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10 April 2018
New York Man Charged with Kidnapping and Assaulting A Victim in Essex County, New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man will appear in federal court today to face allegations that he assaulted and kidnapped an individual who had a protection order against him, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Rudolf Szoradi, 50, is charged by four-count criminal complaint with kidnapping, transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines, interstate domestic violence and interstate violation of a protection order. He is expected to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court. Szoradi was originally arrested in December 2017 and was in state custody.
According to the complaint:
In 2017, a state court issued a protection order requiring Szoradi to stay away from the victim, an individual with whom Szoradi previously had a romantic relationship. In violation of that order, Szoradi took the victim to his relative’s residence in Essex County, New Jersey, in December 2017.
On Dec. 15, 2017, in the basement of that residence, Szoradi allegedly assaulted the victim, including choking, punching, and kicking the victim while the victim was on the ground. Szoradi also attacked the victim with a knife. The victim made numerous attempts to escape, but each time Szoradi allegedly placed himself on top of the victim and continued the assault, accusing the victim of cheating on him and threatening to kill the victim.
Later that day, Szoradi allegedly put the victim into the back seat of a vehicle that belonged to another relative of Szoradi. Using a string of Christmas tree lights, Szoradi allegedly tied up the victim’s arms and feet so that the victim could not escape. Szoradi did not have permission to take the vehicle, and the owner reported it stolen. With the victim restrained in the back seat, Szoradi drove the vehicle toward Florida.
While driving through North Carolina, the victim convinced Szoradi to take the victim to a hospital. Szoradi drove the victim to a hotel in Garner, North Carolina, allegedly to conceal the extent of the victim’s injuries before visiting the hospital.
On Dec. 16, 2017, Szoradi drove the victim to a hospital in Clayton, North Carolina. Surveillance video allegedly shows him drop an object into a trash can near the entrance of the emergency room, where law enforcement later recovered a knife. The victim was treated for serious injuries, including multiple knife punctures and hand lacerations, facial and neck trauma, multiple contusions, and blackened eyes. Szoradi was arrested at the hospital.
The kidnapping charge carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. The transportation of a stolen vehicle, interstate domestic violence, and interstate violation of a protective order charges are each punishable by 10 years in prison.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley W. Cohen in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the Newark Police Division and Clayton police departments for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Feldman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Protection Unit in Newark.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KAVON ROGERS, 30, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for racketeering and firearm offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2014, ATF and the New Haven Police Department began “Operation Red Side” through a series of controlled narcotics purchases and firearms seizures. The investigation revealed that members and associates of the Red Side Guerilla Brims (“RSGB”), a sect of the Bloods street gang based in New Haven, were engaged in narcotics trafficking and related acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder, assaults and armed robberies. In addition to distributing crack cocaine and other narcotics in and around New Haven, the investigation indicated that members and associates of the RSGB, under the direction of Jeffrey Benton and others, transported the drugs to Bangor, Maine, and sold them in Bangor and its surrounding communities. The RSGB also traded narcotics for firearms, brought the firearms back to New Haven and distributed them to gang members. ROGERS, as RSGB member, sold crack in and around New Haven and traveled between New Haven and Bangor several times.
On June 24, 2011, Donell Allick was shot and killed as he stood in his New Haven home. The investigation revealed that, on that date, ROGERS drove Benton and his associates, Luis Padilla and Keith Young, as they searched for a rival gang leader that Benton intended to murder. Instead, Benton encountered Allick, with whom Benton was angry over a drug transaction. After Benton, Padilla and Young exited the car, Benton fired multiple shots through an open kitchen window, killing Allick. Benton, Padilla and Young then returned the car, where ROGERS had been waiting. ROGERS then drove to a location where Benton hid the gun.
ROGERS has been detained since his arrest on September 27, 2014, when, as part of an unrelated investigation, he was found in a possession of a stolen .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun.
On May 5, 2015, ROGERS pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon and, on November 19, 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity.
As a result of this investigation, 21 members and associates of the RSGB were convicted of federal charges in Connecticut and Maine. The investigation has resolved seven murder cases, four attempted murders and four armed robberies that occurred in 2011 and 2012.
Benton, Padilla and Young pleaded guilty to various offenses stemming from this investigation, and admitted to participating in the murder of Donell Allick. Benton also admitted that he participated in three other gang-related murders and one attempted murder, Padilla admitted that he participated in two other gang-related murders and two attempted murders, and Young admitted that he participated in one other gang-related murder.
On October 4, 2017, Benton was sentenced to 480 months of imprisonment. Padilla and Young await sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Durham noted that federal prisoners are required to serve at least 85 percent of their sentenced term of imprisonment and are not eligible for parole.
This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Hamden Police Department. The New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office also provided critical assistance in the investigation.
An instrumental component of the investigation has been the work of the Connecticut State Crime Laboratory in utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze ballistics evidence.
This matter is being prosecuted in the District of Connecticut by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Markle and Jocelyn Kaoutzanis. A related case in the District of Maine is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey.
New Freedom Woman Sentenced to 71 Months’ Imprisonment for Embezzling $4.3 Million from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Donna Marie Wozniak, age 57, of New Freedom, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 71 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release by United States District Court Judge John E. Jones, III, for embezzlement in connection with healthcare and tax evasion.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, on August 14, 2017, Wozniak pled guilty to a two-count criminal information charging her with embezzlement in connection with healthcare and tax evasion. Wozniak was the business manager for Susquehanna Valley Surgery Center (SVSC), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania from 2000 through 2014. As part of Wozniak’s job duties, she received invoices form vendors of SVSC that needed to be paid from SVSC’s general operating account. Upon receipt of these invoices, Wozniak would then review the invoices to decide when and how much each vendor would be paid. Wozniak obtained blank checks ostensibly for payment to vendors. During a forensic audit of SVSC's financial records, it was discovered that Wozniak made a portion of the signed blank SVSC checks payable to herself and that these checks were cleared through SVSC's M&T Bank account. The evidence shows that Wozniak cashed or deposited a total of $4.3 million utilizing multiple bank accounts she maintained. In order to conceal her theft, Wozniak created false invoices from legitimate SVSC vendors. Wozniak would then falsify entries into the QuickBooks accounting software maintained by SVSC, showing the checks and payments were being made to the vendors. Wozniak admitted to the theft of SVSC funds and was terminated from SVSC in November of 2014. During sentencing, Wozniak represented to the Court that her gambling addiction caused her to embezzle the funds.
“We appreciate the outstanding effort of our partners at IRS Criminal Investigation in this substantial embezzlement case,” said United States Attorney Freed. “As evidenced by Judge Jones’ sentence, there are stiff consequences for individuals who choose to commit such high dollar thefts.”
“All income is taxable, no matter what the source of the income,” said Guy Ficco, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today’s sentencing should serve as a deterrent to others who might consider attempting a similar scheme in the future.”
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph J. Terz prosecuted the case.
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National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Event Set for April 14 in RoanokeRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – In commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the Roanoke Valley Victims’ Resource Coalition will host a Community Day on Saturday, April 14 from 1-3 p.m. at Wells Fargo Plaza near Market Square in Roanoke. The event is designed to highlight recovery and other resources available to crime victims in the Roanoke Valley, provide the community with information about crime enforcement, emphasize prevention education, and foster the ties between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
“Ensuring that the voices of all victims of crime be heard is an integral part of the criminal justice system and something that I, as the United States Attorney, take extremely seriously.” United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen said today. “This weekend’s community event will allow service providers and law enforcement agencies to come together to meet the community in an informal setting to build trust and forge lasting relationships that will help us better serve victims in the future.”
Saturday’s event is free and family friendly with interactive demonstrations and information available from more than a dozen federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and service providers. There will be plenty for children to see and do, including police motorcycles, firetrucks, police cars, other law enforcement vehicles, K9 Officers, activities, games, food and more.
In addition, there will be information available for adults about local community groups, service providers, drug prevention tips, exhibitions and more. A particular area of focus is crimes against the elderly. Information will be available from the United States Attorney’s Office that focuses on schemes directed at seniors, such as phone scams, healthcare scams, frauds involving grandchildren, and IRS imposter scams. Additional information will be available offering tips to keep seniors safe from falling victim to these frauds, as well as information about what to do if an elder person believes they have been a victim of a fraud.
The Office for Victims of Crime of the U.S. Department of Justice leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme, Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims, highlights how the investment of communities in serving crime victims expands the opportunity for all victims, including those who are sometimes overlooked or marginalized, to disclose their victimization, connect with services, and receive the support they need.
The Roanoke Valley Victims' Resource Coalition members include federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, victim witness and victim assistance programs, state government agencies, federal government agencies and a multitude of service providers and shelters from the greater Roanoke area.
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Bonner Springs Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City man pleaded guilty Tuesday to robbing a bank in Bonner Springs, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Timothy Karpovich, 39, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. An affidavit filed in the case alleged that Karpovich robbed the KCB Bank at 13010 Commercial in Bonner Springs. He gave the teller a handwritten note and kept his right hand in his pocket as if he had a gun. He fled the bank on foot.
Police received a tip that the robber gambled regularly at Harrah’s Casino in North Kansas City, Mo. Casino employees identified Karpovich from a bank surveillance photo. He was arrested without incident at the casino.
Sentencing is set for July 2. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. McAllister commended the FBI, the Bonner Springs Police Department, the Missouri Highway Patrol Gaming Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug for their work on the case.
Mississippi Real Estate Investors Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Rig Bids at Public Foreclosure AuctionsRead the Press Release
Real estate investors Kevin Moore, Chad Nichols, and Terry Tolar pleaded guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Mississippi, the Department of Justice announced.
Including Moore, Nichols, and Tolar, five real estate investors have pleaded guilty in this conspiracy. Separate felony charges against Moore, Nichols, and Tolar were filed on April 3, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.
“Today’s guilty pleas send a strong signal that the Division will prosecute and hold accountable those who conspire to corrupt the competitive process and harm the American consumer,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “We extend our thanks to our law enforcement partners, with whom we will continue to investigate bid-rigging crimes in Mississippi—and throughout the United States.”
“Individuals who harm homeowners and defraud companies by cheating our foreclosure system to enrich themselves will face swift and certain criminal prosecution in Mississippi,” said United States Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr. for the Southern District of Mississippi. “I applaud the FBI and the Antitrust Division for their tenacity and perseverance in pursuing these criminal actions and shutting this illegal scheme down.”
“Violations of the Sherman Act not only impact America’s financial institutions and distressed homeowners but also damage our free market society as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI in Mississippi. “We hope that others participating in this type of corruption understand that the FBI and Department of Justice will continue to protect Americans from price fixing and bid rigging that harm our economy.”
According to court documents, from at least as early as January 12, 2012, through at least as late as April 19, 2017, Moore conspired with others to rig bids, designating a winning bidder to obtain selected properties at public real estate foreclosure auctions in the Southern District of Mississippi. Nichols participated in the conspiracy from as early as April 14, 2010, through as late as February 25, 2015, and Tolar’s participation began as early as January 12, 2012, through as late as March 31, 2017. Co-conspirators made and received payoffs in exchange for their agreement not to bid.
The Department said that the primary purpose of the conspiracy was to suppress and restrain competition in order to obtain selected real estate offered at public foreclosure auctions at non-competitive prices. When real estate properties are sold at these auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with any remaining proceeds paid to the homeowner. According to court documents, these conspirators paid and received money in connection with their agreement to suppress competition, which artificially lowered the price paid at auction for such homes.
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for a Sherman Act charge may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section and the FBI’s Gulfport Resident Agency, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact Antitrust Division prosecutors in the Washington Criminal II Section at 202-598-4000, or visit https://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Mississippi Real Estate Investors Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Rig Bids at Public Foreclosure AuctionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Real estate investors Kevin Moore, Chad Nichols, and Terry Tolar pleaded guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Mississippi, the Department of Justice announced.
Including Moore, Nichols, and Tolar, five real estate investors have pleaded guilty in this conspiracy. Separate felony charges against Moore, Nichols, and Tolar were filed on April 3, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.
“Today’s guilty pleas send a strong signal that the Division will prosecute and hold accountable those who conspire to corrupt the competitive process and harm the American consumer,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “We extend our thanks to our law enforcement partners, with whom we will continue to investigate bid-rigging crimes in Mississippi—and throughout the United States.”
“Individuals who harm homeowners and defraud companies by cheating our foreclosure system to enrich themselves will face swift and certain criminal prosecution in Mississippi,” said United States Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr. for the Southern District of Mississippi. “I applaud the FBI and the Antitrust Division for their tenacity and perseverance in pursuing these criminal actions and shutting this illegal scheme down.”
“Violations of the Sherman Act not only impact America’s financial institutions and distressed homeowners but also damage our free market society as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI in Mississippi. “We hope that others participating in this type of corruption understand that the FBI and Department of Justice will continue to protect Americans from price fixing and bid rigging that harm our economy.”
According to court documents, from at least as early as January 12, 2012, through at least as late as April 19, 2017, Moore conspired with others to rig bids, designating a winning bidder to obtain selected properties at public real estate foreclosure auctions in the Southern District of Mississippi. Nichols participated in the conspiracy from as early as April 14, 2010, through as late as February 25, 2015, and Tolar’s participation began as early as January 12, 2012, through as late as March 31, 2017. Co-conspirators made and received payoffs in exchange for their agreement not to bid.
The Department said that the primary purpose of the conspiracy was to suppress and restrain competition in order to obtain selected real estate offered at public foreclosure auctions at non-competitive prices. When real estate properties are sold at these auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with any remaining proceeds paid to the homeowner. According to court documents, these conspirators paid and received money in connection with their agreement to suppress competition, which artificially lowered the price paid at auction for such homes.
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for a Sherman Act charge may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.
The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section and the FBI’s Gulfport Resident Agency, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact Antitrust Division prosecutors in the Washington Criminal II Section at 202-598-4000, or visit https://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Mission Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury.
Brandon Jones, age 24, was indicted on November 14, 2017. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 6, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about May 6, 2017, Jones did unlawfully assault two individuals which resulted in serious bodily injury, and assaulted a third individual which resulted in substantial bodily injury.
The charges are merely accusations and Jones is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Jones remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.
Mexican National Sentenced for Destructive Marijuana Cultivation Operation in Sierra Mountains in Tulare CountyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Cristobal Chavez-Rocha, 31, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to two years and two months in prison and ordered to pay $32,712 in restitution to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for the damage to public land and natural resources, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
On January 22, 2018, Chavez-Rocha pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. According to the plea agreement, on May 24, 2017, a search warrant was executed on Bureau of Land Management lands in the Sierra Mountains in Tulare County. When law enforcement officers identified themselves, Chavez-Rocha began running uphill and was ultimately arrested. A total of 4,612 plants were eradicated from the grow site. Chavez-Rocha admitted that he was hired to take care of the marijuana plants at that location and that he had been living at the grow site.
The marijuana cultivation operation caused extensive damage to the land and natural resources. Toxic pesticides and fertilizers, miles of plastic irrigation lines, and large amounts of trash were found, and Native vegetation was removed to make room for the marijuana plants. The marijuana cultivation resulted in damage to public lands, and the cost to the United States to reclaim and restore the illegal grow site to its natural state will be approximately $32,217.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the California Army National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Park Police Marijuana Interdiction Group, and the Southern Tri-County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Delaney prosecuted the case.
Maryland man admits to cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Lee Wyatt, of Elkridge, Maryland has admitted to a drug distribution charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Wyatt, age 39, pled guilty to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Cocaine Base.” Wyatt admitted to distributing cocaine base in Mineral County in June 2017.
Wyatt faces up to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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 Lara K. Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Potomac Highlands Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Man Sentenced to Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 74 months in prison for receiving images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, Jesse Courtemanche, 38, was found to be sharing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct by FBI agents using peer-to-peer file-sharing software in an undercover capacity. When interviewed, Courtemanche stated he started looking at these images online when he was in his mid-teens. A review of his electronic media revealed his collection of thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-139.
Local Man Sent to Prison for Distributing Sexual-Explicit Images of InfantsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 28-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison after admitting to distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Ryan K. Patrick. Randy Michael Ramirez pleaded guilty Jan. 29, 2018.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack sentenced Ramirez to 188 months in federal prison. Additional information was also presented today, including evidence that months before his arrest, Ramirez was communicating with an individual and was attempting to pay the individual to have sexual intercourse with an infant. Ramirez will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In May 2016, authorities discovered Ramirez was communicating with an undercover detective in Dallas and eventually sent a link which contained 76 videos of child pornography. During the communications, Ramirez told the undercover detective that he had access to a nine-year-old female and a 10-month-old infant that he would offer for sex. Law enforcement was able to locate Ramirez and determined he did not have access to any children. Authorities seized a cellular telephone from Ramirez’s residence which resulted in the discovery of more than 80 images and 12 videos of child pornography. Many of the videos involved sexually explicit conduct with children as young as infants.
At the time of his plea, the court heard that upon his arrest, Ramirez attempted to hide a cellular telephone. Law enforcement was able to locate the device and a forensic analysis revealed an additional 120 images of child pornography.
Ramirez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hugo R. Martinez is prosecuting the case, which 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Local Man Charged with Robbing Key Bank in Downtown PittsburghRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - One resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on a charge of Bank Robbery, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment named Darryl Leon Wilson, age 60, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about February 22, 2018, Wilson robbed Key Bank, located at 300 6th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Key Bank is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Larimer Man Charged in Identity Theft RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Conspiracy, Access Device Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The four-count indictment named Terry Porterfield, 42, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Porterfield participated in an identity theft ring, through which he broke into unoccupied vehicles and stole means of identification and access devices of individuals, including driver licenses, credit card, debit cards, and social security cards. Porterfield and other members of the conspiracy used the stolen means of identification and access devices to make and attempt to make fraudulent purchases at various retail establishments, including Target and Best Buy.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than two years and not more than of 37 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000.00 or both. 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 Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, Allegheny County Police, Ross Township Police, and Pittsburgh Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Laguna Pueblo Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Assault by Strangulation ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Howard Francis, 53, an enrolled member and resident of Laguna Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 30 months in prison for his conviction on an assault by strangulation charge. Francis will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Francis was arrested on Oct. 18, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault of an intimate partner by strangulation. According to the complaint, Francis assaulted the victim, a Navajo woman, on Oct. 11, 2016, in the Laguna Pueblo within Cibola County, N.M., by grabbing the victim’s hair, and hitting her in the face with a closed fist. It also alleged that Francis used his forearm to pin the victim by the neck to the bed, making it difficult for the victim to breathe, and placed a pillow over the victim’s face while attempting to suffocate her.
Francis was indicted on Nov. 1, 2016, and was charged with assault of an intimate partner by strangulation or suffocating and attempting to assault an intimate partner by suffocating.
On Oct. 26, 2017, Francis pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment, which charged him with assaulting an intimate partner by strangulation. In entering the guilty plea, Francis admitted that on Oct. 11, 2016, he grabbed the victim by the hair and hit her in the face while demanding the victim’s cellular phone. Francis further admitted that as the victim attempted to leave the room, he grabbed her by the hair, dragged her back to the bed, and placed his forearms across her neck and applying pressure to her throat. As the result of the assault, the victim sustained injuries to her face, throat and body, including bruising and red petechiae.
This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez prosecuted the case 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 largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Justice Department Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with Events Throughout the CountryRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE – In observance of this week as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, federal and state prosecutors in north Alabama today joined with service providers, survivors and community members to honor a victim advocate, a state prosecutor and five federal agents who have shown special commitment to helping crime victims.
Veleda Davis, a victim advocate at the non-profit AshaKiran volunteer center in Madison County, Lauderdale County Assistant District Attorney Angie Hamilton, and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Birmingham office received awards during the 2018 National Crime Victims’ Rights Recognition Ceremony this morning at Huntsville’s Jackson Center. Alexis Barton, the event’s featured speaker, received the Distinguish Survivor Award. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the Madison County District Attorney’s Office and Crisis Services of North Alabama presented the recognition ceremony.
"In law enforcement, we are sworn to serve and protect," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "We carry out this oath every day by protecting the rights of law abiding people from criminals and by achieving justice for crime victims. This week, we remember the millions of Americans who have been victimized by criminals and we thank those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their service to those victims. As we do so, we recommit ourselves to fulfilling our oath and to reducing crime in America."
“National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a celebration of courage. It is a celebration of survivors. It is a celebration of those service officers who spend countless hours supporting victims and helping them become survivors,” said U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town. “It is the acknowledgment by our justice system that we confront offenders together, shoulder to shoulder, and serves to embolden and empower all crime victims.”
In Birmingham on Sunday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office joined 22 local agencies to kick off National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with One Heart in the Park, to stand in solidarity with the community’s victims of crime in Linn Park. A goal of the event was to connect crime victims and members of the community with agencies and advocates that provide assistance and services to victims and to highlight how professionals, organizations, and communities can work in tandem to reach all victims.
Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. The theme for this year’s observance is Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.
The U.S. Department of Justice will host the Office for Victims of Crime’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Friday to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime.
The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.
The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/. You may also contact the Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Program at (205) 244-2093.
Jamaican Citizen Admits Possessing Loaded Firearms in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jevar Sturridge, age 25, and a citizen of Jamaica, pled guilty today to possession of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and heroin with the intent to distribute those drugs, and to the possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his plea, Sturridge admitted that on February 15, 2017, he possessed 48 grams of cocaine base (crack cocaine), 42 grams of powder cocaine, and 42 grams of heroin in his apartment in Massena, New York. Sturridge further admitted to possessing, in his apartment, a loaded Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun and a loaded Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, in order to guard against the potential theft of his drugs and drug proceeds.
Sturridge faces at least 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $8 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life when he is sentenced on August 7, 2018 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Massena Police Department and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Emmet O’Hanlon.
Illegal Alien Sentenced in Columbia for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Zeferino Mendoza-Ojeda, age 42, of Pelion, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for Reentry of Removed Aliens, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., of Columbia, sentenced Mendoza-Ojeda to time served (approximately 9 months imprisonment) with no supervised release because he is expected to be deported upon completion of his sentence.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Mendoza-Ojeda is a Mexican citizen who had previously been deported twice with the second deportation occurring after he was convicted for felony driving under the influence causing great bodily injury as a result of an accident. He was encountered by ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations agents on July 8, 2017 at the Lexington County Detention Center after being arrested for traffic offenses.
Agents of ICE–Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II, of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
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Historian Sentenced for Theft of Government Records from the National ArchivesRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland – On April 9, 2018, United States District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Antonin DeHays, age 33, of College Park, Maryland, to 364 days in prison followed by three years of supervised release (the first eight months on home detention), as well as 100 hours of community service, for theft of government records from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Judge Chuang also ordered DeHays to pay $43,456.96 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Jason Metrick of the National Archives and Records Administration - Office of Inspector General.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in December 2012, and continuing through June 2017, DeHays stole and knowingly converted for his own use U.S. service members’ dog tags and other records from the public research room at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. Specifically, DeHays stole at least 291 U.S. service members’ dog tags and at least 134 other records from the National Archives at College Park. Some of these dog tags bore evidence of damage, such as dents and charring due to fire sustained during crashes of Allied aircraft that were shot down or crash-landed within German-controlled areas of Europe during World War II.
For example, on December 9, 2016, DeHays visited the National Archives at College Park and stole two dog tags, one silver and one brass, issued to a downed Tuskegee Airman, who died when his fighter plane crashed in Germany on September 22, 1944. DeHays gave the brass dog tag to a military aviation museum in exchange for the opportunity to sit inside a Spitfire airplane. On a different occasion, DeHays stole two dog tags that were linked together with a wire loop. One of the dog tags was issued to a U.S. serviceman who served in World War II, and the other dog tag was issued to his father, who had served in World War I.
DeHays stole other records, in addition to dog tags, from the National Archives at College Park, including identification cards, personal letters, photographs, a bible, and pieces of downed U.S. aircraft.
Although DeHays kept some of the stolen U.S. dog tags and other stolen records for himself and gave others as gifts, he sold the majority of the stolen items on eBay and elsewhere. Before selling the dog tags, DeHays sometimes removed from the dog tags markings made in pencil which could have been used to identify the dog tags as having been stolen from the National Archives. On one occasion, DeHays sent a text message to a potential buyer stating that certain dog tags for sale were “burnt and show some stains of fuel, blood . . . very powerful items that witness the violence of the crash.” On a different occasion, DeHays sent a text message to a potential buyer stating that a dog tag for sale was “salty” (bearing the signs of war-related damage) and that an officer ID and American Red Cross ID for sale were “partially burned.”
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended NARA – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of the Treasury – Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Nicolas A. Mitchell, who prosecuted the case.
Helena Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
HELENA—John Shannon Finley, Jr., 24, of Helena, Montana, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, 10 years supervised release, and a $100 surcharge by Senior United States District Court Judge Charles C. Lovell on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Finley, Jr. was arrested after making several trips to Washington state to obtain methamphetamine. The court found Finley, Jr. was responsible to possessing with intent to distribute between 4,000-12,000 individual doses of methamphetamine.
The charge against Finley, Jr. is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Tom Bartleson 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.
Galesburg, Ill. Woman Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On April 9, 2018, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger, sentenced Taren Coupland, age 32, of Galesburg, Illinois, to 200 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Coupland was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
On December 22, 2017, Coupland pleaded guilty to the charge that arose from a joint investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force and the Davenport Police Department Tactical Operations Bureau. Coupland was involved in a methamphetamine conspiracy from May 1, 2017, through August 3, 2017, and during that time, she was responsible for distributing over 5,600 grams of ice methamphetamine.
This matter was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, Davenport Police Department Tactical Operations Bureau, and Iowa Department of Public Safety, DCI Criminalistics Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Galesburg, Ill. Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – On April 9, 2018, United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger sentenced Jason David Chaney, age 31, of Galesburg, Illinois, to 240 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Chaney was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
On December 22, 2017, Chaney pleaded guilty to the charge that arose from a joint investigation by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force and the Davenport Police Department Tactical Operations Bureau. Chaney was involved in a methamphetamine conspiracy from May 1, 2017, through August 3, 2017, and during that time he was responsible for distributing over 6,800 grams of ice methamphetamine.
This matter was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, Davenport Police Department Tactical Operations Bureau, and Iowa Department of Public Safety, DCI Criminalistics Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Fort Totten Man Indicted for MurderRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Christopher C. Myers announced that John Willard Greywind, age 42, was charged by an Indictment returned on March 22, 2018, for Second Degree Murder and Voluntary Manslaughter.
The Indictment alleges that on November 13, 2017, Greywind, who is enrolled in the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, killed Jogenia Lopez Austin, his girlfriend, and the acts occurred within Indian country, that is, within the exterior boundaries of the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation. The Indictment in this case is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Devils Lake Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Reisenauer.
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Former federal prison guard pleads guilty to accepting bribes to smuggle contraband into prison for inmatesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Melvin Thomas, a former prison guard at the Atlanta United States Penitentiary (“USP”) has pleaded guilty to accepting bribe payments in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison.
“Corruption in prisons undermines the public’s faith in the criminal justice system and puts the safety of prison staff and inmates at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Thomas took bribes instead of honoring his oath. He compromised his commitment to his fellow officers and the citizens who expect prison guards to have the utmost integrity.”
“The OIG remains committed to rooting out corruption within our federal prisons. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that those who betray the trust of their fellow correctional officers and citizens will face consequences for doing so,” stated Robert A. Bourbon, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s Miami Field Division.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: From approximately July 2009 to April 2017, Thomas was a correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. USP Atlanta is a medium-security federal prison for male inmates operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. USP Atlanta prohibits inmates from using or possessing tobacco products. Nevertheless, as a prison guard, Thomas accepted several bribe payments from an inmate in exchange for smuggling tobacco into the prison. In total, the inmate paid Thomas approximately $3,500 for the contraband that he smuggled into the prison.
On February 14, 2018, Melvin Thomas, 40, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, was charged via criminal information with the bribery of a public official. Sentencing is scheduled for July 10, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Gladstone Firefighters UnionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former treasurer of the Gladstone, Mo., firefighters union pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling more than $26,000 from the union.
Charles E. Duddy, 58, of Platte City, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer to an information that charges him with the embezzlement and theft of union funds.
Duddy was the treasurer of the Gladstone Firefighters IAFF Union Local 3228 from 2012 through April 2016. In his capacity as treasurer, Duddy had access to Local 3228’s debit card and was authorized to use the debit card only for Local 3228’s expenses.
By pleading guilty today, Duddy admitted that he used Local 3228’s bank account to make $26,479 in personal expenditures, including expenditures for the payment of his property taxes, title loans, groceries and dining.
Duddy has paid $10,000 in restitution to Local 3228 for the stolen funds. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Duddy must pay a money judgment for the remaining balance of $16,479.
Under federal statutes, Duddy is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the FBI.
Former Fulton County Tannery Owner Charged with Illegally Storing Hazardous WasteRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert James Carville, age 56, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was arrested today on charges that he illegally stored hazardous waste in an abandoned tannery building in Johnstown, New York, where Carville had owned and operated a tannery known as Carville National Leather.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Tyler Amon, Special Agent in Charge for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID), Regions 1 and 2.
Carville was arrested today in West Palm Beach and appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Albany federal court on April 16.
The indictment alleges that Carville knowingly stored hundreds of gallons of hazardous waste, including chromium, lead, and both ignitable and corrosive chemicals, without a permit for more than two years beginning in April 2014 at the abandoned Carville National Leather facility located at 10 Knox Avenue in Johnstown, New York, in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
The indictment also alleges that Carville failed to report the release of these hazardous substances by failing to notify appropriate governmental agencies that he had abandoned these hazardous chemicals, in violation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as the Superfund law.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges filed against Carville carry a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison, a maximum fine of more than $41 million (based on the number of days of violations alleged in the indictment), and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 1 year. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by EPA-CID and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Spills and other environmental violations can be reported to EPA’s Superfund National Response Center hotline at 1-800-424-8802 or online at epa.gov/tips.
Federal Prosecutions Serve as Reminder to Comply with Tax Obligations as Filing Deadline ApproachesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Federal authorities today announced criminal charges against several Chicago-area defendants for a variety of alleged tax schemes. With tax season in full swing, the prosecutions serve as a warning that individual taxpayers are responsible for the contents of their own return.
The criminal prosecutions announced today include charges against two Chicago tax preparers who allegedly assisted clients in obtaining thousands of dollars in fraudulent refunds, as well as charges against individuals accused of knowingly filing false tax returns or willfully failing to file tax returns as required.
In addition to potential criminal penalties, including incarceration, tax evaders remain responsible for all taxes and interest due, as well as civil penalties. The nation’s tax deadline this year is April 17.
“Tax offenses are neither victimless nor without consequence,” said John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “Taxes are how governments provide essential services. Our office strives to preserve the integrity of the federal tax system through vigorous criminal enforcement of the internal revenue laws.”
“Federal income tax compliance should be equally shared among all of the roughly 9.5 million Chicagoland residents,” said Gabriel Grchan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue focusing investigative efforts on individuals who contribute to the tax gap and do not comply with the law. With the filing deadline approaching, Chicagoans who might be thinking about cheating should think twice or risk the consequences.”
In an indictment returned last month, a federal grand jury charged JOHN OCWIEJA, 49, of Chicago, with six counts of willfully failing to file an income tax return. Ocwieja allegedly failed to file individual returns for the calendar years 2011 through 2016. Ocwieja has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A status hearing is set for May 9, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman. The government in Ocwieja’s case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrianna Kastanek.
In another tax prosecution, professional tax preparer ANNA PLATOS, 58, of Hickory Hills, is charged with 19 counts of preparing and filing false and fraudulent income tax returns, and one count of obstructing the IRS. Platos, who owned Chicago-based Midway Accounting, filed the returns on behalf of numerous individuals for the tax years 2011 and 2012, according to the indictment. The returns claimed false tax deductions for car and truck expenditures, medical expenses, charitable gifts, and educational expenses, the indictment states. Platos has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A status hearing is set for May 8, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve. The government in Platos’s case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Durkin.
The other professional tax preparer recently charged is IRVING BROWN SR., 69, of Chicago, who operated Irving Brown Sr. Tax Services. According to the indictment, Brown understated his own taxable income for the tax years 2011 and 2012, and he filed returns for taxpayers that he knew to contain false business losses. Brown also allegedly obstructed an IRS audit by fabricating documents and causing a taxpayer to submit them to the IRS. He is charged with two counts of subscribing a false tax return, twelve counts of aiding and abetting the filing of a false tax return, and one count of interfering with the administration of internal revenue laws. Brown has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A status hearing is set for May 9, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman. The government in Brown’s case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Erskine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also recently charged TARA D. SMITH, of Charlotte, N.C., with one count of willfully filing a false income tax return on her own behalf. Smith pleaded guilty to the charge earlier this week. In a plea agreement, Smith admitted that for the calendar year 2014, she filed a return that falsely claimed her total income was approximately $18,260, when she knew that her total income substantially exceeded that amount. Smith’s sentencing is set for July 20, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis. The government in Smith’s case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erika L. Csicsila. The City of Chicago Inspector General’s Office assisted in the Smith investigation.
A criminal information filed this month charges MICHAEL CIELAK, 54, of Chicago, with filing false tax returns. The charges allege that Cielak operated a business that generated scrap metal, and that he failed to report the income he received from the sale of scrap. Cielak will be arraigned on April 17, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel G. Martin. The government in Cielak’s case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick King.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged BARRY POTICHA, 73, of Northbrook, with scheming to impede the IRS. According to the charges, Poticha worked as the office manager and bookkeeper for two Chicago-area staffing companies. From 2000 through 2010, Poticha allegedly prepared and filed fraudulent tax returns to avoid the payment of employment taxes owed by the companies. Poticha will be arraigned on April 16, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman. The government in Poticha’s case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn E. Malizia.
A federal grand jury earlier this month indicted LATASHA MOSS, 30, of Cicero, with theft of government funds in relation to the theft of federal income tax refunds issued for returns filed in the name of other individuals. Moss will be arraigned on April 12, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert. The government in Moss’s case is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Driscoll.
The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. The defendants with pending charges are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
For tips to assist taxpayers in choosing a reputable tax professional or preparing their own taxes, visit the official IRS website: https://www.irs.gov/help-resources.
FARC Members and Associates Charged with Conspiring to Import Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Jesse Garcia, Assistant Andean Regional Director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today that four members and associates of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (the “FARC”)—SEUXIS PAUCIS HERNANDEZ-SOLARTE, a/k/a “Jesus Santrich,” MARLON MARIN, ARMANDO GOMEZ, a/k/a “El Doctor,” and FABIO SIMON YOUNES ARBOLEDA—were arrested yesterday in Colombia for conspiring and attempting to import cocaine into the United States. The United States is seeking the defendants’ extradition from Colombia.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants conspired to ship thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to the streets of the U.S. Thanks to the investigative work of the DEA, they are now under arrest and face significant criminal charges.”
Assistant Regional Director Jesse Garcia said: “This significant enforcement operation demonstrates that there remains within the Government of Colombia willing partners, determined to support the United States and DEA’s counter drug mission in Colombia, who are also willing to pursue justice no matter where the investigations lead. This investigation was heavily supported by DEA’s Sensitive Investigative Unit (SIU) program and Colombian Attorney General Nestor Humberto Martinez.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed in federal court:[1]
From June 2017 up to April 2018, HERNANDEZ-SOLARTE, MARIN, GOMEZ, and YOUNES ARBOLEDA worked together to produce and distribute approximately 10,000 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to the United States and elsewhere. During this time, the defendants were members and associates of the FARC. HERNANDEZ-SOLARTE was a high-ranking member of the FARC leadership and a candidate to be seated in Colombia’s House of Representatives. During the course of their cocaine trafficking, HERNANDEZ-SOLARTE, MARIN, GOMEZ, and YOUNES ARBOLEDA represented that they had access to laboratories to supply the cocaine and to U.S.-registered airplanes to transport the drugs within and through Colombia. The defendants also supplied kilograms of cocaine to others as, among other things, a demonstration of their access to ton quantities of cocaine.
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The Indictment charges HERNANDEZ-SOLARTE, 51, MARIN, 39, GOMEZ, 70, and YOUNES ARBOLEDA, 72, all of Colombia, with one count of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, and two counts of attempting to import cocaine into the United States. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison on each count.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Sensitive Investigation Unit, Bogota Country Office, and Miami Field Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs. He also thanked the Criminal Division’s Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section Judicial Attaches in Colombia, who provided substantial assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. Laroche and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The potential mandatory minimum and maximum sentence in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
[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.
Essex County, New Jersey, Man Admits Defrauding Customers, Stealing Their Credit Card InformationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted failing to deliver goods his business sold to customers, stealing his customers’ credit card information and falsely claiming that purchases on his own account were fraudulent, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Scott Spina Jr., 20, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Spina was in the business of selling high-end items, including sneakers, to customers that included professional athletes. Spina contracted with parties to provide high-end goods and collected payment for them, but failed to deliver the goods. He also made personal purchases using credit card information provided by his customers and others without their authorization. Spina also contacted his credit card company and falsely claimed that numerous purchases on his account were fraudulent. He admitted he obtained or sought to obtain more than $550,000 in money or goods.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to others, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Ruth M. Mendonca, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John T. Lenahan; the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the East Hanover Police Department, under the direction of Chief Christopher F. Cannizzo; and the West Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Abbott, for their assistance with the case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Vincent Scoca Esq., Bloomfield, New Jersey
East Stroudsburg Man Sentenced to 9 Months’ Imprisonment for Stealing Deceased Mother’s Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
WILKES-BARRE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on April 6, 2018, United States District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo sentenced Steven M. Caravella, age 28, who formerly resided in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, to a time-served sentence of approximately nine months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release for stealing social security benefits paid to his mother by the Social Security Administration.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Caravella used a government-issued debit card to obtain the social security benefits for approximately one year after his mother’s death, and before the Social Security Administration was advised of her death. Caravella obtained approximately $7,762 in benefits between August 2012 and July 2013, as a result of the theft.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
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East Hills Man Charged with Distributing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – One resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment named Tory Bryant, 31, as the sole defendant.
According to indictment, on March 13, 2018, Bryant possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, a quantity of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and a quantity of crack cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $2,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Wilkinsburg Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dorchester Grocery Store Settles Allegations of Food Safety Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester grocery store – warned on four occasions since February 2014 by federal inspectors about food safety violations – has entered into a consent decree with the government pursuant to which it shall not violate food safety laws, and faces strict penalties if violations are found in the future.
Phu Cuong Enterprises LLC, a Dorchester grocery store, has entered into a consent decree that permanently enjoins it from violating the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act. The government filed its complaint after a series of USDA inspections of Phu Cuong Market showed that the defendant purchased and sold meat and poultry products that were not inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and that it failed to maintain appropriate business records concerning the purchases of these products. The proposed consent decree has been filed with the court and is awaiting judicial approval. Under the consent decree, USDA investigators will have broad access to Phu Cuong Market’s premises to inspect inventory and records, and the defendant will face significant monetary penalties for any further violations.
“The sale of uninspected meat and poultry products is a significant health risk to consumers,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. “Through this consent decree, we hope to prevent this business from jeopardizing the health of future customers.”
“After numerous warnings, this company continued to put American families at risk,” said Paul Kiecker, Acting Administrator for Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "This action shows that FSIS investigators are on the job protecting public health and will continue to do so.”
U.S. Attorney Lelling and Acting Administrator Kiecker made the announcement today. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Sharobem of Lelling’s Civil Division.
Detroit One Collaboration Leads to Guilty Plea of Latin Counts Gang Member for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The Detroit One collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement has led to the twelfth and final guilty plea of a Latin Counts street gang member for racketeering conspiracy involving murder and attempted robbery, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider announced today.
Defendant Kyle Voltz, 28, of Lincoln Park, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in federal court in Ann Arbor before U.S. District Judge Judith Levy. Voltz faces 30 years in prison.
According to the racketeering indictment, the Latin Counts gang operates in southwest Detroit and the downriver communities of Lincoln Park and Ecorse. The indictment alleged that the Latin Counts committed murders, assaults, trafficking in drugs and stolen firearms, robberies, and breaking and entering homes and businesses. The indictment alleged that the gang used violence to stake out its “turf” and to intimidate both rival gang members and the citizens of southwest Detroit.
As part of his guilty plea, Voltz took responsibility for participating in the killing of Terrence McClearen and the shooting of another victim on August 18, 2013, and for assaulting and attempting to rob a different victim on April 29, 2014. Three other Latin Counts gang members have already been sentenced for their roles in the murder of McClearen.
Recently the head of the Latin Counts in Michigan, Isidro Garza, was sentenced in federal court to 10 years in prison for leading the gang while incarcerated in the Michigan Department of Corrections, where he was serving 25-50 years for a 1993 gang related homicide.
On January 29, 2018, Benjamin Beightol also pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. He faces 10 years in prison. As the “Minister of Information,” Beightol was responsible for leading the Latin Counts and disseminating Garza’s directions and messages to lower ranking Latin Counts gang members.
Under the Detroit One Initiative, and through the lead efforts of the Detroit Police Department and the FBI Violent Gangs Task Force, which consists of representatives of Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Police Department, Lincoln Park Police Department, Michigan Department of Corrections, and Michigan State Police, investigators were able to merge separate probes of various members of this organization and its activities into one encompassing investigation.
“The Detroit One partners are systematically and aggressively prosecuting the street gangs that cause violent crime in our neighborhoods,” Schneider said. “Detroit is a safer place when violent gang members are off our streets and behind bars.”
"The significant arrests and prosecutions made by Detroit One make certain that the citizens of Detroit and the region can once again start to feel safe in their communities" said Chief James Craig. "We will maintain our focus and remain stead-fast in our pledge to bringing swift justice to all those who commit violent acts against our city."
“The Detroit One’s unified approach to investigating violent street gangs such as the Latin Counts, exemplifies our ongoing commitment to rid our communities of these violent criminals”, said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Detroit
“This investigation highlights the effectiveness of the Detroit ONE initiative in bringing to justice street gangs whose pervasive criminal acts significantly diminish the quality of life in our communities," said Steve Francis, special agent in charge of HSI Detroit. "HSI will continue to aggressively target those responsible from contaminating our communities with a broad range of criminal activity."
Detroit One is a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the community to reduce homicides and other violent crimes in Detroit. By working together, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies strive to maximize their ability to identify and arrest individuals and groups initiating violence in Detroit. Since its launch in 2013, homicides are down 30% and non-fatal shootings are down 45%, when comparing the homicide and shooting totals from 2012 to the totals in 2017.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Roth, Andrea Hutting, and Louis Crisostomo.
Denver Man Sentenced to Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DENVER – Andrew Workman, age 26 of Lone Tree, Colorado was sentenced today by the Hon. R. Brooke Jackson in U.S. District Court to 97 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. He will also have to register as a sex offender. Workman was indicted by a Grand Jury in October, 2015, for receipt and possession of child pornography.
According to court filings and hearings, Workman was a member of a child pornography board called “Playpen” that was hidden on the dark web via the Tor network. The FBI obtained approval from a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia to deploy a Network Investigative Technique (NIT) to pierce through the anonymity provided by the Tor network and obtain IP addresses for the users of the website, including Workman. Using the IP address information, the FBI obtained a search warrant for Workman’s house in Colorado. When agents arrived to execute the search warrant, Workman was in the act of downloading child pornography video files onto his computer using peer to peer software. An exam of his computer showed that Workman was in possession of over 1,200 images and videos of child pornography, many of which showed toddlers and babies suffering violent sexual abuse.
In June 2016, Workman moved to suppress the evidence against him and challenged the legality of the search warrants. In September 2016, the District Court granted the motions and suppressed the evidence. The United States appealed the ruling. In July 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed. On November 3, 2017, Workman pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
“Workman robbed children of their innocence. Today he pays with years of his life,” said United States Attorney Bob Troyer. “Prosecutors in my office, together with our law enforcement partners, are working right now to take offenders like Workman out of the darkness, and put them behind bars. Our children deserve no less.”
“Combating the exploitation and victimization of children is one of the FBI’s top priorities,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge, Calvin Shivers. “Today’s sentence demonstrates those who prey on children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Denver and the Denver Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Tonini and Judith A. Smith, Chief of the Cybercrime and National Security Section, represented the United States in the District Court. Attorney John P. Taddei of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Appellate Section, handled the appeal.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, 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.
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Cypriot National Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A Cypriot national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts to money laundering.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling for the District of Massachusetts, Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New England Division; Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw of the FBI Boston Field Division and Special Agent in Charge Kristina O’Connell of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) in Boston, made the announcement.
Esam Sakkal, 40, a national of Cyprus, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of laundering of monetary instruments. U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for July 10. In June 2017, Sakkal and his brother, Nabeel Sakkal, aka Traycho Marinov Mitchov, Nabil Cieckal and Nabil Imadein Bazul Siggal, a dual national of Cyprus and Jordan, were indicted. Nabeel Sakkal remains a fugitive.
At the plea hearing, Sakkal admitted his role in the charged criminal conduct, including that he advised his brother regarding methods to transport cash obtained from an undercover agent and that he attempted to launder money from drug sales when he met with an undercover agent in Warsaw, Poland. Sakkal further admitted that he agreed to obtain money from the undercover agent, and agreed to cause the money to be wired to the United States.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was conducted by DEA New England Division, FBI Boston and IRS-CI Boston. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Ricci, Chief of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit, and Trial Attorney Randall Warden of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
Cypriot National Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cypriot national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to money laundering.
Esam Sakkal, 40, a national of Cyprus, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of laundering of monetary instruments. U.S. District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2018. In June 2017, Sakkal and his brother, Nabeel Sakkal, a/k/a Traycho Marinov Mitchov, a/k/a Nabil Cieckal, a/k/a Nabil Imadein Bazul Siggal, a dual national of Cyprus and Jordan, were indicted. Nabeel Sakkal remains a fugitive.
According to court documents, on numerous occasions between 2009 and 2014, the Sakkals met with a United States undercover law enforcement agent posing as a member of a drug organization whose role it was to launder money from drug sales. According to court documents, the Sakkals laundered money given to them by the undercover agent, believing the money to be proceeds from drug sales.
The charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and laundering monetary instruments provide for a sentence, as to each count, of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Ricci, Chief of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit, and Trial Attorney Randall Warden of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, are prosecuting the case.
Crime Victims' Rights and Resources Awareness EventRead the Press Release
Crime Victims’ Rights and Resources Awareness Event on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, beginning at 9:55a.m. WHAT: The United States Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Tulsa County District Attorney will present this inaugural event. The event will honor crime victims and provide community resources to aid in their healing and quest for justice. WHO: Deputy Mayor Michael Junk
United States Attorney Trent Shores
Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan Tulsa
County Sheriff Vic Regalado Tulsa
County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler
One Fire (Cherokee Nation) Director Nikki Maker Limore
Muskogee/Creek Nation Program Director Shawn Partridge
Crime Victim survivor of the OSU Homecoming Parade tragedy
20 local service agencies will be present.
Oklahoma Blood Institute will be on site for donations of blood in honor of crime victims. WHEN: April 11, 2018, 9:55 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT WHERE: County Courthouse Plaza, 500 S. Denver St., Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103Crestview Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possessing Firearms and DrugsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Terrell Jerome Cochran, 42, of Crestview, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to serve 120 months in prison after pleading guilty on October 4, 2017, to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In March 2017, in response to a residential alarm, deputies met with Cochran, a previously convicted felon, outside his residence. While speaking with Cochran, deputies noticed a strong marijuana odor coming from inside. Investigators then obtained and executed a search warrant on Cochran’s residence. During the search, investigators located and seized a FA Cugir 7.62x39 millimeter rifle, a Ruger 9 millimeter pistol, 136.7 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and a small amount of marijuana and cocaine from inside the residence. The rifle was loaded with an extended magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition, and the pistol was loaded with six rounds of ammunition.
The case resulted from the investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Ryan Love.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Christopher Cook Sentenced to 212 Months for Being Armed Career Criminal Unlawfully in Possession of Firearm in Jan. 2015, when he Shot an Albuquerque Police OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Christopher Cook, 40, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced this morning in U.S. District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 212 months in prison for being an armed career criminal unlawfully in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Jan. 3, 2015, the day he shot and seriously injured Officer Lou Golson of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). Cook will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge John J. Durastanti of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief of Police Michael Geier of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).
Cook previously pled guilty in the Second Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico to state charges arising from the Jan. 3, 2015, shooting of Officer Golson, including shooting at or from a motor vehicle (great bodily harm), aggravated battery on a police officer and receiving or transferring a motor vehicle. Cook was sentenced on the state charges on July 10, 2016, to 20 years in state custody.
Cook’s convictions on both federal and state charges were the result of a collaborative investigative effort involving the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office, ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, APD, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and New Mexico State Police.
Cook initially was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in a criminal complaint filed by ATF on Jan. 6, 2015. The criminal complaint alleged that Cook unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition on Jan. 3, 2015, when Cook shot APD Officer Golson during a traffic stop in Bernalillo County, N.M. On March 10, 2015, Cook was indicted on that same charge. According to court records, Cook was prohibited from possessing either firearms or ammunition on Jan. 3, 2015, because he previously has been convicted of at least eleven felony offenses, including two involving attempted aggravated assaults on peace officers.
On Sept. 9, 2016, Cook entered a guilty plea to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Albuquerque Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh is prosecuting the case.
Cook is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets violent, repeat offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target for federal prosecution violent or repeat offenders with the goal of removing them from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth Distribution ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston woman entered a guilty plea today to a federal drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Baylee Gibson, age 19, of Bench Road, pled guilty to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Stuart praised the work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
“It’s always tragic when young people make bad choices that forever alter the course of their lives,” said United States Attorney Stuart. “Becoming a drug dealer is one of the worst choices anyone could make and, as a result, this defendant will be spending much of her young adulthood in federal prison.”
On August 25, 2017, an agent with MDENT arranged to meet Gibson and purchase one ounce of methamphetamine for $1200. The agent had spoken to Gibson on the telephone and had arranged the price and quantity.. Gibson told the agent to meet her at a parking lot just off the campus of West Virginia State University (WVSU) on Baron Drive in Institute. This was the site of a previous methamphetamine sale by Gibson. The agent met Gibson as planned. After a brief discussion, Gibson took $1200.00 of prerecorded buy money, got out of the agent' s car and walked towards the campus of WVSU. Additional MDENT agents were positioned around the campus conducting surveillance. Gibson then met with another individual, later identified as her co defendant, Kyle Keith Russell, and returned to the agent's car. There, Gibson provided the agent with a clear plastic bag with a substance that field tested positive as methamphetamine. The substance was sent to the Mid-Atlantic DEA laboratory where it was tested. The testing showed the substance was 23.39 grams of pure methamphetamine. Gibson arranged and sold methamphetamine to the same undercover agent on August 22, 2017, and twice on August 30, 2017. The agent arranged all three of those additional sales directly with Gibson. Those sales took place in the same manner and at the same location as the count of conviction. Kyle Keith Russell was Gibson’s source of supply for those sales. Russell’s jury trial is scheduled for May 15, 2018.
Gibson faces up to 40 years imprisonment and up to a $5 million fine when she is sentenced on July 10, 2018. United States District Court Judge John T. Copenhaver presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
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Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead 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 Michael Milton, Sr., 42, of Buffalo, NY pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that on August 14, 2015, the defendant coerced a 17 year-old minor (Victim 1) to engage in sexual intercourse and oral sexual activity inside a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicle that Milton owned at the time. The defendant also produced visual depictions of the sexual activity using a cellular telephone which were then were stored a hard drive. The investigation determined that Milton engaged in sexual contact with Victim 1 on various occasions between at least December 21, 2014, and November 6, 2015. During that sexual contact, the defendant used his cellular telephone and a camera to create images and videos of Victim 1 engaging in sexually explicit conduct which he stored on different electronic storage devices.
Milton was previously convicted of Rape in Erie County Court involving Victim 1 and another minor female.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Kevin P. Lyons, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Byron Lockwood, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 12, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
Brothers Sentenced for Roles in Vegas-to-Columbus Oxy RingRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Columbus brothers were sentenced in U.S. District Court for their roles in leading a narcotics trafficking conspiracy. Marcus L. Pryor, 38, was sentenced to 140 months in prison and Marquis L. Pryor, 26, was sentenced to 93 months in prison.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division, and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, the two brothers had been diverting oxycodone pills from the Las Vegas area to Columbus since at least 2012. Law enforcement officials seized numerous U.S. mail packages containing thousands of oxycodone pills and large amounts of cash being sent between Las Vegas and Columbus in connection with this drug trafficking organization.
Agents made additional seizures connected to the defendants at airports and during traffic stops. For example, law enforcement seized 771 pills from Marquis Pryor in June 2016 and a mail parcel addressed to Marquis Pryor containing more than $17,000 in drug proceeds in June 2015.
Airline records show Marcus Pryor traveled between Las Vegas and Columbus no less than 30 times between 2012 and 2017. Similarly, Marquis Pryor took at least 20 flights between the two cities.
The co-conspirators also engaged in financial transactions – making use of wire transfers, bank accounts, and prepaid debit cards – involving hundreds of thousands of dollars to conceal the nature and source of their profits and promote the drug trafficking organization’s activities. Money was used to purchase airline tickets, pay for hotel rooms and cover other costs associated with bringing the drugs to Columbus for distribution.
The Pryor brothers were indicted by a grand jury in June 2017. In August 2017, each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“Marcus and Marquis Pryor orchestrated a significant opioid distribution ring in the Columbus area,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “The organization distributed hundreds of thousands of oxycodone pills in our district and laundered in excess of one million dollars. Thanks to cooperative law enforcement efforts from a number of agencies, that operation is now dismantled.”
Marcus and Marquis Pryor also enlisted other co-conspirators to further the drug trafficking organization’s goals by, for example, sending and receiving parcels containing Oxycodone pills or drug proceeds and transporting pills or cash on their persons.
In October 2017, Maisha Caples and Michael Griffin were each sentenced for the same drug distribution and money laundering conspiracy crimes as the Pryors. Caples was sentenced to 45 months in prison and Griffin was sentenced to 80 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, USPIS and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Martinez, who is representing the United States in this case.
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Brookville Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Receiving Child Pornography through AppRead the Press Release
DAYTON – Zachery Van Meter, 21, of Brookville, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 156 months in prison for receiving child pornography.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Preble County Sheriff Michael L. Simpson and Perry Township Police Chief Bob Bowman announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents, Van Meter created a Kik messenger app account in July 2016. From then until February 2017, Van Meter used Kik to receive images of child pornography from others and to communicate with others about the sexual exploitation of children.
During the course of these conversations, Van Meter took at least 15 photographs of clothed juveniles who were known to the defendant and sent these photographs to others in an effort to receive more child pornography files.
Van Meter received at least 30 sexually explicit photographs of children, including at least one that portrayed sadistic and/or masochistic conduct involving the binding of a child’s arms and legs by black material to a hook on the floor. Based on his conduct, Van Meter received a sentencing enhancement for engaging in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of minors.
Van Meter pleaded guilty in November 2017.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI, Preble County Sheriff’s Office and Perry Township Police Department, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace, who is representing the United States in this case.
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British Lawyer Found Guilty After Trial for His Participation in Multimillion-Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme Involving Swiss Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a federal jury today found MICHAEL LITTLE guilty of charges that he participated in an 11-year tax fraud scheme in which he advised and helped an American family to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by hiding approximately $14 million in overseas Swiss bank accounts and by other means, failed to file his own personal tax returns, and assisted in the filing of false tax returns. The three-week-long trial took place before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who is scheduled to sentence LITTLE on September 6, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stated: “Michael Little assisted an American family in evading taxes on $14 million in undeclared offshore inheritance money. Over the course of a decade, he helped the family illegally funnel millions of dollars of that inheritance from Swiss bank accounts into the United States, in order to avoid IRS detection. Especially at this time of year, this case serves as a reminder that failure to pay one’s fair share of taxes can result in a felony conviction.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Indictment, and the evidence presented in Court during the trial:
LITTLE, a British attorney who resides in England and is licensed to practice law in New York, was a business associate of the patriarch of the Seggerman family, an American family residing in the United States. In August 2001, after the patriarch died, LITTLE and a lawyer from Switzerland (the “Swiss Lawyer”) met with his widow and adult children at a hotel in Manhattan, and advised them that the patriarch had left them approximately $14 million in overseas accounts that had never been declared to U.S. taxing authorities. LITTLE and the Swiss lawyer also advised the various family members on steps they could take to continue hiding these assets from the IRS. In particular, LITTLE discussed with the family members various methods by which they could bring the money into the United States from the Swiss accounts while evading detection by the IRS. Among other means, he advised family members that they could bring money back to the United States in small increments, or “little chunks,” through means such as traveler’s checks, or by disguising money transfers to the United States as being related to the sales of artwork or jewelry. Various members of the Seggerman family agreed to work together with LITTLE and the Swiss Lawyer to repatriate the offshore funds.
In accordance with the plan he orchestrated, LITTLE assisted in opening an undeclared Swiss account for the purpose of holding and hiding the widow’s inheritance funds. LITTLE also enlisted the assistance of a New Jersey accountant to prepare false and fraudulent tax returns and to keep falsified accounting records for a corporate entity in the United States, controlled by the widow and used to receive inheritance funds repatriated from the Swiss account. Between 2001 and 2010, LITTLE caused over $3 million to be sent surreptitiously from the undeclared Swiss account to the United States corporate entity for the widow’s benefit. LITTLE also worked with the New Jersey accountant to establish a sham mortgage that allowed another Seggerman family member to access approximately $600,000 of undeclared inheritance funds held in a Swiss account.
In or about 2010, LITTLE became aware of an IRS criminal investigation into the scheme. In an attempt to cover up his involvement, LITTLE communicated with a tax attorney and the accounting firm that had prepared the widow’s individual tax returns. LITTLE provided false information to the tax lawyer and the accounting firm about the nature of the transfers from the Swiss account to the United States, claiming that the transfers represented “pure gifts” from a non-U.S. person who had “absolutely no relationship” to the widow. Based on LITTLE’s misrepresentations, the accounting firm filed inaccurate tax returns for the years 2001 through 2010, which categorized the transfers of over $3 million to the widow as foreign gifts.
LITTLE has been a lawful permanent resident of the United States, also known as a green card holder, since 1972. As a lawful permanent resident, he had an obligation to file annual tax returns reporting his worldwide income to the IRS. In or about 2005, LITTLE was admitted to the New York State Bar as an attorney. Between 2005 and at least late 2008, LITTLE resided full time in New York City, where he worked and earned hundreds of thousands of dollars of income as an attorney representing clients. During the period of 2001 to 2010, LITTLE also earned other legal fees, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars more in fees for his work on behalf of the Seggerman family. LITTLE failed to file any tax returns with the IRS between 2005 and 2010. He further failed to file, for years 2007 through 2010, annual Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (“FBARs”) in connection with foreign bank accounts he controlled, which held in excess of $10,000 each year.
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LITTLE, 67, who resides in Hampshire, England, was convicted of obstructing and impeding the due administration of the internal revenue laws, failing to file personal income tax returns from 2005 to 2010, willfully failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns. The failure to file personal income tax returns charges each carry a maximum sentence of one year in prison, the obstruction charge and the aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns charges each carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison, and the willful failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts and conspiracy charges each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the IRS. Mr. Berman also thanked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Fraud Detection and National Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and FinCEN for their substantial assistance in the investigation and trial.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher DiMase, Dina McLeod, and Andrew Dember are in charge of the prosecution.
Bristol, Virginia Man Sentenced on Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A Bristol man, who maintained a residence used for drug distribution and at which two acts of violence occurred, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced.
John James Lapis, 40, was sentenced yesterday to imprisonment for a term of 42 months to be followed by supervised release for a term of 36 months. Lapis previously pleaded guilty to one count of maintaining a place for the distribution of controlled substances. At his guilty plea hearing, Lapis admitted to being a drug user who maintained a residence on Safari Drive in Bristol, Virginia for the purpose of allowing others to buy and sell controlled substances. In exchange for the use of the residence, Lapis received drugs for his own use.
Between January 2016 and June 2017, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to over 50 complaints at the residence, including over 100 calls and texts concerning activity at the residence. These calls and texts included complaints of heavy traffic in and out of the residence. In response, law enforcement conducted traffic stops of vehicles leaving the Safari Drive location. During some of the stops, narcotics were found. During one attempted traffic stop, a driver did not follow the officers’ directions and a police chase took place. After apprehending the driver, officers found a large amount of methamphetamine and a firearm in the vehicle. In June 2017, a search warrant was executed at the residence, and a small amount of methamphetamine was found.
In October 2016, a drug trafficker was shot and killed at the residence. Through numerous interviews by law enforcement, it was determined that the victim was killed, at least in part, due to a drug debt. In February 2017, another shooting took place at the residence, again over a drug debt.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Town of Abingdon Police Department, Bristol Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.
Boston Man Sentenced for Dealing FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for dealing firearms.
Deon Young, 33, of Hyde Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. In January 2018, Young was convicted of one count of conspiracy to sell firearms without a license and one count of dealing in firearms without a federal license.
On Sept. 19, 2016, without being licensed to do so, Young and co-conspirator Troy Armstrong sold a Colt .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol to a cooperating witness working with federal law enforcement. On Oct. 4, 2016, Young and Armstrong again sold a firearm - a Hi-Point model, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol - to the same cooperating witness. Both illegal transactions took place in the Bunker Hill Housing Authority neighborhood of Charlestown and were captured on covert surveillance cameras.
In September 2017, Armstrong was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Holik, Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, and Nicholas Soivilien, also of the Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case.
Binghamton Man Enters Guilty Plea to Drug Trafficking and Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Calvin Johnson, age 42, of Binghamton, entered a guilty plea yesterday to a two-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a felon, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), City of Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski. and New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II. Johnson pled guilty as jury selection was about to begin in his trial in Syracuse, New York.
In pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances, Johnson admitted that from September of 2009 through March 26, 2014, he and co-conspirators Saquan Johnson, Courtney Douglas, Lamont Clemons, Leslie Hughes, and Gerald Norfleet, were members of a drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in Broome County, New York. The defendant and the others conspired to acquire cocaine base (crack cocaine), cocaine, marijuana, and heroin from New York City and then transported these to the Binghamton, New York area for storage and local distribution.
As part of his guilty plea, Johnson admitted that he personally distributed 2,000 grams of cocaine base (crack cocaine), 6 kilograms or more of cocaine, 1,500 kilograms or more of marihuana, and 200 grams or more of heroin. Johnson also pled guilty to possessing a Ruger 9mm Model P95 firearm with an obliterated serial number as a felon.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 16, 2018 in Syracuse. The parties have jointly recommend the Court impose a sentence of 420 months (35 years) imprisonment, and a 10-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York State Police (NYSP), Binghamton Police Department, Broome County Sheriff’s Department, and the Johnson City Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miroslav Lovric.
Beaverton Man Sentenced for Impersonating U.S. Intelligence Official in Letter to Iraqi Prime MinisterRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – Wathiq Al-Ibraheemi, 34, of Beaverton, Oregon, was sentenced today to two years of probation for the unauthorized use of an official insignia.
According to court documents, in November 2015, Al-Ibraheemi wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Iraq, Haider al-Abadi, on false letterhead of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). In the letter, Al-Ibraheemi, using the alias William J. Peterson, urged the Iraqi Prime Minister to replace the director of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service. Al-Ibraheemi signed the letter as the Middle East Section Chief of ODNI’s Office of the Deputy Director for Intelligence Integration. The Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community later confirmed for the FBI that the letter was a fraudulent document.
Al-Ibraheemi served as an interpreter for the U.S. Military in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He immigrated to the U.S. in 2009 under the Significant Public Benefit Parole Program and was sponsored by a U.S. Army officer with whom he had served in Iraq. Al-Ibraheemi settled in Beaverton in 2012 and enrolled as an engineering student at Portland State University.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Craig Gabriel, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Bandon Educational Assistant and Coach Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore. – On Monday, April 9, 2018, Sean Jeffrey Haga, 32, of Bandon, Oregon, pleaded guilty to one count of child sexual exploitation.
On June 17, 2016, Haga shared child pornography online using Kik Messenger with an undercover FBI task force officer. Haga told the undercover officer that he wanted to travel to have sex with the officer’s minor daughter and that he possessed photos of himself sexually abusing a minor victim. Haga sent multiple pictures depicting the abuse to the undercover officer.
The FBI worked through the night to identify the person associated with the online user ID, the location from which it was being used, and the identity of the resident at that location. Based on the information collected, FBI agents in the Medford Resident Agency were able to obtain search and arrests warrants. Haga was arrested on June 18, 2016 without incident.
Haga was formerly employed as an educational assistant, track coach and basketball coach in the Bandon School District.
Haga faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a five-year term of supervised release. He is also subject to a 15-year mandatory minimum prison sentence. Haga will be sentenced on July 19, 2018 before U.S. District Court Judge Anne L. Aiken.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Amy Potter, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
BGF Member Sentenced to 258 Months in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Shooting Outside NightclubRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Montel Harvey, a/k/a “Telly,” age 26, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to 21½ years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family’s Greenmount Avenue Regime. As part of his plea agreement, Harvey admitted that on June 8, 2013, he committed a non-fatal shooting outside a nightclub in downtown Baltimore. The Court found at sentencing that a total prison term of 25 years was appropriate, but adjusted the sentence downward to account for the fact that Harvey has served approximately three and a half years in prison in connection with a related state case.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Daniel L. Board Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Gordon Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl DeSousa; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
According to his plea agreement, Harvey was a member of the BGF Greenmount Regime, formerly known as the Young Guerilla Family, or YGF. Between 2005 and 2016, Harvey agreed with other BGF members to engage in crimes to further the interest of the gang, including drug distribution, murder, robbery, witness tampering, and witness retaliation. Harvey admitted that he personally engaged in drug trafficking and attempted murder in furtherance of the BGF. Specifically, Harvey admitted to drug trafficking on four separate occasions between June 29, 2012, and July 6, 2013.
According to his plea agreement, on June 8, 2013, in the 300 block of West Fayette Street, Harvey shot a victim using a 9mm handgun. At the time of the shooting, the victim was engaged in a physical confrontation with BGF member Wesley Brown outside the Mirage nightclub, where Harvey and other BGF members had gathered to celebrate Brown’s birthday.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended ATF Baltimore, FBI Baltimore, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Christina A. Hoffman, who prosecuted the case.