and an unidentified woman (with an infant) walked out of the hotel and left in Velcu’s vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle. Velcu initially presented a counterfeit Italian driver’s license, but officers later located his Romanian ID card. The woman told officers that she is Velcu’s wife, and the unidentified juvenile suspect (who had a Romanian ID card) is her brother; she and her brother entered the United States illegally via the Mexican border over a year ago.
Officers searched the vehicle and found three re-encoded mag strip cards with stickers on the front depicting 4-digit codes, three tubes of Super Glue, and two small crowbars. Upon deploying a card reader to ascertain the track 2 data on the mag strips, investigators ascertained that each one of them contained a different 16-digit account number than the 16-digit number embossed on the cards.
One of the other vehicles that arrived with the group of Romanians, bearing a temporary Texas tag, pulled in the motel’s parking lot soon afterward. The driver of the vehicle initially presented a counterfeit Italian driver’s license but officers later located a genuine Republic of Ireland passport with a photo that matches the driver. Officers searched the vehicle and found re-encoded gift cards with 4-digit stickers applied, surface skimmers, circuit boards, gray and silver paint for fascia plates, memory cards, lithium battery packs, super glue and cutting tools.Officers searched Velcu’s motel room and found 78 re-encoded gift cards, memory chips/cards, circuit boards, super glue, plastic fascia plates, lithium battery packs, cutting tools, cables, and three laptop computers. In this case, 16-digit account numbers were put onto plastic magnetic strip gift cards in order to fraudulently apply credits derived from various bank Visa debit card checking accounts. In addition, each of the plastic magnetic strip cards had a circular sticker applied to the front suggesting the corresponding PIN affiliated with the 16-digit re-encoded account number on the magnetic stip. Both elements are necessary in order to steal cash from ATMs.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberlee L. Moore. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service the Olathe, Kan., Police Department, the Riverside, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE’s Enforcement Removal Operations.
RI Law Enforcement Attend US Attorney's Anti-terrorism Training ProgramRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – On Thursday, approximately seventy officers, agents and homeland security professionals were hosted by the Providence Police Department for a United States Attorney’s Antiterrorism Advisory Council (ATAC) training event.
Attendees received training on the potential for domestic threats, including training in the detection of homemade explosives and emerging threats, including the unlawful use of Unmanned Arial Vehicles. Presentations were provided by the United States Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the Rhode Island Fire Marshal’s Bomb Squad.
Created on September 12, 2001, in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the ATAC, originally known as the Anti-terrorism Task Force (ATTF), has been delivering anti-terrorism and national security related training to state, local and federal law enforcement partners, as well as to private industry stakeholders across Rhode Island.
The ATAC routinely provides information sharing on current and emerging threats to our national security, and serves as a nucleus for special focused initiatives and working groups in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigations Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Rhode Island Fusion Center to deliver a three pronged approach to combat terrorism and broad spectrum threats to the homeland.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch commented, “The United States Attorney’s Office proudly supports and partners with local, state and federal law enforcement on a regular basis. Training and information sharing helps us better achieve our joint goal of protecting the residents of Rhode Island from terrorism and other threats to public safety.”
“The Secret Service is proud of our collaboration and partnership with the public safety community across Rhode Island, and this joint training is just another example of the excellent information sharing that exists in this region,” said Brian Deck, Resident Agent in Charge of the Providence Resident Office.
“Our mission at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives is to combat violent crime. We do this by working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. ATF deploys an Intelligence driven investigative strategy and this training is an example of the law enforcement cooperation to ensure the security of our nation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Kwak.
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Paterson Police Officer Charged with Distributing NarcoticsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An officer with the Paterson Police Department was arrested today for allegedly dealing heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and marijuana on multiple occasions between October 2017 and April 2018, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ruben McAusland, 26, of Paterson, was arrested by federal agents this morning and charged by complaint with distributing and possessing with intent to distribute narcotics. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven C. Mannion in Newark federal court.
According to the complaint:
Between October 2017 and April 2018, McAusland allegedly sold various types and quantities of narcotics to an individual who was cooperating with law enforcement.
In October 2017, McAusland allegedly sold the individual approximately 35 grams of marijuana, 48 grams of heroin, 31 grams of cocaine, and 31 grams of crack cocaine for $50. In addition, he sold a pound of marijuana to the individual on two separate occasions between November 2017 and January 2018, charging $2,500 for the first sale and $2,400 for the second.
In February 2018, McAusland offered to sell the individual one kilogram of cocaine. Then, on multiple occasions between February 2018 and April 2018, McAusland allegedly sold the individual pills that were made to resemble Percocet doses but were actually made of heroin. McAusland sold the pills to the individual for approximately $7 per pill.
On Feb. 11, 2018, McAusland met the individual in his police vehicle at a supermarket parking lot near the Paterson Police Department headquarters. McAusland handed the individual approximately four sample heroin pills. Afterwards, on various dates in 2018, McAusland sold heroin pills to the individual, including a sale of 1,010 pills on April 1, 2018 for $7,000.
Narcotics distribution carries the following penalties: a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine for possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin or 28 grams or more of crack cocaine; a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine; and a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing with intent to distribute marijuana.
The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley W. Cohen in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. He also thanked the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Troy Oswald, and the Paterson Police Department Office of Internal Affairs, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division.
Defense counsel: John C. Whipple Esq., Chatham, New Jersey
Owner of Sports Memorabilia Stores Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
The owner of two Pierce County sports memorabilia and card gaming shops pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to failing to pay employment taxes on more than 50 employees, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. DONALD A. KNUTSEN, 54, owned Northwest Sportscards, which had locations in Tacoma and University Place, Washington. In his plea agreement, KNUTSEN admits that between 2008 and 2016 he withheld a total of $234,769 in income, Social Security, and Medicare taxes from the paychecks of at least 51 different employees, but failed to accurately report and pay the tax withholdings and an additional $122,350 in employer-owed taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. KNUTSEN agreed to pay the taxes and any interest imposed by the IRS. KNUTSEN faces up to five years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan on July 20, 2018.
According to records filed in the case, KNUTSEN operated the two sports cards and memorabilia stores for more than 27 years. The investigation revealed that as early as 2002, KNUTSEN stopped paying employment taxes, including Social Security and Medicare taxes on his employees. KNUTSEN withheld the money from the employee paychecks but never paid it to the IRS or filed the required forms accounting for the payments. Instead, KNUTSEN used the money to acquire inventory and promote his business. In addition, KNUTSEN failed to file any personal income tax returns after 2000.
Because KNUTSEN was not filing tax forms or paying taxes to the IRS, the employees working at the shops failed to accrue individual Social Security benefits.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven Masada.
Orange County Deputy Sheriff Charged with Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Kevin Michael Hutchinson (36, Orlando) with receipt of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. Hutchinson made his initial appearance in court earlier today and has been detained pending the outcome of the case.
According to the
complaint , Hutchinson initially distributed child pornography via a mobile messaging application. Then, hours before a federal search warrant was executed at his home yesterday, he received multiple images and videos of child pornography via the internet.A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Resident Admits Role in Business E-Mail Compromise SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that OLUMUYIWA YAHTRIP ADEJUMO, also known as “Ade,” “Slimwaco,” “Waco,” “Waco Jamon,” “Hade” and “Hadey,” 32, of Toledo, Ohio, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a fraud offense stemming from his role in a business e-mail compromise scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ADEJUMO, his co-conspirator Adeyemi Odufuye and others targeted CEOs, CFOs, controllers and others at U.S. businesses using sophisticated cyber techniques to defraud the businesses. ADEJUMO and his co-conspirators sent e-mails addressed to executives that were made to appear to be sent from the legitimate e-mail address of the CEO or other executive from the business. ADEJUMO and his co-conspirators sent the e-mails with the intent of having the recipients send or wire money to bank accounts used by members of the conspiracy.
The investigation revealed that scheme participants controlled multiple e-mail and social media accounts used in the scheme and, in certain instances, sent e-mails and attachments containing malware to the intended recipients.
As a result of this scheme, victimized businesses have suffered more than $2 million in total losses. One company in Torrington, Connecticut, lost more than $500,000.
In pleading guilty, ADEJUMO admitted that his participation in the scheme caused total losses of more than $100,000 to at least three victims in Ohio, Illinois and the District of Columbia.
ADEJUMO pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on July 26, 2018.
ADEJUMO is a citizen of Nigeria and a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. He has been detained since his arrest on November 16, 2017.
Odufuye, also known as “Micky,” “Micky Bricks,” “Yemi,” “GMB,” “Bawz,” and “Jefe,” is a citizen of Nigeria. On December 19, 2016, he was arrested in the United Kingdom where he was a student at Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England. Odufuye was extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. and, on January 3, 2018, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Cyber Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
U.S. Attorney Durham thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, and the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police for their assistance in this case.
To contact the Connecticut Cyber Task Force, please call the FBI in New Haven at 203-777-6311.
Oakland Resident Sentenced to over Seven Years in Prison for Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Alberto Acosta was sentenced to 86 months in prison today for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Jon S. Tigar, United States District Judge, following Acosta’s entry of a guilty plea on June 23, 2017.
As part of his plea agreement, Acosta, 31, of Oakland, admitted that on August 12, 2016, he ran from police when they approached him and that while he was running, he threw 12 Ziploc bags, each partially filled with methamphetamine, over a fence. Acosta further admitted he had been driving a stolen car and that, after his arrest, police recovered a pistol from the driver’s side pocket of the car. The pistol had eight rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. In addition, Acosta admitted that police found his backpack containing two additional .45 caliber extended magazines in the rear seat of the car. One magazine was filled with 15 rounds and the other with 14 rounds of ammunition. Also in the backpack were additional rounds of ammunition, two glass pipes, additional Ziploc bags, and a pocket sized digital scale.
A federal grand jury indicted Acosta on January 12, 2017, charging him with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). Pursuant to his plea agreement, Acosta pleaded guilty to the charge.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Tigar also sentenced Acosta to a three-year period of supervised release to commence after Acosta completes his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina McCall and Erin Cornell are prosecuting the case with assistance from Vanessa Quant and Katie Turner. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the Oakland Police Department.
Oakdale prisoner sentenced to 51 months for assaulting fellow inmateRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an Oakdale inmate was sentenced Tuesday to four years and three months in prison for assaulting another inmate.
Frank Quinton Gaitor, 49, of Washington County, Tennessee, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must pay $18,513.93 restitution. According to the February 7, 2018 guilty plea, Gaitor assaulted and intentionally struck a fellow inmate on January 2, 2016 at the Federal Correctional Center in Oakdale, Louisiana. The assault left the inmate with serious bodily injuries.
The FBI and U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Ayo and Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
North Carolina Man Is Sentenced to 14 Months for Interfering with Airport Security Screening PersonnelRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Robert J. Conrad, Jr. sentenced Jordan Lee Moore, 31, of Winston Salem, N.C. to 14 months in prison and two years of supervised release on charges of interfering with security screening personnel at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (Charlotte Douglas), announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina
U.S. Attorney Murray is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on March 30, 2017, Moore had two separate altercation incidents involving airport security screening personnel at Charlotte Douglas. Moore, a then employee of American Airlines, attempted to force his way through the TSA Pre-Check lane, without proper authorization. Court records show that the first incident occurred at approximately 5:25 p.m., during which Moore used threats and racially derogatory terms toward airport security personnel, while they attempted to stop him from advancing through airport security checkpoints. Moore did not have proper TSA-precheck security designations on his boarding pass. Because of his conduct, Moore was instructed by airport security personnel and CMPD officers that he could not fly out of Charlotte Douglas Airport and was ordered to leave the airport. Moore used more derogatory terms toward security personnel, before eventually exiting the airport.
According to court records, Moore later returned to Charlotte Douglas Airport that same evening. Around approximately 7:30 p.m., Moore again attempted to pass through a security checkpoint at the airport, when he was approached by an airport security officer who recognized Moore based on information disseminated at the airport stemming from the earlier incident. The security officer asked Moore for his identification and advised Moore he was not permitted to advance through security, because of his previous incident. Court records show that Moore ignored the security officer’s request and proceeded to the baggage screening area. Security officers again told Moore that he was not allowed to return to the airport and asked him to leave. Moore ignored their orders, used explicit and threatening terms, and continued to proceed through the airport checkpoint. A CMPD officer at the scene then attempted to detain Moore, who refused the officer’s commands and violently resisted arrest. Moore was eventually arrested and continued acting in a combative nature, even after he was placed in a police car.
In sentencing Moore, Judge Conrad commented on the importance of respecting airport security personnel, the TSA officers, and maintaining proper decorum at the airport.
Moore pleaded guilty to one count of interference with airport security screening personnel and is currently in federal custody. Moore will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI and CMPD led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sanjeev Bhasker and Mike Savage, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Nigerian Sent to Prison for BEC FraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Nigerian man who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to prison for his involvement in numerous Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes. Samson Olugbenga Oyekunle pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud Oct, 6, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon ordered Oyekunle to serve 63 months in federal prison. He initially came to the United States on a student visa, but not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence. At the hearing today, a victim spoke before the court as to how this case has devastatingly affected him and his law practice. Judge Harmon further ordered Oyekunle to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded.
BEC fraud is a sophisticated fraud targeting businesses that regularly perform wire transfer payments. The fraud is carried out by compromising legitimate business e-mail accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds. The front end fraud of these BEC schemes originates from international locations. The fraudsters will use the method most commonly associated with their victim's normal business practices and make victims believe the emails are coming from a legitimate source. Others, such as Oyekunle, working within the conspiracy open bank accounts with counterfeit passports that are being funded with fraudulent BEC wire transfers. These domestic bank accounts are a crucial component of the fraud scheme being a success.
From on or about Jan. 1, 2016, through February 2, 2017, Samson Oyekunle was involved in numerous BEC schemes. Co-conspirators, working outside the United States, caused funds obtained through a variety of BEC schemes to be wire transferred into the various bank accounts Oyekunle fraudulently opened.
Oyekunle would open bank these bank accounts in or around the Houston area with counterfeit passports in order to facilitate fraud payments into these accounts. Oyekunle opened numerous bank accounts at several financial institutions including Chase Bank, Bank of America, Capital One Bank, First National Bank of Texas, and Wells Fargo Bank.
A total of 30 fraudulent wire transfers totaling $823,765 were taken from victims across the United States under false pretenses and were deposited into these accounts.
Oyekunle 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 U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation along with Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady is prosecuting the case.
Montana Teacher Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Jason Morris was sentenced to 132 months in prison, lifetime supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Chief U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen presided over the hearing.
Morris previously entered a guilty plea to the receipt of child pornography. In the summer of 2013, Morris, of Heron, Montana, met a minor online and began an internet relationship. During their communications, which lasted until approximately the fall of 2014, Morris became aware of the minor’s age and engaged in sexually explicit conversation with him. In January 2014, Morris received sexually explicit images of the minor. In November 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Morris’s residence and collected several items of electronic media. Multiple images and videos of child pornography were discovered on Morris’s media. Following the search of his residence, Morris fled to Mexico, where he was ultimately arrested on the instant charges in April 2017.
In a sentencing memorandum filed in federal court, federal prosecutors noted the seriousness of Morris’s actions and the need to protect children from him.
Judge Christensen sentenced Morris to over 10 years in federal prison, with lifetime supervised release to follow. Because there is no parole in the federal system, Morris will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Morris does have the opportunity to shorten the term of custody by earning credit for good behavior. However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme applauded the efforts of law enforcement, “I want to congratulate law enforcement and the prosecutor for their dogged efforts to bring this defendant to justice. Our children deserve to be allowed to grow up free from sexual exploitation from adults, especially those in positions of trust.”
“Under our Operations Predator program, our Homeland Security Investigations special agents actively target those who sexually exploit children, while also rescuing their victims,” said Steven W. Cagen, special agent in charge of HSI’s Denver Office, which oversees Montana. “However, we place a higher priority on targeting predators who have positions of public trust, like Morris did as a teacher.”
The Morris case was investigated by Special Agent Bybee of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other federal, state, and local agencies. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zeno Baucus.
Miami Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Role in $10 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Miami, Florida man was sentenced to 97 months in prison today for his role in an approximately $10 million health care fraud scheme involving a now-defunct home health clinic and two sham physical rehabilitation clinics located in Miami.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Vladimir Prado Sr., 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Scola also ordered Prado to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and pay $4,001,499 in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants. Prado pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud charged in an October 2017 superseding indictment and to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud charged in a November 2017 indictment.
In connection with the October 2017 charges, Prado admitted that he owned a Miami medical clinic that submitted approximately $5 million in false and fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, resulting in payments to the clinic totaling approximately $2.6 million.
In connection with the November 2017 charges, Prado admitted that he was a co-owner of a Miami rehabilitation clinic that submitted approximately $2.6 million in false and fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, resulting in payments to the clinic totaling approximately $1.4 million. Prado further admitted that he also provided the money to purchase a fraudulent home health agency. Prado also admitted that from December 2012 through April 2014, he and his co-conspirators submitted to the Medicare program, via interstate wires, approximately $2.2 million in claims for reimbursement, which falsely and fraudulently represented that various home health care benefits were medically necessary, prescribed by a doctor and provided to Medicare beneficiaries. As a result of these false and fraudulent claims, Medicare made payments to the corporate bank accounts of the home health agency in the approximate amount of $3.9 million, Prado admitted.
The cases were investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and USSS and were brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.Miami Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Role in $10 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Miami, Florida man was sentenced to 97 months in prison today for his role in an approximately $10 million health care fraud scheme involving a now-defunct home health clinic and two sham physical rehabilitation clinics located in Miami.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Vladimir Prado Sr., 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Scola also ordered Prado to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and pay $4,001,499 in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants. Prado pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud charged in an October 2017 superseding indictment and to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud charged in a November 2017 indictment.
In connection with the October 2017 charges, Prado admitted that he owned a Miami medical clinic that submitted approximately $5 million in false and fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, resulting in payments to the clinic totaling approximately $2.6 million.
In connection with the November 2017 charges, Prado admitted that he was a co-owner of a Miami rehabilitation clinic that submitted approximately $2.6 million in false and fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield, resulting in payments to the clinic totaling approximately $1.4 million. Prado further admitted that he also provided the money to purchase a fraudulent home health agency. Prado also admitted that from December 2012 through April 2014, he and his co-conspirators submitted to the Medicare program, via interstate wires, approximately $2.2 million in claims for reimbursement, which falsely and fraudulently represented that various home health care benefits were medically necessary, prescribed by a doctor and provided to Medicare beneficiaries. As a result of these false and fraudulent claims, Medicare made payments to the corporate bank accounts of the home health agency in the approximate amount of $3.9 million, Prado admitted.
The cases were investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and USSS and were brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie of the Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations are part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
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.
Mexican National Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Charges in AlaskaRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Jorge Cardenas, a/k/a George Castineda, 42, a Mexican national residing in Girdwood, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, to serve 11 years in prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Cardenas previously pleaded guilty on July 21, 2017, to conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine.
According to the court documents, for at least five years prior to his arrest in March 2017, Cardenas trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine and other illegal controlled substances throughout Southcentral Alaska, including Anchorage, and Southeast Alaska, including Juneau. A total of approximately 730 grams of methamphetamine was seized from his truck in Juneau and from his residence in Girdwood. The investigation further revealed that Cardenas was making and planning to distribute “gunpowder heroin,” which is heroin laced with fentanyl, and spoke candidly about the likelihood of it causing overdose deaths. In his residence, Cardenas had a shrine dedicated to worshipping Jesus Malverde – the “Patron Saint of Drug Dealers.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the Juneau Police Department (JPD), the Alaska State Troopers (AST), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. Cardenas was arrested with the assistance of the United States Marshal Service (USMS) and the Anchorage Airport Police. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Stinson.
Man Sentenced to over Two Years in Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Amos Rojas, Jr., United States Marshal, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and William D. Snyder, Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), announced that Michael Gene Justus, who had failed to register as a sex offender, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg to 27 months in federal prison.
On February 14, 2018, Justus pled guilty to two counts of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2250. As part of his federal sentence, Justus will be placed on 5 years of supervised release and is again ordered to register as a sex offender.
According to the court record, on April 1, 1996, in Carroll County, Indiana, Defendant Justus was convicted and sentenced to prison for molesting a child. On January 5, 2001, Justus was released from prison. Following his release from incarceration, Justus was to abide by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) requirements.
SORNA provides a comprehensive set of federal standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States through the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. Additionally, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school, and to make periodic in-person appearances to verify and update their registration information.
After his initial release from prison, Justus registered as a sex offender in a number of states. He was working with a carnival company, living out of a van, and traveling. In January of 2013, Justus lived in a van parked at a residence in Stuart, Florida, and failed to provide this information to the Florida Sex Offender Registry. He then moved out of state and registered as a sex offender in Louisiana and Texas. From September 29, 2017 to October 17, 2017, Justus returned to the residence in Stuart, Florida and again failed to notify the Florida Sex Offender Registry.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the USMS and MCSO in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger.
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
Louisville man convicted of child pornographyRead the Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
New Albany – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today Adrian Grisanti, 46, of Louisville, Kentucky, was convicted on Thursday, April 19, 2018, on twenty counts related to child pornography and one count of destroying evidence after a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt in New Albany, Indiana.
Grisanti was a member of a darknet web community that catered in images and videos of child pornography. After the website was discovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the FBI was able to identify hundreds of members worldwide, including Grisanti.
Acting on this information, the FBI executed search warrants at Grisanti’s office and home in August of 2015. After Grisanti’s attempt to conceal his crimes by destroying the hard drive of the computer which was used to obtain the child pornography, the FBI and Indiana State Police began a painstaking forensic investigation which ultimately led to the arrest and conviction of Grisanti.
The conviction included eleven counts of receiving child pornography, eight counts of accessing computer files with the intent to view child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of destroying evidence.
“Defendants can no longer hide behind the dark web and expect to elude federal law enforcement,” said Minkler. “Those who prey on the most vulnerable of our citizens, the ones who cannot fend for themselves, can expect to be held accountable and face the federal hammer of justice.”
“This verdict demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating cases of child pornography with a sense of urgency to protect children from those who engage in this type of activity,” said Robert Middleton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “The teamwork between our agents and state law enforcement partners ensured there is one less predator victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community.”
“There are few things more upsetting than knowing innocent children continue to be victimized by people who engage in such depraved criminal acts,” said Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter. “I’m very grateful to our dedicated detectives and the strong partnership we have with our federal partners that help bring these criminals to justice and remove them from society.”
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley P. Shepard and Steven D. DeBrota, Grisanti faces between 5-20 years in prison on each count of receiving child pornography, up to 10 years in prison on each count of accessing computer files with intent to view child pornography, up to 20 years for possessing child pornography, and up to 10 years for destroying his hard drive.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution sentencing demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to detect and prosecute matters involving sexual exploitation of children, (See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan, Section 5.3)
Louisiana man sentenced to 30 months in prison for escape from Texas federal correctional institutionRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Charles K. Smith was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison for escaping from a prison in Texas.
Charles K. Smith, 64, originally from Pineville, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of escape from a federal incarceration institution. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the January 11, 2018 guilty plea, Smith escaped on August 16, 2017 from the Federal Correctional Institution La Tuna located near Anthony, Texas. He was serving 94-months for a Shreveport conviction of possession of a stolen motor vehicle. After his escape, Smith was later arrested in Calcasieu Parish.
The U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Lead Singer of Band Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Julia S. Kouragian (60, Sebring), also known as “Julia Newell” and “Jewels,” today pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Kouragian was employed by the U.S. Postal Service beginning in 1980. In 1996, she claimed that she was injured while working and subsequently began receiving federal workers’ compensation benefits, including full pay. In order to continue receiving benefits, she was required to report any improvements in her medical condition or her ability to work or maintain a level of employment.
It was later discovered that even though Kouragian claimed that she was physically unable to perform activities associated with walking, sitting, and standing for more than 15 minutes at a time, she had, from at least 2012 through July 2017, performed as the lead singer in a band and also handled the bookings and merchandise sales for the group. She failed to disclose these changes to her treating physicians. As a result of the fraud, she received more than $166,000 in federal workers’ compensation benefits.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
Lake Charles man sentenced to prison for sale of black rhinoceros hornRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lake Charles man was sentenced Tuesday to a prison term for selling a stolen black rhinoceros horn.
United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Patrick Dylan Drawl, 31, of Lake Charles, to six months in prison and one year of supervised release for one count of violating the Lacey Act. According to the stipulated factual basis filed during Drawl’s guilty plea, McNeese State University Biology department staff contacted campus police on March 30, 3017 to report that a horn had been stolen from a mounted black rhinoceros head on display in their building. United States Fish and Wildlife Service agents located a black rhinoceros horn for sale at an address in Sulphur, Louisiana, on a website showing images of a rhinoceros horn on the hood of a car. An agent acting in undercover capacity contacted Drawl and arranged to meet Drawl and purchase the horn. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Forensic Laboratory later confirmed that the horn was that of a black rhinoceros.
The black rhinoceros is a species native to eastern Asia and central Africa on the brink of extinction primarily because of wide-scale poaching for its horn. The black rhinoceros is a listed endangered species protected by the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits the sale of the animal or any of its parts without a prior approval and a permit by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and McNeese State University campus police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to conspiring to distribute multiple quantities of fentanyl, heroin, opioids and other controlled substances in addition to illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to distribute multiple quantities of narcotics and illegal possession of a 9 mm handgun.
Jacob Glen Collett, 35, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell.
According to the guilty plea, a Lafayette Parish Sheriff deputy stopped Collett’s vehicle at 11:54 p.m., April 2, 2017, on Verot School Road. The deputy searched the vehicle and found a black backpack with narcotics and paraphernalia. The deputy also found methamphetamine on Collett. Subsequent analysis of the narcotics revealed that Collett was in possession of 540.3 grams of methamphetamine, 4.1 grams of heroin, 222 dosage units of LSD, and 56 tablets containing fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of a motel in Jennings, Louisiana, on August 17, 2017. They arrested Collett during the raid, after recovering controlled substances, and a Berretta 9 mm model 92FS handgun and 16 rounds of ammunition. Lab results indicated that Collett was in possession of approximately 4.01 grams of MDMA, 34.8 grams of heroin, 16.5 grams of cocaine, 52.3 grams of a mixture and substance containing THC, and 164.9 grams of methamphetamine.
Collett faces a mandatory 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine for the drug count, and he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the firearms count. He also faces five years of supervised release. The court set the sentencing date for July 20, 2018.
The DEA, ATF, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Department, Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force, Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Texas CompanyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with Themesoft Inc. (Themesoft), a Texas-based company that provides consulting and staffing services to technology clients, to resolve the Department’s investigation into whether the company discriminated against a work-authorized immigrant by refusing to refer him for an assignment, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
The Department’s investigation, initiated based on a worker’s complaint, revealed that Themesoft engaged in citizenship status discrimination against an asylee by refusing to refer his application to a client because he was not a lawful permanent resident, U.S. citizen, or H-1B visa holder. Asylees have permanent work authorization, like U.S. citizens, nationals, refugees, and lawful permanent residents, so employers may not limit their jobs based on citizenship status without a specific legal basis for doing so. The investigation also revealed that Themesoft requested specific immigration documentation from the worker because of his citizenship or immigration status even though the INA’s anti-discrimination provision also prohibits employers from requiring applicants or employees to produce more or specific documents than are required by law, based on the individual’s citizenship, immigration status, or national origin.
Under the settlement agreement, Themesoft will pay civil penalties for the citizenship status discrimination and the unfair documentary practices. Themesoft will also post notices informing workers about their rights under the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, train its staff, and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements for three years. During the Department’s investigation, Themesoft agreed to pay the worker back pay and offered him a job. The Department’s agreement requires Themesoft to timely pay the worker the remainder of the $12,000 in back pay it still owes him.
“The Department vigorously protects all workers from citizenship status discrimination when employers have no legal basis for their actions,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “This settlement also serves as a reminder that the INA’s anti-discrimination provision extends to companies that refer workers to third party clients, and that all employers should be mindful of their compliance obligations.”
The Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to retaliation; different documentary requirements based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
James Matthew Bradley, Jr., Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Transporting Illegal Aliens Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, Senior United States District Judge David A. Ezra sentenced 61–year–old Louisville, KY, truck driver James Matthew Bradley, Jr., to life in federal prison without parole for his role in an illegal alien smuggling operation that resulted in ten deaths, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions, United States Attorney John F. Bash and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden.
Judge Ezra also ordered that Bradley forfeit to the Government his tractor-trailer rig, plus approximately $5,600 in U.S. currency and a .38 caliber pistol recovered from inside the cab.
“Smuggling illegal aliens into this country disregards both our laws and their safety,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “The defendant's actions in this case led to the agonizing deaths of 10 people. Were it not for his actions, they might still be alive today. This case is a reminder of why the Trump administration and this Department of Justice have renewed our commitment to enforcing our criminal immigration laws and why we are going to continue to work to secure our borders. I want to thank the fabulous Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted this case, Christina Playton and Matthew Lathrop, as well as our partners with ICE, HSI, CBP, the San Antonio Police and Fire Departments and the Bexar County Sheriff's Office for helping us achieve justice. This tragic case is yet another reminder that Congress must end the incentives that encourage illegal immigration and alien smuggling in the first place.”
After sentencing United States Attorney John F. Bash said, “I am gratified that the court imposed an appropriate punishment for this horrific crime. Through this prosecution, we have sent two unmistakable messages: first, that alien smuggling is a dangerous offense with real victims; and second, that DOJ will seek justice for all victims of crime, no matter their legal status.”
“But I have a further message for those employers who knowingly hire unauthorized immigrants by the dozens, in blatant violation of federal law: You are creating the economic incentive for precisely the sort of deadly exploitation of vulnerable people that occurred in this case. And we will be looking very hard at how our system of criminal justice can eliminate that incentive.”
On October 16, 2017, Bradley pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death and one count of transporting aliens resulting in death. By pleading guilty, Bradley admitted that on July 23, 2017, he conspired to transport and did transport illegal aliens in the United States for financial gain; to further their illegal entry into this country; with reckless disregard that they entered this country illegally; and, which resulted in the death of ten illegal aliens.
According to court records, which Bradley admitted were factually correct, San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) officers responded to a call at the Wal-Mart store located at 8538 Interstate 35 in San Antonio shortly after midnight on Sunday, July 23, 2017. An officer encountered a tractor-trailer behind the store, finding a number of people standing and lying in the rear of the trailer, and the driver, Bradley, in the cab. At the scene, law enforcement officers discovered 39 illegal aliens. Of the 39 illegal aliens found at the scene ten (10) died, eight (8) died in the trailer and two (2) died later in area hospitals. There were four juveniles, aged 14-17 years old, within the group of aliens in Bradley’s trailer who were unaccompanied by an adult.
Court records further state that the illegal aliens estimated the trailer contained between 70 and 180 to 200 people during transport. They also described differing fees for being transported.
“Today’s sentencing of James Matthew Bradley, Jr., brings some closure to a truly horrific and unnecessary tragedy that involved exploiting human cargo for pure greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, HSI San Antonio. “Not only were ten lives lost, but many more were injured as a result of Bradley’s participation in this illegal scheme. HSI continues to aggressively target and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that profit from the suffering of individuals. On a daily basis, criminal networks conspire to smuggle, transport and harbor individuals for financial gain at the expense of others.”
On March 8, 2018, Bradley’s co-defendant, 47–year–old Pedro Silva Segura, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death. Those charges stem from a superseding federal grand jury indictment handed down on September 20, 2017. Silva, a Mexican citizen residing in Laredo, TX, remains in federal custody pending sentencing scheduled for June 29, 2018. He faces up to life in federal prison.
The U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) lead this investigation together with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the San Antonio Police Department and the San Antonio Fire Department, with assistance from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the U. S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Playton and Matthew Lathrop are prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.
James Matthew Bradley, Jr., Condenado A La Pena De Cadena Perpetua En Prision Federal Por Transportar Contrabando Humano Resultando En MuerteRead the Press Release
Hoy en San Antonio, el Mayor Juez David A. Ezra condenó al conductor del camion de carga James Matthew Bradley, Jr., 61 años de Louisville, Kentucky, a la pena de cadena perpetua sin posibilidad de libertad condicional por su participación de transportar inmigrantes indocumentados que resultó en la muerte de 10 personas, anunció el Abogado General Jeff Sessions, el Abogado de los Estados Unidos John F. Bash, y Agente Especial en Cargo del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI, por sus siglas en inglés) Shane Folden.
Mayor Juez Ezra también ordenó la pérdida del remolque, efectivo de aproximadamente $5,600 y la pistola de .38 recuperada en la cabina.
“Transportar contrabando humano dentro éste país es una indiferencia a nuestras leyes y la seguridad de los inmigrantes,” dijo el Abogado General Jeff Sessions. “Las acciones del demandado en éste caso resultó en la muerte de 10 personas. Sin sus acciones, podrían estar vivos hoy. Éste caso es la razón por cual la administración de Trump y éste Departamento de Justicia hemos renovado nuestro compromiso de la aplicación de las leyes criminales de inmigración y vamos a continuar el trabajo de la seguridad la frontera. Quiero dar las gracias a los fabulosos Asistentes Abogados de los Estados Unidos que enjuiciaron éste caso, Christina Playton y Matthew Lathrop, y también les agradezco a nuestros socios con ICE, HSI, la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos (CBP, por sus siglas en inglés) el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio (SAPD por sus siglas en ingles), el Departamento de Bomberos de San Antonio (SAFD por sus siglas en inglés) y el Alguacil de Policía del Condado de Bexar (BCSO por sus siglas en inglés) por ayudarnos lograr justicia. Éste caso trágico es otro recordatorio que el Congreso en el primer lugar tienen que terminar los incentivos que alentan la inmigración ilegal y la transportación de contrabando humano.”
Después de la condena el Abogado de los Estados Unidos John F. Bash dijo, “Estoy gratificado que la corte impuso un castigo apropiado por éste crimen horrendo. Durante el enjuiciamiento hemos mandado dos mensajes inequívocos: primero, la transportación de contrabando humano es una ofensa peligrosa con victimas reales; y dos, el Departamento de Justicia buscará justicia para todos los victimas de crimen, sin considerar su estatus legal.”
“Pero tengo otro mensaje para los empleadores que alquilen inmigrantes indocumentados sin consideración de la violación de las leyes federales: Usted está creando los incentivos económicos para la explotación mortal de las personas vulnerables como las de éste caso. Vamos a determinar como nuestra sistema de justicia criminal puede eliminar ése incentivo.”
El 16 de octubre, 2017, Bradley se declaró culpable de un cargo de conspiración de transportar contrabando humano resultando en muerte y un cargo de transportar contrabando humano resultando en muerte. En declararse culpable, Bradley admitió que en el 23 de julio, 2017, el conspirió y transportó contrabando humano en los Estados Unidos para ganancia financiera; para adelantar su entrada ilegal dentro de éste país; con desprecio temerario que entraron al país ilegalmente; y cual resultó en la muerte de 10 personas.
Conforme con los archivos de la corte, quales Bradley admitió que son factualmente corectos, el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio (SAPD, por sus siglas en inglés) respondieron a la llamada del Wal-mart localizado en 8538 Carretera 35 después de medianoche el domingo, 23 de junio, 2017. El Oficial de Policía encontró el camion de carga detrás de la tienda, y encontó varias personas parados y acostados encima del camión de carga, y el conductor Bradley en el cabina. Los oficiales descubrieron 39 inmigrantes indocumentados. De los 39 inmigrantes indocumentados, 10 fallecieron, ocho fallecieron en el remolque y dos fallecieron en hospitales localizados en San Antonio. En en grupo transportados por Bradley, cuatro eran jóvenes de menor de edad desde 14 – 17 años sin compañeros adultos.
Los archivos de la corte establecen que el remolque conteniba dentro de 70 inmigrantes indocumentatos, y desde 180 – 200 personas durante el transporte. Los archivos proveen las recompensas variables para ser transportado.
“La condena de hoy de James Matthew Bradley, Jr. cierra la tragedia horrífica e innecesaria que involucró la explotación de la transportación de contrabando humano solamente por codicia pura,” dijo el Agente Especial en Cargo de HSI San Antonio Shane Folden. “No solamente se perdieron 10 vidas, más fueron heridos por resulto de la participación en la esquema ilegal de Bradley. HSI continua de agresivamente enforcar y desmantelar organizaciones criminales transnacionales que lucran del sufrimiento de individuos. Diariamente grupos criminales conspiran para hacer contrabando, transportar, y encubrir individuos para ganancias financieras a la riesga de otros.”
El 8 de marzo, 2018, Pedro Silva Segura, de 47 años y codemandado de Bradley se declaró culpable de un cargo de conspiración de transportar contrabando humano resultando en muerte. Esos cargos resultaron de la denuncia supercediendo del gran jurado de acusación del 20 de septiembre, 2017. Silva, un ciudadano de México, residiendo en Laredo, Tejas, permanece en custodia federal mientras espera su audencia para recibir su condena el 29 de junio, 2018. Se enfrenta la pena de cadena perpetua en la prisión federal.
Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) y la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) junto con la Oficina de Detención y Deportación (ICE ERO por sus siglas en ingles), el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio (SAPD por sus siglas en ingles), el Departamento de Bomberos de San Antonio (SAFD por sus siglas en ingles) con asistencia del Alguacil de Policía del Condado de Bexar (BCSO por sus siglas en ingles) y la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos (CBP, por sus siglas en ingles) ayudaron con la investigación. Christina Playton y Matthew Lathrope son los abogados fiscales de parte del gobierno.
Jacksonville Man Indicted for Submitting False Claim for FEMA Benefits Related to Hurricane IrmaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Erick Williams (31, Jacksonville) with making a false claim against the United States related to Hurricane Irma. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, plus payment of restitution to the United States. Williams was arrested yesterday by agents from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; he made his initial appearance in court and a trial date has been set for June 4, 2018.
According to the indictment, in September 2017, Williams used a false address when submitting an application for assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Individuals and Households Program for Hurricane Irma. In the application, Williams lied about the address of his primary residence.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Disaster Fraud Task Force, which was announced in September 2017. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. A live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week staffs the telephone line. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected]. You may also visit www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl.
Indian Trail Man Is Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison on Drug Trafficking Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. sentenced today Derek Joseph Parker, 33, of Indian Trail, N.C. to 20 years in federal prison for his role in drug trafficking conspiracy that resulted in a heroin overdose death, announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office; Chief Kerr Putney of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; Chief Rob Hunter of the Matthews Police Department; Sheriff Eddie Cathey of the Union County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief J. Bryan Gilliard, Monroe Police Department join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, over the course of a seven-month investigation, law enforcement identified Parker as a regional drug trafficker in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) distributing heroin in the greater Charlotte area. Court records show that on December 30, 2016, Parker sold approximately two grams of heroin for $180 to a male individual, which resulted in an overdose death. Court records show the transaction occurred in the parking lot of the Microtel Inn, located at 1603 Matthews-Mint Hill Rd., in Matthews, N.C. The following day, hotel housekeeping found a male unresponsive inside one of the hotel rooms.
According to court records, the deceased male had died from a heroin overdose. Law enforcement identified Parker as the person who had sold the heroin to the deceased male, and confirmed the cause of death as a heroin overdose. Subsequent to this overdose death, Parker continued to sell heroin until he was identified as the regional drug trafficker who caused the male’s overdose death.
According to court records, Parker continued to engage in drug trafficking, and sold, on multiple occasions, approximately a total of 2,000 grams of heroin, until he was arrested on July 6, 2017. When law enforcement arrested Parker they also seized from his residence narcotics (Xanax pills and heroin), drug scales, and a loaded firearm. Filed court documents show that Parker told law enforcement that he learned of the deceased male’s heroin overdose in January 2017, and continued to sell heroin thereafter, until he was arrested.
In sentencing Parker, Judge Conrad commented on the serious nature of our nation’s opioid epidemic. When imposing a 20-year prison sentence, Judge Conrad stated that Parker’s conduct of continuing to sell narcotics after the heroin death occurred was appalling and unacceptable.
Parker is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole
DEA, CMPD, the Matthews Police Department, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the Monroe Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanjeev Bhasker, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Sierra Leone sentenced to 30 months in prison for resisting deportation ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Sierra Leone was sentenced last week to 30 months in prison for refusing to leave the country twice after being ordered to depart.
Sheku Kumalah, 32, of Sierra Leone, was sentenced April 12, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on two counts of failure to depart. Evidence admitted at the two-day trial that ended June 27, 2017 showed that on two occasions U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to remove Kumalah via an escorted commercial flight from the Alexandria International Airport. The defendant hampered agents’ efforts on July 12, 2016 and August 16, 2016 by verbally and physically resisting attempts to escort him onto the plane.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Ayo and Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Mexico pleads guilty to giving fake documents, stolen identity to Shreveport employerRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty last week to using someone else’s Social Security card and submitting false information to an employer.
Martin Gonzalez-Colunga, 44, of Mexico, pleaded guilty April 12, 2018 before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of Social Security fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to the guilty plea, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified in April of 2016 that someone was using a Social Security number that did not belong to him or her at a Shreveport lawn service company. After investigating the matter, they found that Gonzalez-Colunga had submitted fake employment documents and someone else’s Social Security card in January of 2009 when he started working for the company. The defendant admitted to not being a citizen and said he had purchased the Social Security number not long after arriving in the United States from Mexico 20 years ago.
Gonzalez-Colunga faces not more than five years in prison for the Social Security fraud count and a mandatory two years in prison for the identity theft count. He also faces three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for August 24, 2018.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
INTERPOL Washington Provides Support to ICE during Operation No Safe Haven IVRead the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau—provided critical support to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) helping to facilitate the arrest of 33 fugitives sought for their roles in known or suspected human rights violations during a nationwide operation this week. Read the full story here.
INTERPOL Washington Issues Orange Notice for Counterfeit Medical DevicesRead the Press Release
In January 2018, INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau--teamed with the Intellectual Property Rights Coordination (IPRC) Center to issue an INTERPOL Orange Notice to notify the international community about the discovery of counterfeit medical tourniquets. Orange Notices warn all INTERPOL member countries of a person, an object, an event or a modus operandi which presents an imminent threat to public safety and is likely to cause serious injury to persons and/or damage to property.
Medical tourniquets are used in many emergency situations and are commonly used by first responders, law enforcement, and military lifesaving personnel around the world. Tourniquets are used to apply pressure to restrict blood flow to an injured appendage. The warnings were prompted after a tourniquet – later confirmed as counterfeit – broke while being used by an emergency medical technician on a patient at the scene of a motor vehicle accident in the United States. The tourniquet malfunctioned when the tension rod snapped, making it impossible to tighten.
Orange Notices are used for reporting counterfeit devices under Project Safety Net. The first such Orange Notice was issued on February 2017, concerning automotive air bags, both original manufactures’ equipment and/or counterfeit devices discovered by law enforcement personnel.
The IPRC Center coordinates investigations of sources of merchandise that infringe intellectual property rights to identify organizations and individuals that produce, smuggle, or distribute such merchandise. The center conducts and coordinates training with other domestic and international law enforcement agencies on investigative best practices. INTERPOL Washington is a member of the IPRC.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General, INTERPOL Washington serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Special Agent pleaded guilty today to devising a wire fraud scheme that defrauded SunTrust Mortgage and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) of over $40,000, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Shauna Kay N. Sutherland, 37, of Corpus Christi, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. of the Southern District of Florida.
According to admissions in the plea agreement, Sutherland defrauded SunTrust Mortgage and Freddie Mac into allowing a short sale of her property in Gainesville, Georgia, to a family friend who acted as a straw purchaser. Sutherland falsely represented that there were no hidden agreements and requested forgiveness of over $40,000 owed on the mortgage due to her purported financial hardship. Based on those material representations, SunTrust Mortgage and Freddie Mac accepted the short sale offer, with the family friend “purchasing” the property for approximately $34,000, in exchange for SunTrust Mortgage and Freddie Mac releasing Sutherland from her outstanding debt. Freddie Mac, which had by then purchased the mortgage, calculated a total loss of more than $42,000 as a result of this transaction.
In reality, however, Sutherland admitted that pursuant to the secret agreement with her family friend, Sutherland herself provided the purchase money for the short sale using funds wired to her by her mother. Sutherland remained the de facto owner of the property, collected rent from tenants and paid for maintenance. Sutherland adopted the straw purchaser’s identity to communicate by email about the property and signed that person’s signature on relevant documents. She also used the straw purchaser’s bank account as a conduit for financial transactions related to the property. Sutherland, through the straw purchaser, later sold the property in 2013 and used the proceeds to buy another property in Florida.
Sutherland will be sentenced on June 29 before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. of the Southern District of Florida.
ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case with assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility. Trial Attorneys Luke Cass and Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.H-1B Tech Staffing Company Owner Sentenced to Prison for Collecting Illegal Filing Fees from Visa RecipientsRead the Press Release
Ramesh Venkata Pothuru, who collected over $450,000 in illegal filing fees and related expenses from more than 100 fraudulent visas and employer-sponsored green cards for nonimmigrant workers from his native India, was sentenced Thursday to one year and one day in prison by U.S District Judge John R. Padova.
On January 9, Pothuru, former owner and operator of Virgo Inc. and Isync Solutions, Inc., pled guilty to wire fraud and visa fraud for his role in the scheme.
The investigation disclosed that between 2010 and 2013, Pothuru collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in filing fees from workers he was sponsoring under the H-1B nonimmigrant worker visa program. Federal regulations prohibit employers from soliciting payments from H-1B nonimmigrant workers to cover the costs associated with filing fees, which fees are required by law to be borne by the sponsoring U.S. employer. In addition, many of the H-1B nonimmigrant workers were also recipients of employer-sponsored permanent foreign labor certification applications filed by Pothuru with the Department of Labor. Permanent foreign labor certification filings typically involve costs of over several thousand dollars in addition to the filing fees; Pothuru unlawfully collected both from the employees.
Pothuru collected these illegal fees and expenses from the employees he sponsored for H-1B visas and green cards through direct payments to his personal bank accounts. He subsequently submitted false applications in which he did not identify the fees that he collected from the nonimmigrant workers and swore that he did not collect.
“The defendant not only collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from these nonimmigrant workers, but he also made millions by operating his fraudulent business based on workers who received these visas,” said U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain. “The defendant took advantage of these workers from his home country and also undermined the integrity of the H-1B visa and green card programs. This sentence serves both as a deterrent and as protection from a defendant who has already demonstrated a stunning disregard for the law.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to making sure that those who commit visa fraud face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Joseph S. Ugarte, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office (“DSS”). “The strong relationship we enjoy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world is vital towards ensuring the integrity of U.S. travel documents and protecting greater U.S. interests.”
This is a joint investigation with U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Jordan.
Fraudster Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane, WA - Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jin Chul “Jacob” Cha, age 41, of Tustin, California, who pleaded guilty on January 11, 2018 to Conspiracy to Defraud the Government and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, was sentenced today. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. imposed a 51–month term of imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. Judge Mendoza will determine restitution at a later date.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, Cha was a member of a conspiracy involving Gen-X Energy Group, Inc. (Gen-X), a renewable energy company formerly located in Pasco and Moses Lake, Washington. Between October of 2012 and March of 2015, Cha and his co-conspirators falsely claimed the production of more than 9,400,000 marketable renewable energy credits, which they then sold for more than $6,000,000, and filed false claims with the IRS for $2,506,094 in excise credit refunds. Throughout this period, much of the renewable fuel claimed to be produced at the Gen-X facilities was either not produced or re-processed multiple times.
“The defendant, Mr. Cha, has been sentenced to spend years in prison for his role in a multi-million dollar conspiracy to defraud the renewable fuels program,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This prosecution, which is part of a broader effort involving the Gen-X Energy Group, shows there are serious consequences for this kind of fraudulent conduct. I applaud the work of the federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel involved in bringing down this criminal enterprise.”
Joseph H. Harrington said, “I commend the tenacious and thorough efforts of investigators from IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute fraud and other white collar crimes in the Eastern District of Washington."
"Today Mr. Cha and the Gen-X Energy Group are being held accountable for their massive and complex $65 million fraud," said Darrell Waldon, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation." Along with our law enforcement partners IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute white collar criminals who pursue illegal schemes to steal from the U.S. taxpayer."
“The defendant defrauded taxpayers and biofuels companies out of millions of dollars,” said Susan Bodine, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This case shows that EPA and its law enforcement partners will prosecute those who seek to profit by breaking the law.”
This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Washington State Patrol and the Los Angeles Port Police Department Hazardous Materials Investigations Unit. The case was prosecuted by Scott T. Jones, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington; Karla G. Perrin, EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel and Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington; and Adam Cullman and Thomas Franzinger, Trial Attorneys, Environmental Crimes Section, United States Department of Justice.