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20 April 2018
Four Teenagers Plead Guilty to Multiple Charges Arising from Two Carjackings and Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four teenagers, all from Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a series of violent crimes committed earlier this year in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
The four defendants were charged as adults because of the nature of the crime. They include Darius McNeal, 17, Deandre Bullock, 16, Deonta King, 17, and Javon Coe, 17. The pleas took place in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
McNeal pled guilty to two counts of armed robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to 10 years in prison. Bullock pled guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. King pled guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of armed robbery. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison. The Honorable Todd E. Edelman scheduled a sentencing hearing for these defendants for July 20, 2018.
Coe pled guilty to one count of carjacking, one count of robbery, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of nine to ten years in prison. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno scheduled his sentencing for July 20, 2018.
McNeal, Bullock, King, and Coe pled guilty to an incident that took place shortly after 9 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2018, at the Benco Shopping Center located at East Capitol Street SE and Benning Road SE. According to the government’s evidence, the victim parked his Jeep Compass in front of a carry-out restaurant at the shopping center and went inside the store to pick up food. As the victim returned to his vehicle and got back into the driver’s seat, McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual approached his vehicle. McNeal approached the passenger side. Bullock, King, and Coe approached the driver side and worked together to pull the victim from the driver’s seat of his vehicle, drag him to the ground, and assault him. King took the victim’s keys from his hand. Coe, who had a handgun, tried to take the victim’s cellphone, but the victim refused to let go of it. McNeal, Bullock, King, Coe, and another individual got into the victim’s vehicle and drove away.
McNeal, Bullock, and King also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 6 p.m. on Feb. 18, 2018, near Johnson Middle School in the 3100 block of Bruce Place SE. According to the government’s evidence, McNeal communicated with the victims about buying a pair of shoes through the application OfferUp and told the victims to come to the school. When the victims arrived, McNeal and another member of the group approached them and asked to see the shoes for sale. One of the victims showed the shoes and asked for the money. King and Bullock then approached. Bullock was wearing a mask and had a black and silver handgun with a laser sight on it. Bullock ordered one of the victims out of the car and to the ground at gunpoint. King ordered the other victim out of the driver’s seat of the car, demanded her car keys, and took her phone. One of the victims struggled with Bullock over the gun, while the other defendants told Bullock to “shoot him.” The gun went off, firing one round that hit McNeal in the leg. The victims ran away, and McNeal, Bullock, King, and another individual got into the victims’ vehicle and followed them.
Finally, Coe also pled guilty to an incident that took place at about 4:15 p.m. on March 9, 2018, in the 3100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE. Coe, who was with a group of people, approached the victim, who was a classmate, and put him in a chokehold. The victim was able to throw Coe to the ground. Coe then got up, pulled a gun from his waistband, racked the slide, and pointed it at the victim, ordering him to turn over whatever he had. Coe took the victim’s iPhone 6 Plus before fleeing.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle and Victim/Witness Advocate James Brennan. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky, who investigated and prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff.
Founder of “NXIVM,” a Purported Self-Help Organization, and Actor Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Forced Labor ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Actor Allison Mack was arrested this morning on an indictment unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging her and Keith Raniere, also known as “Vanguard,” with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy. Mack will be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak. Raniere was previously arrested on a complaint and ordered detained. Raniere will be arraigned on a date to be determined.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged in the indictment, Allison Mack recruited women to join what was purported to be a female mentorship group that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants’ benefit. This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting predators who victimize others through sex trafficking and forced labor.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his grateful appreciation to the FBI for leading the investigation, and thanked the New York State Police, the FBI Albany Field Office, the New York State Office of the Attorney General, the New York State Department of Health and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York for their assistance.
“Today we announce an additional arrest, and an indictment, in a case that brought to light an inconceivable crime,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “As this pyramid scheme continues to unravel, we ask anyone who might have been a victim to reach out to us with information that may further our investigation.”
Nxivm and The Source
According to court filings, during the past 20 years, Raniere established a series of purported self-help programs within his umbrella organization “Nxivm” (pronounced NEX-i-um). Nxivm is based in Albany, New York and has operated centers in the United States, Mexico, Canada and South America. Nxivm maintains features of a pyramid scheme, as its courses cost thousands of dollars each and participants (“Nxians”) are encouraged to pay for additional classes and to recruit others to take classes in order to rise within the ranks of Nxivm. A number of Nxians were residents of the Eastern District of New York when they were recruited, and Nxivm has held promotional recruiting events in Brooklyn. Mack is credited in publicly available materials with co-creating a Nxivm program, called The Source, which recruited actors.
As detailed in court filings, in 2015, Raniere created a secret society within Nxivm called “DOS,” an acronym that stands for a Latin phrase that loosely translates to “Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions,” or “The Vow.” DOS operated with levels of women “slaves” headed by “masters.” Slaves were expected to recruit slaves of their own (thus becoming masters themselves), who in turn owed service not only to their own masters but also to masters above them in the DOS pyramid. Raniere stood alone at the top of the pyramid. Other than Raniere, all members of DOS were women. Mack is one of the women in the first level of the pyramid immediately below Raniere.
Mack and other DOS masters recruited DOS slaves by telling them that they were joining a women-only organization that would empower them and eradicate purported weaknesses that the Nxivm curriculum taught were common in women. Mack and other DOS masters concealed Raniere’s status at the top of the pyramid from new recruits.
As a pre-condition to joining DOS, women were required to provide “collateral,” which included highly damaging information about friends and family members, nude photographs and/or rights to the recruit’s assets. DOS slaves were told that their collateral could be released for any number of reasons, including telling anyone about DOS’s existence or leaving DOS. Many DOS slaves were branded on their pelvic areas using a cauterizing pen with a symbol which, unbeknownst to them, incorporated Raniere’s initials. During the branding ceremonies, slaves were required to be fully naked, and a master would order one slave to film the branding while the others restrained the slave being branded.
According to court filings, Mack directly or implicitly required her slaves, including Jane Does 1 and 2, as identified in the Indictment, to engage in sexual activity with Raniere. In exchange for this, Mack received financial and other benefits from Raniere. Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 believed that if they did not participate in those activities with Raniere, their collateral would be released.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted of the crimes charged, Raniere and Mack each face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Moira Kim Penza and Tanya Hajjar are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Karin Orenstein is in charge of the forfeiture portion of the case.
The Defendants:
KEITH RANIERE (also known as “Vanguard”)
Age: 57
Residence: Waterford, New YorkALLISON MACK
Age: 35
Residence: Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-204 (NGG)
If you have information regarding this case, or you believe you or a family member may have been a victim, please contact the FBI at 212-384-1000.
Former Mexican Governor Extradited to the Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, the former governor of the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and a former PRI Party candidate for Mexican President, has been extradited to the United States. Ruvalcaba is charged in a Brownsville indictment which includes allegations of racketeering, drug smuggling, money laundering and bank fraud.
U.S. Attorneys Ryan K. Patrick and John F. Bash, of the Southern and Western Districts of Texas, respectively, made the announcement along with Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Acting Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui of IRS - Criminal Investigation (CI) and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI.
In April 2017, Yarrington was captured in Italy while traveling under an assumed name and false passport and other identification documents. He was taken into custody on a provisional arrest warrant based on the indictment returned in May 2013. Although Yarrington contested his extradition, Italian authorities recently authorized his extradition to the United States.
He has now arrived in the Southern District of Texas to face the charges and is expected to make his initial appearance Monday, April 23 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Ronald Morgan in Brownsville.
He was charged in the Brownsville Division of the Southern District of Texas following an investigation that spanned several years. The indictment alleges Yarrington, 61, and Fernando Alejandro Cano Martinez, 61, the owner of a Mexican construction firm, conspired to violate the provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute. The two men are also charged with conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to make false statements to federally insured U.S. banks.
Yarrington is also separately charged with a conspiracy to violate the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act, two substantive bank fraud counts and a conspiracy to structure currency transactions at a domestic financial institution. Cano is separately charged with three counts of bank fraud.
“HSI aggressively pursues transnational criminal organizations that pose a threat to the U.S. national security, to include corrupt public officials who use their position and influence to further the illicit activity,” said Folden. “HSI is committed to upholding the rule of law and investigating those involved in criminal activity and bringing the illicit gains of these crimes to the U.S.”
“This case highlights the impact multiple agencies can have when they join forces. DEA, HSI, IRS-CI and FBI along with our state, local and international law enforcement partners will continue to work together and pursue those who threaten our country through the smuggling and distribution of illegal and dangerous drugs such as cocaine,” said Glaspy. “This extradition sends a global message that those accused of leveraging their political positions to conduct drug trafficking and other criminal activity will be brought to justice.”
“This investigation took law enforcement above and beyond its traditional role in financial crimes,” said Tsui. “The apprehension of Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba underscores IRS-CI’s commitment to assist our law enforcement partners, both foreign and domestic, and follow the money trail across the globe to unravel this and other complex financial investigations.”
Yarrington served as governor of Tamaulipas from 1999 to 2004. Tamaulipas lies along the southern border between the United States and Mexico directly across from Brownsville and Laredo.
According to the indictment, beginning in approximately 1998, Yarrington received large bribes from major drug traffickers operating in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, including the Gulf Cartel. In return, Yarrington allegedly allowed them to operate their large scale, multi-ton enterprises freely, which included the smuggling of large quantities of drugs to the United States for distribution. From 2007 to 2009, Yarrington allegedly became involved in the smuggling of large amounts of cocaine through the Port of Veracruz into the United States.
Yarrington also collected bribes from commercial operations in Mexico, according to the indictment. Cano operated Materiales y Construcciones Villa de Aguayo, S.A. de C.V., a construction firm in Tamaulipas that received significant public works contracts during Yarrington’s term as governor. The indictment alleges Cano, in turn, paid bribes to Yarrington to include the acquisition of real estate in front names for him.
The indictment further alleges Yarrington also received control over stolen public funds in the latter part of 2004. Portions of those funds were allegedly used to buy a Sabreliner 60 airplane in January 2005. As part of that purchase, $300,000 was transferred to a bank account in the United States. Another portion of the allegedly stolen funds, $5 million Mexican pesos, was transferred to Cano in the spring of 2005, according to the indictment.
The indictment further alleges that starting in approximately 1998, Yarrington, and later to include Cano, became involved in the acquisition of valuable assets in the United States, using front names and business entities established starting in 2005 to disguise the true ownership of the assets. The assets allegedly included bank accounts, residences, airplanes, vehicles and real estate in Bexar, Cameron, Hidalgo and Hays Counties, many of which were acquired via allegedly fraudulent loans from banks in Texas. According to the indictment, bank accounts established in front names at Texas banks were used to receive and disburse money to carry the ongoing costs of the assets, such as loan costs and condo fees.
The indictment identifies numerous specific front entities involved in the scheme, each of which allegedly applied for multi-million dollar fraudulent loans at Texas banks, which Cano allegedly personally guaranteed. The indictment details a total of more than $7 million in transfers into the U.S. accounts of the front entities.
Additional entities were created and used to apply for other loans to fund the purchase of still other assets, according to the indictment. Numerous currency transactions were allegedly conducted at First National Bank, headquartered in Edinburg, Texas, in a structured manner in amounts at or below $10,000 in order to evade the filing of Currency Transaction Reports by the bank.
Cano is not in the custody of the United States and a warrant remain outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 956-542-5811. Persons calling from Mexico should call 001-800-010-5237.
The RICO and money laundering charges each carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison, while conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries as possible punishment up to 30 years. The drug conspiracy charges carry a term of imprisonment of at least 10 years. The currency structuring charges carry a possible five-year-term of imprisonment.
The indictment also includes a notice of forfeiture. Some of the assets identified in the indictment already have been seized and forfeited to the United States in civil forfeiture actions over the course of the investigation, to include approximately 46 acres in Bexar County, a condo on South Padre Island, a 2005 Pilatus airplane and residences in Hidalgo and Hays counties.
The investigation leading to the indictment has been conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in Brownsville, San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi and New York and has included agents and officers with HSI, DEA, IRS-CI, FBI and the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs handled the extradition in this matter. The United States government also acknowledges with gratitude the significant assistance received from the government of Mexico in the course of this investigation. Additionally, the United States acknowledges the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, HSI-Rome, HSI-Mexico City, the Italian Ministry of the Interior (particularly Interpol Rome and the Central Operations Service of the Italian National Police) and the Italian Ministry of Justice in Yarrington’s extradition.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie K. Hampton, Jody Young, Karen Betancourt and Jon Muschenheim are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.Former Deputy Chief of Lake County Sheriff’s Department IndictedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Daniel Murchek, 57, of Schererville, Indiana was indicted for making false statements to federal authorities, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
United States Attorney Kirsch said, “Mr. Murchek lied to FBI agents who sought truthful information from him in connection with what was then an ongoing public corruption investigation of which he was aware. Mr. Murchek did so purely to protect his self-interest and conceal his criminal conduct from the FBI. Mr. Murchek was a police officer, sworn to uphold the law, at the time he told the lies, making his conduct particularly egregious.”
“Public corruption is a priority of my Office. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute public corruption across the Northern District of Indiana. Citizens demand, and in fact deserve, honest public service from their elected and appointed officials. I encourage anyone with information about possible corruption in their town or city to report it to me or to the FBI.”
According to documents in this case, at all times relevant to the indictment, the FBI was investigating public officials and towing businesses for bribery activity, among other things. Also, at times relevant to indictment, Murchek was a candidate for Lake County Sheriff in the 2018 sheriff’s election.
On November 10, 2016, federal agents executed search warrants at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and at the home of John Buncich, who then was the elected Lake County Sheriff. On November 14, 2016, Murchek was interviewed by the FBI about Lake County towing contracts and donations made to Murchek’s campaign for Lake County Sheriff by specific firms towing for Lake County Sheriff’s Department. At the time of the interview, Murchek was Deputy Chief of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, a position that he had held since 2011. During this interview, agents specifically asked Murchek about contributions from Person A and whether any of those contributions were structured to avoid Indiana campaign finance laws. During this interview, Murchek denied he had received a structured campaign donation through Person A. Indiana finance law prohibited persons from knowingly accepting a political contribution made by one person in the name of another, commonly known as a structured campaign contribution. Indiana finance law also prohibited corporate political contributions to candidates seeking local offices in excess of $2,000 during a 1-year period.
In fact, during the investigation, Person A recorded conversations with Murchek and others. During these recorded conversations, Murchek explained how to structure campaign contributions to avoid Indiana campaign finance laws. Specifically, Murchek explained that an individual could structure campaign donations by giving money to another person who could then write a check to the campaign committee to conceal from whom the donation actually was made. On September 23, 2016, Person A met with Murchek for the purpose of donating money to Murchek’s campaign. Person A explained to Murchek that Person A gave $500 to one of his employees, and the employee then wrote a check for $500 to Murchek’s campaign, which check Person A provided to Murchek on that date. Person A specifically told Murchek that the contribution was actually from Person A and not from whom the check was written. Person A further told Murchek that Person A structured the donation as Murchek directed to avoid Indiana campaign finance laws and to “stay under the radar.”Murchek stated in part that he was “all good with that.” During these conversations, Murchek also indicated that he would reduce the number of companies on the sheriff’s approved tow list, which action was intended, at least in part, to benefit Person A.
Along with this Indictment, a plea agreement relating to making the aforementioned false statements has been filed. Murchek’s initial court appearance has been scheduled for today at 9:45AM before U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Martin. A date for the plea hearing is not yet scheduled.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. This case will be handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Benson.
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Federal Jury Finds Ironton Man Guilty of Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the conviction of ROGER ERIK SPLETTSTOESZER, 53, for distributing, receiving and possessing video and image files containing child pornography. SPLETTSTOESZER was charged in a six-count indictment on June 22, 2017, and, on April 19, 2018, was found guilty on all counts by a federal jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
As proven at trial, from at least April through September 2015, SPLETTSTOESZER, who owned and operated a computer repair business called Deepsystems in Aitkin, Minnesota, used the internet to search for, receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography. During that time period, undercover investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (“BCA”) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), discovered multiple known child pornography files on the Ares peer-to-peer network. Investigators determined that the files were from a computer with an IP address assigned to Deepsystems. Based on the undercover downloads, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant on Deepsystems, seizing multiple computers. Following a forensic review of the computers, investigators found that the devices contained, in total, more than 35,000 photos and 400 videos of child pornography.
As set forth at trial, SPLETTSTOESZER was previously investigated in 2011 in Crow Wing County for distributing child pornography via a peer-to-peer network and possessing thousands of child pornography files. Additionally, in 1999, SPLETTSTOESZER was charged in Crow Wing County with four counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree for sexually assaulting and raping two children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Aitkin Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Hudleston and Miranda E. Dugi are prosecuting the case.
Defendant Information:
ROGER ERIK SPLETTSTOESZER, 53
Ironton, Minn.
Convicted:
- Distribution of child pornography, 4 counts
- Receipt of child pornography, 1 count
- Possession of child pornography, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Federal Indictment Charges Former Credit Union President & CEO with Embezzlement and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has indicted Saundra Torrence, a/k/a Saundra Scales, 61, of Charlotte, for her role in defrauding a Charlotte-based credit union of more than $375,000 in the aftermath of the financial crisis, 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 Special Inspector General Christy Goldsmith Romero, of the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP).
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from 1985 to August 2012, Torrence was the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of First Legacy Community Credit Union (FLCCU), which is headquartered in Charlotte. In the fall of 2010, FLCCU received $1,000,000 as part of a program under the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which allowed the Treasury Department to make investments in certain financial institutions that provided credit and financial services to underserved populations and communities.
The indictment alleges that Torrence abused her position as FLCCU’s President and CEO by, among other things, making false entries in the books and records of the credit union, misapplying and stealing funds from the credit union, and fraudulently using the identity of at least one third party victim to obtain a loan from FLCCU. Torrence’s wrongdoing caused FLCCU to suffer significant losses while she personally received more than $110,000 from the misconduct, exposed the credit union to the risk of additional losses, and caused regulatory action against FLCCU.
Specifically, the indictment alleges that, during the relevant time period, Torrence approved the payment of compensation to herself and others without authorization and contrary to the policies of FLCCU. This included compensation for unused sick leave, compensation for the sale of GAP insurance in connection with automobile loans, and other uncategorized compensation. The indictment also alleges that much of this compensation was not reported as taxable income, which caused underreporting and underpayment of federal and state income and/or employment taxes.
The indictment further alleges that Torrence fraudulently obtained a loan from FLCCU in the name of at least one third-party victim, K.H. In connection with this loan, Torrence falsified documentation and circumvented FLCCU policies and reporting requirements. The indictment also alleges that Torrence improperly transferred funds between and among various third-party accounts at FLCCU and her own accounts at FLCCU. On certain occasions, Torrence improperly transferred the proceeds of loans given by FLCCU to third parties into her own accounts. To conceal her wrongdoing, Torrence falsified documents and made and caused false entries in the books and records of FLCCU. These false entries caused FLCCU’s reported financial results to be inaccurate.
Torrence is charged with 13 counts of theft and embezzlement from a financial institution; 19 counts of making or causing false entries; and one count of fraudulent participation. Each of the charged counts carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation of the case was handled by the FBI and SIGTARP. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
El Departamento de Justicia Resuelve una Denuncia de Discriminación Relacionada con la Inmigración contra una Empresa de TejasRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con Themesoft Inc. («Themesoft»), una empresa con sede en Tejas que ofrece servicios de asesoría y contratación a clientes en el sector tecnológico. El acuerdo resuelve la investigación por parte del Departamento para determinar si dicha empresa había discriminado a un inmigrante con autorización para trabajar al negarse a permitirlo a seguir como candidato en su proceso de contratación, en contra de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés).
La investigación del Departamento, la cual se inició como respuesta a una denuncia de un trabajador, reveló que Themesoft había discriminado a un asilado por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía al negarse a tramitar su solicitud porque no era residente permanente legal, ciudadano estadounidense o titular de una visa H-1B. Los asilados, al igual que ciudadanos y nacionales de los EE. UU., refugiados y residentes permanentes legales, disponen de autorización permanente para trabajar. Por lo tanto, generalmente se les prohíbe a los empleadores discriminarlos con base en su estatus de ciudadanía. La investigación también reveló que Themesoft había solicitado documentos migratorios específicos de aquél trabajador debido a su estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía, a pesar de que la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe tal conducta.
Conforme al acuerdo, Themesoft pagará sanciones civiles por la alegada discriminación por motivos del estatus de ciudadanía y las prácticas documentales injustas. Asimismo, Themesoft publicará notificaciones para informar a los trabajadores acerca de sus derechos al amparo de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, capacitará a su personal y se someterá a los requisitos de Departamento en cuanto a supervisión y declaración durante tres años. Durante la investigación del Departamento, Themesoft acordó indemnizar al trabajador con pagos retroactivos y le ofreció un trabajo. Según el acuerdo del Departamento, Themesoft se ve obligado a pagar al trabajador oportunamente el balance de los $12.000 de pagos retroactivos que todavía le debe.
«Los empleadores no deben discriminar ilícitamente a los asilados», declaró el Fiscal General Auxiliar en funciones, John Gore, de la División de Derechos Civiles. «Este acuerdo sirve como recordatorio de que aquellas empresas que recomienden a trabajadores a clientes que son terceras partes deben ser conscientes de sus obligaciones antidiscriminatorias».
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), que pertenece a la División, es responsable de aplicar la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, esta ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas; las represalias y la intimidación.
Para más información sobre protecciones contra la discriminación en el empleo en virtud de las leyes migratorias, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800‑255-7688 (1‑800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); matricúlese para un seminario en línea gratuito; mande un correo electrónico a [email protected] o visite la página web de la IER en inglés o español.
Aquellos postulantes o empleados que creen haber sido sometidos a otros requisitos documentales por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen, o a la discriminación por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión deben llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores para pedir ayuda.
East Chicago Woman Sentenced to 204 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND –Melinda Milton, 37, of East Chicago, Indiana was sentenced by District Court Judge Philip P. Simon to 204 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release following her conviction by guilty plea to one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.
According to documents in the case, Milton ran a prostitution business for several years by advertising females for escort services on the website Backpage.com. Between February and October 2015, Milton recruited three minor females between the ages of 15 and 16 to perform commercial sex acts for one of Milton’s regular customers. Between December 2014 and May 2015, Milton also defrauded and coerced a 21-year old female to work for Milton as a prostitute. Among other tactics, Milton supplied the adult victim with drugs and caused her to fear for her safety in order to make her more compliant.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Hammond Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Abizer Zanzi, David Nozick and Dean Lanter.
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Dominican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Dominican national was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Casimiro Zapata-Martinez, 50, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
According to court documents, Zapata-Martinez was previously deported on April 8, 2002. Law enforcement officers discovered Zapata-Martinez on April 11, 2018, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of no more than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Zapata-Martinez will face deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting this case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Stabbing Death of Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Larry Fearn, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, who was holding their infant child at the time of her death last September, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Fearn pled guilty in January 2018, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 22 years in prison. The Honorable Juliet McKenna accepted the plea and sentenced Fearn accordingly. Following completion of his prison term, Fearn will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, at approximately 9:50 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Seventh District were dispatched to an apartment in the 3000 block of 30th Street SE for the report of a domestic violence assault. Upon their arrival, officers observed an apparent pool of blood in front of the apartment building door. After opening the building’s front door, officers discovered the victim, Paula Coles, 31, lying on her back inside the front door entrance of the building and suffering from apparent stab wounds to the right side of her face, her chin, her left breast, and above her rear right shoulder. Also located was a baby who was covered in Ms. Coles’s blood and had sustained a cut on his hand requiring stitches. The baby, who was approximately 11 months old at the time of the stabbing, was learned to be the child of Fearn and Ms. Coles, and he was in the arms of Ms. Coles during the stabbing.
The District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services attempted life-saving measures, but Ms. Coles was pronounced dead soon after their arrival. An autopsy by the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later identified 10 different wounds about her face, neck, thorax, and her right upper arm and shoulder.
The government’s investigation revealed that Fearn and Ms. Coles had at one point been in a romantic relationship and that Ms. Coles had a history of domestic -related calls for service involving the defendant. In July of 2017, Fearn had been arrested for assaulting Ms. Coles, their child, and another individual. The following day, he was arrested again for violating a stay-away order issued by the Court. Both of these incidents occurred at Ms. Coles’s residence.
Fearn pled guilty on Aug. 17, 2017, to attempted second-degree cruelty to children and simple assault. He was sentenced the same day to serve 75 days of incarceration. He was released on Sept. 15, 2017. As condition of his probation, he was ordered to stay away from Ms. Coles. However, following his release, he returned to her residence and began residing there.
Less than 12 hours before the murder, on Sept. 26, 2017, Ms. Coles called 911 to report an argument had erupted between Fearn and an individual with whom she was now romantically involved. Evidence showed that Fearn fled the scene after Ms. Coles called 911. He continued to call her throughout the night, however, and several witnesses overheard him telling Ms. Coles that he would kill her.
The following morning, at approximately 9 a.m., after Ms. Coles had dropped her older children off at school, the evidence showed that she returned to her apartment to find that Fearn had returned. She notified her current boyfriend that Fearn was in her unit and requested, via text, that he call the police for her. At some point, he called Ms. Coles back, but all he could hear was a scream and a thump before the phone cut off. He then called other neighbors in the building, who informed him that Ms. Coles had been stabbed and was laying in the hallway of the building. Several neighbors then saw Fearn running from the entrance way of the building.
Fearn was arrested on Sept. 28, 2017, and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu expressed appreciation for the work of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Office of the Medical Examiner, the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Safe Shores – D.C. Children’s Advocacy Center.
U.S. Attorney Liu acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura R. Bach and Michelle D. Jackson, Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Paralegal Specialists Alesha Matthews and Lornce Applewhite. Finally, she expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Merikas, who prosecuted the case.
Colombian National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Colombian national was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Alejandro Suarez, 45, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien.
According to court documents, Suarez was previously deported on July 26, 2000. Law enforcement officers discovered Suarez on March 22, 2018, and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Suarez will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting this case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Central Falls Resident Detained on Child Pornography Production, Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – An investigation and arrest by members of the Central Falls Police Department has resulted in the detention of a Central Falls man charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with production and possession of child pornography. Jose A. Cortes, a.k.a. “Jose Cortez,” 38, was ordered detained on Thursday following his initial appearance in federal court before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
According to information presented to the court, it is alleged that an investigation by Central Falls Police revealed that Cortes allegedly took sexually explicit photographs of a toddler in various stages of undress, involved in a sex act, and a lascivious display of the toddler’s genitals. During the investigation, Central Falls Detectives executed five court authorized search warrants and seized several electronic devices and digital storage devices. A preliminary forensic examination of some of the devices by Central Falls detectives, with the assistance of Rhode Island State Police, revealed more than a thousand images and videos of child pornography.
The investigation into Cortes’ alleged criminal activity began in November 2017, after the toddler’s mother reported to police that she had become aware of the photos from a friend of Cortes.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jose Cortes’ arrest and detention are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch, Central Falls Police Chief Colonel James J. Mendonca, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Michael S. Shea.
This Project Safe Childhood case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch acknowledges and thanks the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance in the prosecution of this matter.
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California Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Renewable Fuel FraudRead the Press Release
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and United States Attorney Joseph H. Harrington for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jin Chul “Jacob” Cha, 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 prison term to be followed by a three-year term of court supervision after he is released from prison.
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 2012 and March 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.”
“I commend the tenacious and thorough efforts of investigators from IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division,” said U.S. Attorney Harrington. “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."
“The defendant defrauded taxpayers and biofuels companies out of millions of dollars,” said Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine 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.”
"Today, Mr. Cha and the Gen-X Energy Group are being held accountable for their massive and complex $65 million fraud," said Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon 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."
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’s Hazardous Materials Investigations Unit. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Adam Cullman and Thomas Franzinger for the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant United States Attorney Scott T. Jones for the Eastern District of Washington, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel and Special Assistant United States Attorney Karla G. Perrin for the Eastern District of Washington.
Business Owner Who Lied in Bankruptcy Proceedings Pleads Guilty to PerjuryRead the Press Release
The operator of a business that abused bankruptcy filings to get drivers licenses reinstated pleaded guilty to perjury this week in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. Between 2012 and 2017, TRACY J. TALLY, 46, of Poulsbo, Washington, admits she unlawfully provided legal advice and assisted people with filing fraudulent bankruptcy forms. When questioned under oath in a deposition with a United States Trustee, TALLY falsely denied such activities. TALLY faces up to five years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan on July 13, 2018.
According to records filed in the case, TALLY operated a business identified as ‘No More Drivin’ Dirty.’ For a fee, TALLY would assist clients with filing false bankruptcy forms, which were subsequently used to exploit a provision that allowed motor vehicle drivers to seek reinstatement of their licenses from the Washington State Department of Licensing upon submitting proof that a bankruptcy proceeding had commenced. The bankruptcy petitions were false and the bankruptcy proceeding was typically abandoned once the license was reinstated. In February 2017, TALLY was questioned under oath about whether she had provided unauthorized legal advice to clients. TALLY claimed she had not, even though she knew at the time she made the statement that she had given such advice to hundreds of clients.
As part of her plea agreement, TALLY will pay restitution totaling $2,100 to four clients and $15,000 to the United States Trustee. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a three-year term of probation. The ultimate sentence is up to Judge Bryan.
The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Grady Leupold.
Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal firearm offense, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Jeffrey Alpaugh, 46, of Beckley, West Virginia, entered his guilty plea to dealing firearms without a license. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beckley Police Department.
“To keep guns out of the wrong hands and to protect our Second Amendment rights, we will aggressively prosecute individuals like Alpaugh that violate our gun laws,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Alpaugh admitted that from in or about February 2017, to on or about October 30, 2017, at or near Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia, within the Southern District of West Virginia and elsewhere, he willfully engaged in the business of dealing firearms affecting commerce without a license. Specifically, during that timeframe he offered firearms for sale at flea markets and gun shows in Raleigh and Monroe Counties on almost a weekly basis. At all relevant times, Mr. Alpaugh was not licensed under the provisions of Chapter 44 of Title 18 of the United States Code as a manufacturer, importer, or dealer in firearms. On October 30, 2017, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at defendant’s home and seized 152 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Any and all such firearms and ammunition will be forfeited and abandoned by him as set out in the plea agreement.
Alpaugh faces up to 5 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 25, 2018. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the plea hearing.
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.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Barbour County man admits to firearm chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jerry Lee Beohm, Jr., of Philippi, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearm charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Beohm, age 43, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Beohm, who was previously convicted of two felonies in Barbour County Circuit Court, admitted to having a .40 caliber pistol, a .380 caliber pistol, a .410 caliber derringer, and a 12-gauge shotgun. The crime occurred in August 2015 in Barbour County.
Beohm faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci M. Cook is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Bank Robber IndictedRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that STEPHEN J. SCOTT, age 31, was indicted for one count of Bank Robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a). The defendant is alleged to have robbed the First American Bank and Trust at 1800 Veterans Boulevard, Metairie, Louisiana, on April 9, 2018.
If convicted, SCOTT faces a maximum of twenty years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
The U.S. Attorney also advises that an indictment is only a charging document, and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the hard work of the FBI’s Violent Crime Unit and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The case is being handled by AUSA Myles Ranier.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
April 20, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Al Samuel Lawson, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland to 14 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor related to the trafficking of a 15-year-old female and a 16-year-old female for prostitution in Maryland.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Terrence B. Sheridan of the Baltimore County Police Department; State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger of the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office; and Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to Lawson’s plea agreement, on February 10, 2016, members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force were conducting a proactive operation in search of juveniles engaging in prostitution. After making contact with two identified adult prostitutes, the females stated that they knew of a minor female who was currently engaging in prostitution. The women showed the Task Force members an advertisement on the website Backpage.com of another adult female that was known to be working as a prostitute with the minor female. Task Force members reviewed this advertisement and identified the adult female, Female 1, as a known prostitute with whom they had numerous previous contacts.
Task Force members approached the younger female and identified her as a fifteen-year-old juvenile, Minor 1. Internet advertisements for prostitution on the website Backpage.com identified Minor 1 under the name “Asia.” Minor 1 admitted to law enforcement that she had been prostituting for approximately one month at the direction of Lawson. Investigators identified several other females, including another minor female, Minor 2, who also engaged in prostitution at the direction of Lawson, starting when she was fifteen years old.
Female 1 was contacted and informed that her “date” was outside in a pickup truck and Female 1 came outside to meet them. A Baltimore County Police detective acting in an undercover capacity, spoke with Female 1 in his vehicle and she agreed to give him oral sex for $100. Female 1 directed the detective to drive to the hotel next door so they could “do it”. At that time, the detective identified himself as law enforcement and Female 1 was arrested for solicitation of prostitution.
Minor 1 admitted to law enforcement that she had been prostituting for approximately one month at the direction of Lawson. Investigators identified several other females, including another minor female, Minor 2, who also engaged in prostitution at the direction of Lawson. Minor 2 started doing prostitution dates when she was fifteen years old.
Some of these prostitution encounters engaged in by Minor 1, Minor 2, and other females at the direction of Lawson occurred at the residence of Lawson’s co-defendant, Nichole Carey, in Essex, Maryland.
Minor 1 reported that she, and the other women, gave 50% of the money from the prostitution encounters to Lawson and that Lawson knew the two victims were minors.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended FBI Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Ayn Ducao, Rachel Yasser and Michael Cunningham, who prosecuted the case.
Backpage Pimp Sentenced to Fifteen Years for Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
Richard Rodriguez Gray, 34, of Overtown, was sentenced yesterday in Miami, Florida, by U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez of the Southern District of Florida, to 15 years in prison, 25 years of supervised release, and sex offender conditions, including compliance with the Adam Walsh Act requirement that Gray register as a sex offender for life. Gray previously pled guilty to sex trafficking a minor.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
According to the court record, on November 28, 2017, Gray posted an advertisement on www.backpage.com, in the South Escort section of the South Florida Adult Entertainment portion of the website. The advertisement included two, clothed pictures of a 16-year old minor victim and provided contact information for Gray.
On or about December 7, 2017, law enforcement, in an undercover capacity (“UC”) responded to the advertisement posted on www.backpage.com as an interested client by sending text messages to the telephone number that Gray posted. Gray and the UC agreed that the minor victim would have sex with the UC for one hour for approximately $250. Gray and the UC further agreed that the UC could meet the minor victim in a motel room in Miami, Florida.
On December 8, 2017, at approximately 1:00 a.m., Gray and the minor victim arrived at the motel, where law enforcement was waiting to recover the minor. Gray had escorted the minor victim to the hotel to engage in prostitution. Gray was taken into custody at the hotel.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI. Mr. Greenberg also thanked the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force and Miami-Dade Police Department for their dedication to this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes.
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.
Ambridge Man Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Distribute Multiple DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Kevin Grace, 36, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
According to information presented to the court, from in and around November 2015, and continuing thereafter to in and around May 2016, Grace and others conspired with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine. Kevin Grace specifically pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, and a quantity of fentanyl. Also, Grace pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine on May 13, 2016.
Chief Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2018 at 3:30 p.m. The law provides for maximum total sentences ranging from up to 20 years in prison to up to life in prison, as well as a mandatory minimum sentence starting at ten years in prison. The law also provides for fines ranging from $250,000 to up to $10,000,000. In addition, the United States is seeking to forfeit $11,124 in United States currency, which was seized from Kevin Grace. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Grace. The task force is headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is comprised of members drawn from the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Ambridge Police Department, New Brighton Police Department, Beaver Police Department, Aliquippa Police Department, Moon Township Police Department, Wilkinsburg Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Duquesne Police Department, Munhall Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Alabama Executes Man for 1989 Mail-Bomb Murder of U.S. Appeals Court Judge Robert S. VanceRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – The State of Alabama last night carried out the death penalty for Walter Leroy Moody Jr., the man convicted of the 1989 capital murder of U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Robert S. Vance. A federal jury in 1991 also convicted Moody on 71 charges related to the pipe-bomb murders of Judge Vance and Georgia civil rights lawyer Robert E. Robinson.
“In the almost 30 years since the explosion at their Mountain Brook home killed Judge Vance and seriously injured his wife, Helen, his family never lost faith in America’s system of justice and the rule of law. Robert Vance Jr. is a circuit judge in Jefferson County and his wife, Joyce White Vance, preceded me in this office as U.S. Attorney. Alabama, last night, imposed its court-ordered punishment for Mr. Moody, and justice is done.”
“Moody was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers and his conviction has been scrubbed by every level of court in our justice system,” Town said. “He may have been condemned to death by the State of Alabama, but he was executed because of his own murderous actions. I hope that Moody’s punishment brings some closure and peace to the family and friends who loved Judge Vance.”
Moody was linked to the mail-bomb deaths of Judge Vance and Robinson through a similar bomb nearly two decades earlier that had injured Moody’s wife when it exploded. His prosecution in that case led to his resentment of the courts leading up to the 1989 bombings.
Along with the bombs that killed the judge and Robinson, Moody also sent bombs that were intercepted before exploding — one at the main 11th Circuit courthouse in Atlanta and another at the NAACP's office in Jacksonville, Fla.
19 April 2018
Zuni Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Kidnapping and Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Randell Lonjose, 35, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo who resides in Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to kidnapping and sexual assault charges under a plea agreement that recommends a 22-year term of imprisonment. Lonjose also will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and Chief Timothy Trimble of the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department.
Lonjose was arrested on Aug. 23, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with sexually abusing a Zuni Pueblo woman in Aug. 2017. According to the criminal complaint, in the early morning hours of Aug. 14, 2017, Lonjose forced his way into the victim’s vehicle through a side window, brandished a knife at the victim and instructed her to drive the vehicle to a deserted area. There, Lonjose forced the victim out of the vehicle and force her to engage in a sexual act with him.
Lonjose was indicted on Sept. 21, 2017, and charged with carjacking, kidnapping, and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse. The indictment alleged that Lonjose committed the crimes on Aug. 14, 2017, on Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, N.M.
During today’s proceedings, Lonjose pled guilty to kidnapping and one count of aggravated sexual abuse. In entering the guilty plea, Lonjose admitted that in the early morning hours of Aug. 14, 2017, he forced his way into the victim’s vehicle while the victim was driving, threatened the victim with a knife, and attempted to choke and strangle the victim when she did not comply with Lonjose’s demands. Lonjose admitted that after directing the victim to drive to a deserted area, he forced her to engage in a sexual act with him. Lonjose acknowledged that the areas in which he kidnapped the victim and sexually assaulted her were on Zuni Pueblo.
Lonjose remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was driven largely by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
York Man Sentenced to 14 Years’ Imprisonment for Distribution of Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on April 18, 2018, Chief United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner sentenced Jeff Smith, age 30, of York, Pennsylvania, to 168 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”).
According to U.S. Attorney David J. Freed, Smith pled guilty on October 16, 2017 to the charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams and more of cocaine base. Smith distributed crack cocaine in the York area from 2014 through his arrest on October 5, 2016. At the time of Smith’s arrest, agents recovered 20 grams of crack cocaine on Smith. During the investigation, agents and detectives seized 180 grams of crack cocaine, along with approximately $15,000 cash from residences associated with Smith.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the York City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith A. Taylor prosecuted the case..
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.
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York Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Eric T. Banks, age 38, of York, Pennsylvania, was indicted on April 18, 2018, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that Banks possessed with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine on January 19, 2018, in York. The indictment also alleges that Banks possessed multiple firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawfully possessed those firearms as a previously convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the York County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense imprisonment for life, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Wood County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Parkersburg, West Virginia man pled guilty yesterday to a child pornography crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Craig Williams, 37, entered his guilty plea to possessing child pornography. U.S. Attorney Stuart praised the investigative efforts of the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and the West Virginia State Police.
“Crimes that exploit our children will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We have a primary duty to protect our kids. My Office will aggressively prosecute pedophiles to the fullest extent of the law.”
Williams admitted that on February 19, 2015, he possessed pictures of prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts. Williams received the pictures over the internet while he was living in Kentucky. The investigation revealed that Williams was using a web-based chatting service to access and download child pornography. Williams further admitted to possessing over 600 images and videos of minors engaged in sex acts, and that some of those images involved sadistic conduct.
Williams faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on a date to be determined by the Court. Williams will be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Erik S. Goes, Assistant United States Attorney, is in charge of the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Woman Who Impersonated Attorney to Defrauded Clients Seeking Immigration Services Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Lynwood woman who stole the identity of a New York attorney and filed immigration petitions on behalf of foreign nationals who believed she was a legitimate lawyer has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
Jessica Godoy Ramos, 37, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon by United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee. After she completes the 15-month prison term, Ramos will spend six months in home detention.
Calling the crimes “despicable,” Judge Gee additionally ordered Ramos to pay $29,693 in restitution to 16 identified victims.
Ramos pleaded guilty in November to one count of mail fraud.
Ramos accepted tens of thousands of dollars from dozens of aliens who sought her services in an attempt to obtain legal status in the United States. Using the name of the genuine attorney, Ramos filed immigration petitions on the behalf of some aliens, but in other cases she never performed any services for her clients. Ramos also created counterfeit immigration parole documents to make it appear that she had successfully represented the aliens.
According to court documents, Ramos’ clients initially believed she was a legitimate immigration attorney, but several became suspicious when Ramos directed them to appear at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices for interviews – but they did not have any scheduled appointments.
“[Ramos] bilked scores of the most vulnerable members of our society out of their hard-earned money by falsely claiming that she was a lawyer and could help them with their immigration issues,” prosecutors wrote in sentencing documents filed with the court.
During the investigation into Ramos, HSI received substantial assistance from USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate and the San Gabriel Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section.
Warwick Resident Sentenced on Meth Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Warwick man charged and convicted as the result of a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation with trafficking methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm he used in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Jon Cascella, 49, of Warwick, was convicted by a federal court jury on December 5, 2017, on four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, two counts of distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count each of possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm arm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federal, state and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Cascella to serve 7 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines imprisonment range in this matter is 152-175 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 152 months incarceration to be followed by 5 years supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on five occasions between March 29 and May 4, 2017, Cascella sold over 15.6 grams of methamphetamine to a Warwick undercover police officer. The transactions were electronically monitored and recorded. Beginning shortly after the first transaction, Cascella repeatedly expressed an interest in purchasing a firearm for protection. The undercover officer agreed to assist Cascella obtain a firearm.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 4, 2017, Cascella met with an ATF undercover agent who exchanged a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun and $600 in cash for nearly 7 grams of methamphetamine. A storage garage where the transaction for the firearm took place was outfitted with several law enforcement video and audio recording devices. Cascella was arrested moments after he took possession of the firearm.
A court authorized search of Cascella’s residence following his arrest resulted in the seizure of approximately 8.6 grams of methamphetamine.
Cascella’s sentenced is announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Warwick Police Chief Colonel Stephen M. McCartney.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by ATF and the Warwick Police Department.
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Visitor to Haleakala National Park Found Guilty of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – A federal jury yesterday found Matthew Berckmann, 44, guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault of his spouse by strangulation. The verdict came a few hours after a four and a half day trial. Berckmann faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years on each count when he is sentenced on August 6, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway.
Kenji M. Price, United States Attorney, said that according to information presented in court, while camping at Hosmer Grove Campground at Haleakala National Park on October 18, 2017, Berckmann threatened his wife with a large kitchen knife while pinning her to the ground by holding his forearm against her throat. Two eyewitnesses saw the assault and contacted 911. Berckmann was taken into custody by a Park Ranger, aided by two Maui Police Department officers.
The investigation was led by the National Park Service, with assistance from the FBI and the Maui Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Albanese and Marion Percell handled the prosecution.
Virginia Man Indicted for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia returned a nine-count indictment today charging a Manassas Park, Virginia man with seven counts of production of child pornography in addition to counts of distribution and possession of child pornography.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Michael Gerald Moody, 44, among other things, used, employed, and coerced a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images of that conduct. He also distributed those images to others through the use of the mobile messaging application Kik Messenger.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Manassas Park Police Department. Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay V. Prabhu of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.Virginia Man Indicted for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia returned a nine-count indictment today charging a Manassas Park, Virginia man with seven counts of production of child pornography in addition to counts of distribution and possession of child pornography.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Michael Gerald Moody, 44, among other things, used, employed, and coerced a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images of that conduct. He also distributed those images to others through the use of the mobile messaging application Kik Messenger.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with the assistance of the Manassas Park Police Department. Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay V. Prabhu of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.Virginia Man Convicted at Trial on Gun Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Locust Grove, Virginia, man was convicted today of conspiring to traffic 35 guns from Virginia into New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Shawn K. Harvey, 52, was convicted of all four counts in an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and three counts of trafficking firearms. He was convicted following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court. The jury deliberated for approximately four hours before returning the verdict.
Shawn K. Harvey and his son, Shawn M. Harvey, a/k/a “Munchy,” 28, also of Locust Grove, were originally arrested in August 2016.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents directed and supervised a sting operation using a confidential informant who purchased firearms from the Harveys on multiple occasions at a parking lot in Pennsauken, New Jersey. The operation yielded 35 firearms –including assault-style rifles, revolvers, shotguns and semi-automatic handguns – over the course of 11 separate transactions spanning several weeks. One of the firearms was reported stolen in Virginia and many of the guns were brand new and came with ammunition.
The trafficking and conspiracy charges are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 17, 2018. Shawn M. Harvey pleaded guilty prior to trial and awaits sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited ATF special agents, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. Devito, Newark Field Division, with the investigation.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline Carle and Sara A. Aliabadi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Megan J. Davies Esq., Cherry Hill, New JerseyVigo County School Corporation official sentenced in federal courtRead the Press Release
Stole more than $110,000 from Vigo County taxpayers
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis – United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced that a former Vigo County School Corporation official, Franklin V. Fennell, 49, Terre Haute, was sentenced in federal court today. Fennell was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment by U. S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson after a jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts of fraud, bribery and making false statements to federal agents at a jury trial in December, 2017.
“The citizens of Vigo County deserve better from their public officials,” said Minkler. “Public service does not mean helping yourself to public funds. When greed becomes more important than serving the public, there are consequences and my office will hold offenders accountable.”
Fennell was the facilities director at the Vigo County School Corporation (VCSC). His duties included the maintenance and service at all VCSC locations and facilities, including schools. Fennell routinely submitted requisitions to the VCSC business office which in turn created purchase orders that were sent to vendors authorizing work. The vendor would then be paid after the work was completed.
From April 2014 through October 2016, Fennell and co-defendant, Frank Shahadey instructed a Terre Haute area businessman to submit false and fraudulent invoices for work performed for the VCSC by either inflating the cost of the work or seeking payment for work that was either not performed, or was done by another business. Once paid by the VCSC based on the false and fraudulent invoices, the businessman kicked back a portion of the ill-gotten gains to Fennell and Shahadey and retained a portion for his personal benefit.
As a result of this fraud scheme, Fennell and Shahadey received kickbacks of more than $110,000. When confronted by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding this fraudulent scheme, Fennell made various false statements in a futile effort to exculpate himself.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“This sentencing affirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for those who exploit their official position for personal gain,” said Robert Middleton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top investigative priorities and our agents remain committed to pursuing those who violate the public’s trust through their greed.”
Fennell’s co-defendant, Frank Shahadey, was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment in October 2017, after pleading guilty to wire fraud and theft charges based on his involvement in this scheme.
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Tiffany Preston and Nick Linder who prosecuted the case, Fennel must also pay restitution in the amount of $110,600.
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 public corruption, (See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan, Section 5.3)
Van Buren Woman Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Fort Smith, Arkansas - Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Deborah Nabors, age 55, of Van Buren, was sentenced today to 71 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court records, in December 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned that methamphetamine was being distributed in the Fort Smith area by Nabors. During the investigation, DEA arranged and conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Nabors. The substance purchased was sent to the DEA South Central Laboratory for testing. The lab determined that the substance contained 74.62 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Nabors was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2017 and entered a guilty plea in January 2018.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Smith Police Department, Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, Van Buren Police Department and the 12th/21st Judicial District Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Candace Taylor and Aaron Jennen prosecuted the case for the United States.
United States Attorney Trent Shores Remembers Victims of OKC BombingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Trent Shores observed, “Today, we remember the 168 lives that were lost in a cowardly attack by a domestic terrorist in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. The victims included innocent men, women, and children who were our family, friends, and neighbors. The victims also included federal law enforcement agents who bravely served and protected our state and community. Out of this tragedy was born the Oklahoma Standard, an example for all the world to see of how a community can come together in the wake of tragedy. The men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma stand ready to answer the call again and serve our fellow Oklahomans, should the need arise. But today, we remember.”
Uniontown Man Will Spend 10 Years in Prison for Participating in Large-Scale Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH –A resident of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Jamal Eddings, age 36.
According to information presented to the court, Eddings was involved in a large-scale drug distribution ring in the Uniontown area. He conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 100 grams of cocaine.
United States Attorney Brady commended the multi-agency investigation of this case, which was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fayette County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Eddings. Assistant United States Attorneys Heidi M. Grogan and Troy Rivetti prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Attorney's Office hosts roundtable on sexual harassment in housingRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hosted a roundtable with community partners to discuss the problem of sexual harassment in housing, U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman announced.
The event included nearly 50 local law enforcement agencies, fair housing organizations, transitional housing providers and social service providers. Each organization was invited because they often work with vulnerable populations who are most likely to become victims of sexual harassment in housing.
“Sexual harassment in housing is often underreported, but it is an egregious violation of a person’s right to fair housing,” U.S. Attorney Herdman said. “Landlords or superintendents using the power they have over tenants to extort sexual favors, or even commit assaults, is intolerable. Our office is dedicated to uncovering such violations where they exist and vigorously enforcing the law.”
A similar meeting will take place next week in Toledo.
The Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Act.
In October 2017, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, an effort to combat sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department’s initiative seeks to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts – both among survivors and those they may report to – and collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to increase reporting and help survivors quickly and easily connect with federal resources.
The U.S. Attorney’s is working closely with the Civil Rights Division to spread the word in Northeast Ohio about options to help victims experiencing sexual harassment or who experienced sexual harassment in housing in the past. Roundtable discussions like the one that the office hosted today are one way to increase awareness and build strong partnerships in the community to combat this problem together.
Community partners, such as local law enforcement, legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, shelters, and transitional housing providers can identify the misconduct and recommend that victims report sexual harassment to the Civil Rights Division. Not only should victims of sexual harassment be aware of the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts, but people or organizations they may tell about the sexual harassment should also be aware where to refer them to report the misconduct. Local police departments or legal aid offices may be able to help victims, if the behavior is a crime or if there is an imminent eviction. In addition, organizations should recommend that the victim report the harassment to the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
While most people are familiar with the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace, harassment also occurs in housing, and the Fair Housing Act prohibits it. The Justice Department brings cases each year involving egregious conduct, including allegations that defendants have exposed themselves sexually to current or prospective tenants, requested sexual favors in exchange for reduced rents or making necessary repairs, made unrelenting and unwanted sexual advances to tenants, and evicted tenants who resisted their sexual overtures.
Many instances of sexual harassment in housing continue to go unreported. The Justice Department’s investigations frequently uncover sexual harassment that has been ongoing for years or decades and identify numerous victims who never reported the conduct to federal authorities.
The Department encourages anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in housing, or knows someone who has, to contact it by calling 1-(844) 380-6178 or emailing [email protected]. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may also file a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office at: 216-622-3932 or by emailing: [email protected]
Two Montgomery County Residents Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Jonathan Henry, age 26, of Bethesda, Maryland, and Dominique Davis, age 27, of Germantown, Maryland, today on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was returned on April 11, 2018, and unsealed today upon the arrest of Henry. Davis is currently detained in Montgomery County on unrelated charges.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Brian Ebert of the U.S. Secret Service - Washington Division; Postal Inspector in Charge Robert B. Wemyss of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to the 12-count indictment, between October 2015 and April 2018, Henry and Davis allegedly stole the personal identifiable information of at least eleven victims and created fake driver’s licenses with the stolen information. Using the fake driver’s licenses, Henry and Davis allegedly applied for credit card accounts at retail stores and cellular telephone accounts at telecommunication stores in the names of the victims without the victims’ authorization.
Using these fraudulent credit cards and accounts, the defendants purchased items on credit, including electronics and other merchandise.
During the course of the scheme, Henry and Davis made $45,206.13 worth of fraudulent charges in North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia.
Henry is also charged with 11 counts of aggravated identity theft.
Henry and Davis face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud.
Henry faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years per count of aggravated identity theft.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly O’Connell Hayes and Michael Packard, who are prosecuting the case.
Two Buffalo Men Indicted in Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Which Resulted in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051Buffalo, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Dontrell Wise, 32, and Lamario Jones, 31, both of Buffalo, NY, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, butyryl fentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy generally, and Wise specifically, between mid-November of 2017 and November 23, 2017, distributed fentanyl which caused the death of an individual identified as A.J. The “death results” charges are punishable by a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum of life and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that a third co-defendant, Jerell Weathersby pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute butyryl fentanyl which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Lyons, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt.The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Two Alaska Men Charged with Harassing, Killing Steller Sea Lions and Obstructing the Investigation into Their Illegal ActivitiesRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that two Alaska men have been charged in relation to 15 Steller sea lions found dead during the opening of the 2015 Copper River salmon season. The two men have been charged with harassing and killing Steller sea lions with shotguns and then making false statements and obstructing the government’s investigation into their criminal activities. The Steller sea lion is protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and is listed as an endangered species for the geographic area where the shooting occurred.
Jon Nichols, 31, of Cordova, who was captain of the Fishing Vessel (F/V) Iron Hide, and Theodore “Teddy” Turgeon, 21, of Wasilla, who was a deckhand on the F/V Iron Hide at the time of the offenses, were both named in the indictment. The charges include conspiracy, violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, obstruction of a Marine Mammal Protection Act investigation, false statements, and obstruction.
According to the indictment, during the first few weeks of the salmon gillnet season that opened on May 14, 2015, fifteen Steller sea lions were discovered dead along the sand bars at the mouth of Copper River fishing district. It is alleged that on various occasions between May and June 2015, Nichols, as the captain of the F/V Iron Hide, regularly directed his crew, which included Turgeon, to get a shotgun kept aboard the vessel, and shoot at Steller sea lions while fishing in the Copper River fishing district. At times, Nichols would shoot the Steller sea lions himself. Nichols would also sometimes drive the F/V Iron Hide in the direction of the Steller sea lions to allow Turgeon to get a better shot at the sea lions.
It is further alleged that, after learning there was an investigation into the dead Steller sea lions, Nichols and Turgeon obstructed the investigation by, among other things, removing the shotgun from the F/V Iron Hide and coordinating false stories between his crew members about the presence of shotguns and the shooting of sea lions. Turgeon is also charged with making false statements to a NOAA law enforcement agent, and Nichols is charged with obstructing and attempting to obstruct a grand jury investigation by endeavoring to influence his crew not to provide truthful information relevant to the investigation.
NOAA, Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA OLE) conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Twelve Sentenced This Week for Roles in Heroin Trafficking EnterpriseRead the Press Release
Harrisonburg, VIRGINIA – Twelve of the thirteen co-conspirators convicted of trafficking more than 1,000 grams of heroin from Baltimore to Front Royal over the course of three years were sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced.
“The heroin and opioid epidemic is one of the most challenging law-enforcement issues in the Western District of Virginia, and the problem is particularly acute in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Fortunately, our federal, state, and local law-enforcement partners are highly skilled and experienced in dismantling drug-trafficking organizations like this one,” United States Attorney Cullen said today. “We will devote all available resources to investigating and prosecuting these important cases.”
The twelve individuals sentenced this week were convicted of being involved in a multi-year trafficking enterprise that brought significant amounts of heroin from Baltimore to Front Royal.
Wednesday in U.S. District Court, four defendants convicted for their roles in the enterprise were sentenced. Nicole Renae McNall, 25, of Front Royal was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Sheldon Berry, 27, was sentenced to 168 months. Brittani Monique O’Bannion, 23, of Front Royal, was sentenced to 60 months. Megan Marie McNall, 24, of Front Royal, was sentenced to 108 months. The hearing for Earl Christopher Magwood, 42, was continued and rescheduled for next month.
Earlier this week, eight defendants were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. On Tuesday, three defendants from Front Royal were sentenced to federal prison time. Da’Shawn Edwards was sentenced to 168 months, Keon Hackley was sentenced to 36 months and Tiara Baily was sentenced to 16 months. Two Baltimore men were also sentenced Tuesday. Antwan Cottman received 180 months in prison and Antwan Lucas was sentenced to 108 months. On Monday, three members of the conspiracy were sentenced. Adrian Edwards was sentenced to 190 months in prison. Randall Freeman and Alisha Stocking were each sentenced to 48 months.
According to information and evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Donald R. Wolthuis, the conspiracy began as early as 2013 with the goal of trafficking heroin from Baltimore to the Front Royal area. On average, members of the conspiracy distributed one kilogram of heroin per week during the life of the conspiracy, which operated between 2013 and April 2016.
To insulate the identity of the sellers from the identity of the buyers, heroin customers in Virginia contacted a phone number in Maryland, either by voice call or text, which was controlled by conspiracy members and was known only as the “Chris phone.” “Chris” was not a real person, but rather was a fake name associated with the phone number customers contacted to place heroin orders. At the time an order was placed, customers were provided a street address in Baltimore where their order was to be picked up. When a customer arrived at the pre-determined address, the customer’s car was approached by other members of the conspiracy, a drug transaction took place, and the Virginia customers drove back to Front Royal. No socializing or small talk took place between the customer in the car and the seller on the street. The Virginia customers made these trips every day, sometimes multiple times per day. Once they returned to Front Royal, the customers used the heroin and sold it to others.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Winchester Office, the Front Royal Office of the Virginia State Police Northwest Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, the Baltimore City Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Frederick, Maryland Sheriff’s Office, the Loudoun County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office and the Howard County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Donald R. Wolthuis is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Tucson Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening to Kill CongresswomanRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On April 18, 2018, Steve Martan, 58, of Tucson, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 15 months’ imprisonment. Martan had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening.
On May 2, 4, and 10, 2017, Martan left a total of six threatening messages for Congresswoman Martha McSally on her congressional office voicemail. Martan was identified through caller identification and subscriber information and was in possession of the phone used to leave these messages when he was arrested on May 11, 2017.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Capitol Police. The prosecution was handled by Angela W. Woolridge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-0857-TUC-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-043_Martan
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Tonawanda Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Randy Rance, 57, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to five years in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque, who handled the case, stated that in December 2016, the defendant distributed child pornography to an undercover investigator. In January 2017, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department seized the Rance’s computer. Forensic examination determined that the defendant was in possession of over 1,000,000 images of child pornography, some of which depicted prepubescent children less than 12 years of age.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jerome Uschold, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Lyons.
Three Sacramento Men Indicted for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Jose Luis Romero, 53; Salvador Padilla III, 38; and Eberardo Mendez, 50, all of Sacramento, charging them with distributing methamphetamine and conspiracy to do the same, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court records, an undercover agent met with Romero on three occasions in December 2017 and February 2018 to purchase methamphetamine. Surveillance units saw Romero meeting with Padilla before and after each transaction, and court documents allege that Padilla was supplying Romero with the narcotics for each meeting. Court records also allege that Mendez served as a courier for two of the meetings, taking at least two pounds of methamphetamine from Padilla to Romero to facilitate the undercover purchases. In all, law enforcement bought over three pounds of methamphetamine from Romero directly during this investigation.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with special assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
If convicted of any of the charges, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account several variables. These charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Terril, Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received and possessed child pornography pled guilty on April 17, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.
James Sorter, age 41, from Terril, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography after a conviction for lascivious acts with child in the District Court for Linn County, Iowa.
In a plea agreement, Sorter admitted that between August 1, 2014, and May 31, 2017, in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere, he knowingly received and attempted to receive visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including a depiction involving a prepubescent minor or a minor that had not attained 12 years of age. Sorter was previously convicted of lascivious acts with a child in the Iowa District Court for Linn County in 2005.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Sorter remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sorter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 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 Timothy T. Duax and was investigated by Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR17-4077.
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Seven Previously Deported Aliens Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that seven previously deported aliens were indicted separately on April 18, 2018, by a federal grand jury for illegal re-entry into the United.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Jorge Martinez-Casas, age 38, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in June 2016. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after June 2016, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Rey Sanchez-Fierro, age 42, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in December 2010, January 2011, and March 2013. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after March 2013, and was found in the United States in York County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Erasmo Rivera-Reyes, age 46, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in February 2012 and April 2013. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after April 2013, and was found in the United States in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Jose Gonzalez-Villegas, age 23, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in June 2014 and October 2016. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after October 2016, and was found in the United States in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Antonio Rodriguez-Ramirez, age 41, of Honduras, was previously deported from the United States to Honduras in September 2001 and January 2011. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after January 2011, and was found in the United States in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Rosalio Zamora-Lopez, age 43, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in January 2011, April 2011, February 2012, March 2014 and March 2014. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after March 2014, and was found in the United States in Adams County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Omar Lopez-Hernandez, age 29, of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in February 2011. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after February 2011, and was found in the United States in Franklin County, Pennsylvania after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Under federal law, Martinez-Casas, Sanchez-Fierro, Rivera-Reyes, Gonzalez-Villegas, Rodriguez-Ramirez, Zamora-Lopez, Lopez-Hernandez all face a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian G. McDonnell is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Seven Defendants Charged in White Plains Federal Court with Narcotics Trafficking in Orange CountyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Carl E. DuBois, the Orange County Sheriff (“OCSO”), and Doug Solomon, the Chief of the City of Newburgh Police Department (“CNPD”), announced the unsealing of an indictment and a complaint charging seven defendants with allegedly engaging in the distribution of cocaine throughout the Southern District of New York. Three defendants were taken into federal custody on March 22. Three defendants were taken into federal custody on April 17 and were presented in White Plains federal court yesterday afternoon before United States Magistrate Lisa M. Smith. This case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas. Defendant TAMIKA SWEAT remains at large.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Today we announce the indictment of seven individuals for conspiring to bring large amounts of cocaine to the streets of Newburgh. I commend our law enforcement partners for another success in our collective effort to keep dangerous narcotics off our streets.
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “Our partnerships we’ve established and cultivated with local law enforcement agencies proves cases like this are making a significant impact on our communities. Those same communities are fighting the rising, deadly consequences of illegal drugs that are tearing families and neighborhoods apart. The FBI won’t stop pursuing the suppliers and dealers each and every day, as long as the problem exists.”
Orange County Sheriff Carl E. DuBois said: “I have made a commitment to protect the public from the scourge of illicit drug trafficking in Orange County and I commend the FBI Safe Streets Task Force for carrying out our mission to stop the plague of drugs from devastating our communities.”
City of Newburgh Police Chief Doug Solomon said: “This case is another example of our collaboration with The Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force. We will continue to build cases against people who sell narcotics in our city. We will utilize all of our local, state and federal partners in accomplishing this goal. This case should act as yet another reminder of how dedicated we are to eliminating crime and making our neighborhoods safer for the residents of The City of Newburgh.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed yesterday in White Plains federal court[1]:
From at least in or about 2017 up to and including in or about March 2018, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, EDWIN GUERRIER, a/k/a “Eddy F,” CARLOS FABIAN, and FERNANDO FERRER conspired to distribute 5 kilograms and more of cocaine; TAMIKA SWEAT, WILLIAM JONES, a/k/a “Polly,” MAURICE MURPHY, a/k/a “Marky D,” and EUGENE JOHNSON, conspired to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine.
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The defendants EDWIN GUERRIER, CARLOS FABIAN, and FERNANDO FERRER face a maximum term of life in prison, and a mandatory term of 10 years in prison. Defendants TAMIKA SWEAT, WILLIAM JONES, MAURICE MURPHY, and EUGENE JOHNSON face a maximum term of 40 years in prison, and a mandatory term of five years in prison.
A chart containing the names of the defendants who were arrested and charged today, and the charges and maximum penalties they face, is attached.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants would be determined by the respective judges.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, City of Newburgh Police Department.
These cases are being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel L. Raymond is in charge of the prosecutions.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
CHARGE(S)
DEFENDANTS
MAXIMUM PENALTIES
Narcotics conspiracy
(Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms and more of cocaine.)
EDWIN GUERRIER,
a/k/a “Eddy F,”
CARLOS FABIAN,
FERNANDO FERRER
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum: 10 years in prison
Narcotics conspiracy
(Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine.)
TAMIKA SWEAT,
WILLIAM JONES,
a/k/a “Polly,”
MAURICE MURPHY,
a/k/a “Marky D,”
EUGENE JOHNSON
40 years in prison
Mandatory minimum: 5 years in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Sentencings for April 17 - April 19, 2018Read the Press Release
THOMAS ALLEN MARTINEZ, 56, of Torrington, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on April 17, 2018 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug traffic crime. Martinez was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by forty-eight months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500.00 and a $200.00 special assessment. The Torrington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
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.
ALEX ADAM WHITEBIRD, 30, of Riverton, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on April 13, 2018 for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Whitebird was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received sixty-two months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 fine, and restitution in the amount of $38,450.12. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated this case.
RICHARD THOMAS SLATE, 33, of Thornton, Colorado was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on April 19, 2018 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Slate was arrested in Colorado. He received one hundred twenty months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500.00. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
School Employee Pleads Guilty to Role in Bribery Scheme Involving VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The financial manager of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to bribe a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $1.4 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
Sombo Kanneh, 29, of McLean, Virginia, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia. Atius’s owner, Albert Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 16.
According to admissions made in connection with Kanneh’s plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with her plea, Kanneh joined the conspiracy in or about October 2016, when she was hired as Atius’s financial manager. Pursuant to an agreement that Poawui and a VR&E program counselor had entered the prior year, Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius. In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment.
Kanneh admitted that she routinely moved money between Atius’s bank accounts to facilitate bribe payments to the VR&E counselor. Kanneh also admitted that she personally hand-delivered cash bribes to the VR&E counselor on numerous occasions. Between August 2015 and December 2017, Kanneh and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $1,423,030. During that time period, Kanneh and others paid the VR&E counselor approximately $106,454 in exchange for the counselor’s official acts in furtherance of the scheme to commit bribery and defraud the VA.
Kanneh’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
School Employee Pleads Guilty to Role in Bribery Scheme Involving VA Program for Disabled Military VeteransRead the Press Release
The financial manager of Atius Technology Institute (“Atius”), a privately owned, non-accredited school specializing in information technology courses, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to bribe a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $1.4 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of FBI’s Washington Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office made the announcement.
Sombo Kanneh, 29, of McLean, Virginia, pleaded guilty to an Information alleging one count of conspiracy to bribe a public official. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia. Atius’s owner, Albert Poawui, 41, of Laurel, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 16.
According to admissions made in connection with Kanneh’s plea, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program is a VA program that provides disabled U.S. military veterans with education and employment-related services. VR&E program counselors advise veterans under their supervision which schools to attend and facilitate payments to those schools for veterans’ tuition and necessary supplies.
According to admissions made in connection with her plea, Kanneh joined the conspiracy in or about October 2016, when she was hired as Atius’s financial manager. Pursuant to an agreement that Poawui and a VR&E program counselor had entered the prior year, Poawui would pay the counselor a seven percent cash kickback of all payments made by the VA to Atius. In exchange, the counselor steered VR&E program veterans to Atius and approved Atius’s invoices for payment.
Kanneh admitted that she routinely moved money between Atius’s bank accounts to facilitate bribe payments to the VR&E counselor. Kanneh also admitted that she personally hand-delivered cash bribes to the VR&E counselor on numerous occasions. Between August 2015 and December 2017, Kanneh and the scheme’s other participants caused the VA to pay Atius approximately $1,423,030. During that time period, Kanneh and others paid the VR&E counselor approximately $106,454 in exchange for the counselor’s official acts in furtherance of the scheme to commit bribery and defraud the VA.
Kanneh’s plea is the result of an ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the VA OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrienne Dedjinou of the U.S. Attorney’s for the Office of the District of Columbia also investigated the matter. Trial Attorney Simon J. Cataldo of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonali D. Patel of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
San Francisco Man Charged with Making Threats to Federal OfficialsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury issued an indictment today charging Bay Area resident Ronald Joseph LaFaye with eight counts of making threats to federal officials, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division (VA OIG CID), James K. Wahleithner.
According to the indictment, LaFaye, 52, threatened to assault, kidnap, or murder federal officials. LaFaye is alleged to have made the threats with the intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with those federal officials while they were engaged in the performance of official duties, and with intent to retaliate against the officials because of the way they performed those duties. The indictment sets out eight occasions between March 19, 2018, and March 26, 2018, in which the defendant threatened to assault, murder, beat, “pimp,” sodomize, or otherwise harm employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and LaFaye, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant in this case faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. In addition, LaFaye may be ordered to pay restitution and additional assessments as well as serve a period of supervised release as part of a sentence. However, 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.
The defendant currently is in state custody on other charges. His next appearance in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the VA OIG CID with assistance from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police, the FBI, the San Mateo Police Department, and the San Francisco Police Department.