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Wednesday 21 February 2018
Saint Paul Psychiatrist Arrested and Charged with Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced a criminal complaint charging AVIEL LI GOODMAN, 62, a licensed psychiatrist, with receipt of child pornography. GOODMAN made his initial appearance today before Magistrate Judge Menendez in United States District Court in Minneapolis, Minn.
According to the complaint and documents filed in court, on multiple occasions between March 1, 2015, and August 27, 2017, undercover agents downloaded numerous image and video files depicting child pornography from IP addresses connected to GOODMAN’S Saint Paul, Minn. residence. On January 17, 2018, upon execution of a search warrant on GOODMAN’S residence, law enforcement seized a computer containing hundreds of image files and multiple video files of suspected child pornography. The images and videos were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) for analysis and victim identification.
If you know of any child who may have been a victim of exploitation, please call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit NCMEC’s web site at www.missingkids.com.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katharine T. Buzicky and Carol M. Kayser.
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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Defendant Information:
AVIEL LI GOODMAN, 62
Saint Paul, Minn.
Charges:
- Receipt of child pornography, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Romanian Man Facing Fraud Charges for ATM Skimmer SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH –A Texas resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The three-count indictment named Nicu Sorin Pantelica, age 28, of Houston, Texas.
According to the indictment, Pantelica, a native of Romania, participated in a conspiracy in which he and his conspirators placed skimming devices, along with pinhole cameras, on several automated teller machines throughout the Pittsburgh area. The skimming devices collect the account information contained on the magnetic strips on automated teller machines cards. The pinhole cameras collect personal identification numbers used by customers using the automated teller machines. Pantelica and his conspirators manufactured cloned automated teller machine cards and used those cloned cards and the personal identification numbers to access and withdraw funds from accounts.
The law provides for a minimum sentence of two years in prison and a maximum total sentence of 62 years in prison, a fine of $2,250,000 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 Secret Service, with the assistance of the South Strabane 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.
Rochester Truck Driver and Photographer Arrested, Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child PorngraphyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Richard Wolfe, 60, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a $250,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in March 2016, a Canadian law enforcement agency executed a search warrant involving a mobile chatting application. Between April 2, 2016, and April 7, 2016, a user with the account name “rickyraz15” used the application to share 331 images of child pornography. The account was traced to the defendant in Rochester.
On October 31, 2017, HSI Buffalo executed a search warrant at Wolfe’s residence on Legran Road in Rochester. Special Agents seized a laptop, two digital cameras, a camcorder, a thumb drive, two SD cards, a cell phone, multiple CD’s, an external hard drive, and miscellaneous documents. During a search of the garage, agents discovered a desktop computer that appeared to have been destroyed by a sledge hammer.
A lockbox was discovered in the closet of an upstairs bedroom. HSI gained entry to the lockbox and found approximately 80 CD’S and an external hard drive. A forensic preview of the external hard drive found several images and videos of child pornography. Some of the images depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexual situations.
On October 31, 2017, HSI Buffalo executed a second federal search warrant for the defendant’s cell phone, which revealed that the phone had been reset to factory settings.
A forensic examination of the items seized from the defendant is currently pending, but to date, over 2030 images and videos containing child pornography have been recovered.
Wolfe, a full-time truck driver, also works as a part-time professional photographer who has taken pictures of minors.
Members of the public who have specific information related to this case are urged to contact the HSI Buffalo Office at 716-464-5931.
The defendant made an initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Rochester Tax Return Preparer Indicted for Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Rochester-based tax return preparer with conspiring to file false claims for tax refunds, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory G. Brooker for the District of Minnesota.
According to the indictment, MERCEDES MALDONADO RODRIGUEZ, from 2008 through April 2013, operated a tax return preparation business located in Rochester, Minnesota. RODRIGUEZ allegedly purchased authentic birth certificates of Mexican nationals, which she and her co-conspirators then used along with other falsified documents to fraudulently obtain Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) from the Internal Revenue Service. The indictment further alleges that RODRIGUEZ and her co-conspirators used the fraudulently obtained ITINs to file fraudulent tax returns, which claimed refunds based on, among other items, false dependents and child tax credits. An ITIN is a tax processing number issued by the IRS to individuals who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain, a social security number.
RODRIGUEZ is further alleged to have directed the fraudulent tax refund checks to be mailed to addresses belonging to her co-conspirators, employees, and family members and then cashed.
If convicted, RODRIGUEZ faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy, 10 years in prison for each count of theft of public money and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. She also faces substantial monetary penalties and restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Brooker commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General, who investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter and Trial Attorney Christopher S. Strauss of the Tax Division.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Defendant information:
MERCEDES MALDONADO RODRIGUEZ
Rochester, Minn.
Charges:
- Conspiracy to Defraud the United States with Respect to Claims, 1 count
- Theft of Public Money, 7 counts
- Aggravated Identity Theft, 33 counts
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Roanoke Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced today the sentencing of a Roanoke man who downloaded photographs and images of child pornography.
Richard B. Morgan, 68, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke to 72 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Morgan previously pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
According to evidence presented at previous hearings, an investigator with the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force successfully downloaded images of child pornography from the defendant via peer-to-peer, file-sharing software often used by those who trade in child pornography. During the execution of a search warrant at Morgan’s apartment, he admitted that he downloaded child pornography. Law enforcement found 1,849 images and 4,406 videos containing child pornography during a forensic examination of Morgan’s computer and an external hard drive.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Puerto Rican Man Pleads Guilty to Selling FentanylRead 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 Miguel Figueroa, 32, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 10 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing butyryl fentanyl and furanyl fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that on March 7, 2017, and April 11, 2017, the defendant sold drugs to a confidential source working for the DEA in exchange for $1,100 cash. Forensic testing determined that the controlled substance sold by Figueroa contained butyryl fentanyl, U-47700, furanyl fentanyl, and fentanyl.
On April 24, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a New York State search warrant at Figueroa’s residence on 15th Street in Buffalo. Officers recovered a plastic bag and five glassine envelopes containing a powder substance. Testing determined that the plastic bag and one of the envelopes contained butyryl fentanyl. Officers also recovered packaging materials, a digital scale, and approximately $3,137 in cash.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Divison.Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2018, before Judge Arcara.
Poteau Woman Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy, Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Laci Marie Fox a/k/a Laci Marie Noah, age, 27, of Poteau, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Drug Conspiracy, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), punishable by not less than 5 or more than 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000.00 fine, or both; and to Distribution of Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), punishable by not more than 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that beginning on or about a date uncertain in 2015 and continuing until on or about January 9, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree with others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United States in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841, as follows: possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.The Indictment further alleged that on or about September 1, 2016, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Poteau Police Department, the District 16 Narcotics Task Force, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Wilson represented the United States.
Pollock prisoner sentenced to 24 months in prison for involuntary manslaughterRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a prisoner at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., was sentenced last week to two years in prison for assaulting another inmate who later died.
Lee Adams, 53, of Santa Clara County, Calif., was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of involuntary manslaughter. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the October 20, 2017 guilty plea, Adams entered a fellow inmate’s cell on October 31, 2014 and beckoned for him to follow. After the inmate entered Adams’ cell, Adams struck the inmate causing him to fall backwards. The back of the inmate’s head struck the floor, and he was found laying motionless. Adams exited the cell and entered the common area. Correctional officers locked down the area and transported the injured inmate to a local hospital where he died on November 4, 2014. The coroner concluded that the inmate sustained a skull fracture and massive injury to the brain, concluding that he died from blunt force to the side of his head that struck the floor. There is no indication that Adams specifically intended to kill the inmate.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons-Special Investigative Services conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.
Pollock prisoner pleads guilty to possessing knifeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Pollock prisoner pleaded guilty last week to possessing a knife.
Eric Judy Blair, 40, a Pollock prisoner, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of possessing contraband in a prison. According to the guilty plea, prison guards were observing inmates going through a metal detector during a random search on June 11, 2017 at the U.S. Penitentiary at Pollock, La. When Blair could not clear the metal detector, he entered a second time and failed again. During a pat down, guards found a homemade metal knife approximately six and one-half inches long.
Blair faces up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for May 18, 2018.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons-Special Investigative Services conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
Plumbing Franchise Owner Sentenced for OSHA Violation that Caused Employee’s DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to two years’ probation on his conviction of willfully violating an OSHA regulation causing the death of an employee, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States Magistrate Judge Cynthia R. Eddy imposed the sentence on Wayne A. George, d/b/a A Rooter Man of Pittsburgh, LLC.
According to the information presented to the court, George was a part owner of A Rooter Man, and was responsible for all of its trench work. Most of that trench work involved excavating, installing and repairing septic systems. OSHA requires employers to provide life-saving cave-in protection in most trenches more than five feet deep. George spent most of his working life as an excavator and was very familiar with those important safety and legal requirements.
The events leading to the death took place on September 28, 2015, at the Shelbourne Personal Care Home in Penn Township, Butler County. George was physically present, operating a backhoe and supervising the replacement of a terra cotta sewer line with PVC pipe. George dug a trench that was 11 feet deep and had a ladder in the trench that was used by his employees to climb in and out of the trench. The trench had no cave-in protection.
The victim, Jacob Casher, was a 21-year-old A Rooter Man employee, who was in the trench at the depth of approximately 11 feet below the surface when the trench collapsed. He was killed instantly.
As a result of its investigation, OSHA issued citations for two willful violations and several serious violations of construction industry safety standards. In response, George paid a penalty of $87,000.
Assistant United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Brady commended the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Office of the Regional Solicitor for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wayne A. George.
Pittsburgh Woman Sentenced for Health Care Fraud and Prescription Painkiller Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A local woman has been sentenced in federal court to three years probation on her conviction of health care fraud and conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence yesterday on Angela Vernon, 66, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Vernon was part of a group of individuals involved in a large-scale health care fraud and pill distribution network. As part of the criminal enterprise, Vernon and others obtained powerful and addictive prescription pain medication through physicians under the false pretense that they intended to use that medication themselves. In fact, they intended to sell the medication to individuals addicted to those medications. Additionally, medication was often paid for through taxpayer-funded health care insurance programs. Thus, the taxpayers ended paying much of the prescription medications that these conspirators sold.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting these cases on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of these defendants.
Pineville man sentenced to 30 months in prison for possessing child pornography onlineRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Pineville man was sentenced last week to two and a half years in prison for using an online storage site to house child pornography.
Brandon McNamara, 26, of Pineville, La., was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of child pornography. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to the August 28, 2017 guilty plea, Canadian law enforcement agents arrested a resident of British Columbia in 2016 for online child pornography distribution. Canadian agents identified McNamara’s online alias as one of 57 different users exchanging child pornography with the Canadian defendant. Canadian agents alerted U.S. law enforcement, and McNamara was questioned on December 9, 2016. He admitted to possessing images of child pornography and said they were being stored on an online storage account.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Vancouver Royal Canadian Mounted Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
Phenix City Chiropractor and Two of His Employees Arrested on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Dr. Kenneth G. Edwards, 64, a resident of Columbus, Georgia, and two of his employees, Joann Bush, 58, and Andrea Daigle, 40, both from Smiths Station, Alabama, were arrested yesterday after being indicted by a federal grand jury, announced United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. Dr. Edwards owns and operates a chiropractic practice in Phenix City, Alabama.
All three defendants face conspiracy, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges. Additionally, Dr. Edwards and Joann Bush are charged with making false statements and falsification of federal records.
The indictment alleges that Dr. Edwards and his employees orchestrated a scheme to submit false documents to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). Those false documents related to the physical exams of truck drivers and prospective truck drivers that were conducted at his chiropractic office. The USDOT requires that all truck drivers undergo an initial physical examination before receiving a commercial driver’s license (CDL), and that they have subsequent examinations every two years thereafter to maintain the license. According to the indictment, Dr. Edwards and his staff did not perform physicals that were up to USDOT standards. They would then send forms to the USDOT that falsely certified the truck drivers had passed all of the USDOT physical exam requirements.
If convicted of the most serious charges, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. They also face substantial monetary penalties and restitution.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan S. Ross and Steven H. Lee are prosecuting the case.
Pharmacy Tech Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Tampering with Opioids for IV FluidRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge today sentenced a former lead technician at a central Alabama pharmacy to five years in prison for tampering with vials of opioid painkillers used in the compounding of intravenous fluid bags intended for terminally ill patients in debilitating pain.
U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton and Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Kuehl announced the sentence.
U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor sentenced JOHNATHON WILLIAM CLICK , 30, of Bessemer, on one-count of tampering with consumer products in reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death or bodily injury, and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to that risk. Click pleaded guilty to the charge in November.
“Jonathan Click knew he was inflicting untold pain and suffering on terminally ill cancer patients, yet for two years he diluted their medication and took the opioid drugs for himself,” U.S. Attorney Town said. “Mr. Click is going to prison for his crime, and he will be joined shortly by those like him.”
“Patients deserve to have confidence that they are receiving the proper treatment from those entrusted with providing their medical care,” said FDA Acting Special Agent in Charge Kuehl. “That’s why we must hold medical personnel accountable when they take advantage of their unique position and tamper with drugs needed by their patients, especially when such tampering causes additional pain and suffering for those who are terminally-ill.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who divert prescription drugs. Opiate abuse is a major problem across the nation, with over four million Americans addicted to prescription drugs,” DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Hamilton said. “The sentencing of this pharmacy technician should send a clear message to those within the medical profession. DEA will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement and regulatory partners to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
Click worked at Birmingham-based ContinuumRx of Central Alabama, which primarily distributes IV bags containing morphine and hydromorphone for palliative care of patients in hospice or homecare. The majority of CRX’s patients were terminally ill with cancer and suffering breakthrough pain. Click, as the lead pharmacy technician, prepared the vast majority of CRX’s IV bags, which helped safeguard his scheme, according to court documents.
Between December 2014 and September 2016, when CRX ended Click’s employment, he removed morphine sulfate and hydromorphone hydrochloride from vials intended for use in mixing IV bags. He diluted the vials to hide his theft, knowing that patients in excruciating pain would receive the diluted pain medication, according to the government’s sentencing memorandum. The document states that Click stole the medication so he could feed his opioid addiction.
“The nature and circumstances of this offense shock the conscience,” the government said in its sentencing memorandum. Click’s victims “were painfully dying – because the defendant tampered with their medicine for his own gratification. In their final days on earth, the defendant denied them the comfort of pain remediation they so desperately needed. The defendant knew what he was doing each time he tampered with those vials of medicine.”
According to the sentencing memorandum and Click’s plea agreement, he surreptitiously removed vials of morphine and hydromorphone from CRX’s locked inventory, withdrew drugs from the vials with a syringe and replaced the withdrawn amount with saline or sterile water. Click then would return the adulterated and diluted vials to the inventory, undetected, and later use the vials to compound IV bags that were distributed and administered to homecare and hospice patients. CRX’s primary customers are Alacare Home Health & Hospice, New Beacon Hospice, Lakeview Homecare & Hospice, Comfort Care Hospice and Kindred Hospice.
DEA, FDA and the Alabama Board of Pharmacy investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib prosecuted.
Pascagoula Man Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Tharon Jamell Taylor, 27, of Pascagoula, Mississippi, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Sul Ozerden to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
On August 20, 2017, a cooperating source made a controlled delivery of 1,964 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine to Taylor. Prior to the delivery, a recorded phone call was placed by the cooperating source to Taylor, and during the call, Taylor requested that they meet at his apartment in Ocean Springs. Taylor met the cooperating source in the apartment’s parking lot, and agents quickly arrested Taylor when he reached for the bag in which the methamphetamine was located. The cooperating source provided information to law enforcement that he had previously delivered narcotics from Texas to Taylor. Upon arresting Taylor, law enforcement searched his apartment and found money, a scale, methamphetamine, and a stolen handgun.
Taylor will be sentenced on June 26, 2018, by Judge Ozerden, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force in Pascagoula, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk.
Panamanian Company Pleads Guilty to Bribing Soccer OfficialRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Mimo International Imports and Exports, Inc. (Mimo) pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in connection with its agreement to pay a $500,000 bribe to Eduardo Li, who was president of the Costa Rican soccer federation (FEDEFUT) at the time of the bribe. Mimo, which is a privately held corporation organized under the laws of Panama, paid over $300,000 of this agreed-upon bribe before Li was arrested in Zurich, Switzerland on May 27, 2015. Pursuant to a plea agreement with the government, Mimo was sentenced today to pay $500,000 in restitution to FEDEFUT and a $900,000 fine. Also pursuant this plea agreement, Mimo agreed to dissolve its corporate existence within 90 days. Today’s plea and sentencing proceedings took place before United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and R. Damon Rowe, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office (IRS CI), announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant company Mimo agreed to bribe the president of the Costa Rican soccer federation, depriving the federation of $500,000 as well as of its president’s honest services,” stated U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “As a result of the government’s investigation bringing this bribery scheme to light, Mimo admitted its guilt and will make full restitution to the federation, pay a $900,000 fine, and cease operations.”
“This plea is just one in an increasing pile of investigations and cases the FBI and our law enforcement partners from around the world have been pursuing for years,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “It shows we're not slowing down in our efforts to stop greedy, criminal behavior casting a dark shadow on a game the world reveres. There will be more to come, and we won't stop until those who take money under the table and use it for their own illicit purposes get the message that they will get caught.”
“Today’s guilty plea is a clear demonstration of IRS Criminal Investigation’s continued commitment to pursue financial crimes, including those which further corruption in the world of international soccer,” stated IRS CI Special Agent-in-Charge Rowe. “IRS CI is committed to ending these practices and bringing bad actors, including corporate entities, to justice.”
According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, Mimo provided athletic apparel and sponsorship fees to FEDEFUT pursuant to a 2012 sponsorship agreement that was to run through 2018. In 2014, Mimo sought for FEDEFUT to terminate the 2012 sponsorship agreement, because if FEDEFUT terminated that agreement, Mimo’s owners would receive a multi-million dollar rescission fee. To induce Li to terminate the 2012 sponsorship agreement, Mimo agreed to pay Li a bribe of $500,000.
Li then terminated the 2012 agreement and on behalf of FEDEFUT entered into a sponsorship agreement with an American sports apparel company. Mimo paid Li over $300,000 of the $500,000 bribe, in United States currency, before Li’s arrest on May 27, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. Mimo representatives did not tell the American sports apparel company about the bribe, and told Li not to tell the American sports apparel company about it. Li pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and other offenses on October 7, 2016, and admitted in his allocution, among other things, that he had agreed to this bribe.
The guilty plea announced today is part of an investigation into corruption in international soccer led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the FBI New York Field Office, and the IRS-CI Los Angeles Field Office. The prosecutors in Brooklyn are receiving considerable assistance from attorneys in various parts of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in Washington, D.C., including the Office of International Affairs, the Organized Crime and Gang Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and the Fraud Section, as well as from INTERPOL Washington.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s FIFA Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Tuchmann of the Eastern District of New York is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MIMO INTERNATIONAL IMPORTS AND EXPORTS, INC.
Place of Incorporation: PanamaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18 CR 59 (PKC)
Oregon man pleads guilty to failing to register as a sex offender after moving to GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Timothy Chenault, who traveled from Oregon to Georgia but then did not register as a sex offender here, has pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to update or maintain his status on the Sex Offender Registry.
“Citizens have a right to know if they live or work near a sex offender,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “This is a matter of public safety. Sex offenders who do not believe they must register any longer will be found and held accountable for their willful failure to comply with the law.”
“The enforcement of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is a priority of the U.S. Marshals Service and we will continue to monitor and seek out those who are under the requirements of the Act to ensure compliance. We will move and take actions against individuals when we find noncompliance,” said Beverly Harvard, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act requires people who commit certain sex crimes to register as sex offenders regardless of what state they live in or what state they move to. In this case, in June 1992, Timothy Chenault lured a 14-year-old girl to a field in Oregon, where he sexually assaulted her and threatened to harm her if she told anyone what he did. He was convicted in November 1992 of attempt to commit rape and sexual abuse. This conviction required him to register as a sex offender, and, indeed, he did register in Oregon when he was released from prison in 1994. He continued to register through December 2013.
However, by February 13, 2015, Chenault had moved to Georgia. He never informed law enforcement in Oregon that he was leaving that state, nor did he ever registered as a sex offender while living in Georgia.
Sentencing for Timothy Chenault, 48, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for May 15, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey Jr.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul R. Jones is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Operator of Bitcoin Investment Platform Charged with Perjury and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that JON E. MONTROLL, a/k/a “Ukyo” was taken into federal custody today for giving false sworn testimony and false documentation to the staff of the New York Regional Office of the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The defendant is expected to be presented this afternoon in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “SEC investigations rely on learning the full and accurate facts concerning financial markets and products. As alleged, the defendant repeatedly lied during sworn testimony and misled SEC staff to avoid taking personal responsibility for the loss of thousands of his customers’ bitcoins. These charges signify that we will use the full force of the federal criminal law to protect the integrity of the SEC’s investigative process.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As alleged, Montroll committed a serious crime when he lied to the SEC during sworn testimony. In an attempt to cover up the results of a hack that exploited weaknesses in the programming code of his company, he allegedly went to great lengths to prove the balance of bitcoins available to BitFunder users in the WeExchange Wallet was sufficient to cover the money owed to investors. It’s said that honesty is always the best policy – this is yet another case in which this virtue holds true.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
JON E. MONTROLL operated two online bitcoin services: WeExchange Australia, Pty. Ltd. (“WeExchange”) and BitFunder.com (“BitFunder”). WeExchange functioned as a bitcoin depository and currency exchange service. BitFunder facilitated the purchase and trading of virtual shares of business entities that listed their virtual shares on the BitFunder platform.
During the summer of 2013, one or more individuals (the “Hackers”) exploited a weakness in the BitFunder programming code to cause BitFunder to credit the Hackers with profits they did not, in fact, earn (the “Exploit”). As a result, the Hackers were able to wrongfully withdraw from WeExchange approximately 6,000 bitcoins, with the majority of those coins being wrongfully withdrawn between July 28, 2013, and July 31, 2013. In today’s value, the wrongfully withdrawn bitcoin were worth more than $60 million. As a result of the Exploit, BitFunder and WeExchange lacked the bitcoins necessary to cover what MONTROLL owed to users.
In November 2013, MONTROLL provided sworn testimony to the SEC’s New York Regional Office in connection with their investigation into the Exploit and BitFunder’s activities. In that testimony, MONTROLL denied that the Exploit had been successful, testifying that, “When [the Hackers] went to withdraw, the system stopped them because the amount was obviously causing issues with the system.” MONTROLL later added that the software issue “was corrected immediately, whenever the system started having the problems, and I caught on to what was happening I’d say within a few hours.”
MONTROLL also produced to the SEC a screenshot purportedly documenting, among other things, the total number of bitcoins available to BitFunder users in the WeExchange Wallet as of October 13, 2013 (the “Balance Statement”). The Balance Statement reflected “6,679.78 BTC” on hand as of that date. In discussing the Balance Statement in his sworn testimony, MONTROLL explained that it represented “the collective pool of funds held for users on BitFunder. The collective pool of BTC held for users on BitFunder – users who transfer bitcoins to BitFunder, this is the total amount that’s being held by BitFunder of those users.”
Contemporaneous digital evidence, including chat logs and transaction data, revealed that the Balance Statement was a misleading fabrication. Three days into the Exploit, MONTROLL had participated in an internet relay chat with another person (“Person-1”) in which he sought help in tracking down “Stolen coins.” When that did not work, MONTROLL transferred some of his own bitcoin holdings into WeExchange to conceal the losses. The Exploit, however, continued. By the time of the Balance Statement, WeExchange actually held thousands of bitcoins less than MONTROLL had asserted through the false Balance Statement.
When confronted with that evidence during subsequent testimony, MONTROLL lied to SEC staff again. While MONTROLL admitted that the Balance Statement was the product of his manual intervention in the WeExchange system, he claimed to have discovered the success of the Exploit only after the SEC had asked him about it during his first day of testimony and to have no knowledge of the chat with Person-1.
* * *
MONTROLL, 37, of Saginaw, Texas, is charged with two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. The perjury counts each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The obstruction of justice count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the FBI. He also thanked the SEC, which has filed civil charges against MONTROLL in a separate action.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Thomas is in charge of the case.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Operation Hardest Hit Heroin Trafficker Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for his role in a massive heroin and fentanyl drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, on Aug. 14, 2017, over 300 law enforcement agents made arrests and executed search warrants in Virginia, Georgia, and New York. The takedown was the result of a multi-year, multi-jurisdictional, and multi-agency Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation designated Operation Hardest Hit.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Leroy Perdue and his drug trafficking organization (Perdue DTO) in early 2016 following the heroin overdose death of a young resident of Chesapeake. With the participation of nearly two dozen Confidential Human Sources, law enforcement infiltrated the Perdue DTO and made 10 undercover controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl. On June 22, the investigative team arrested Rhadu Schoolfield, 33, of Portsmouth, in Norfolk with more than 800 grams of heroin after he returned from a trip to New York. According to the indictment, the Perdue DTO distributed in excess of 100 kilograms of heroin (approximately 250,000 doses) over a 10-year period. Members of the Perdue DTO were responsible for supplying a violent gang based in Portsmouth and continued to sell dangerous narcotics even after learning that their drugs resulted in death.
Schoolfield, who was the chief lieutenant and face of the drug trafficking organization, was sentenced today to 24 years in prison. Schoolfield managed his own network of distributors, traveled between New York and Baltimore to obtain wholesale amounts of raw heroin to bring back for distribution in Hampton Roads, and used his status as a local celebrity and rapper to advertise and recruit for the organization. Those advertising and recruiting efforts included his posting on YouTube the music video for his single, “Dumb Hard,” which lyrics cast his criminal conduct in a positive light.
The dozen individuals below previously pleaded guilty. The leader of the DTO, Leroy Perdue, is scheduled for trial on May 15.
Name, Age
Hometown
Guilty Plea
Sentence
Abraham Atkins, 35
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
20 Years
Eddie L. Tyson, 46
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
15 Years
Edward Muckle, 32
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
9 years
Jamars Cooper, 26
Portsmouth
September 5, 2017
11 years
Victoria Waller, 42
Portsmouth
September 6, 2017
10 years, 6 months
Dominic Diablo Mosley, 35
Portsmouth
September 6, 2017
15 years
Nicholas Godwin, 37
Portsmouth
September 6, 2017
12 years, 4 months
Kevin Lawrence, 37
Portsmouth
September 7, 2017
13 years
Tywon McKelvy, 42
New York
October 3, 2017
March 7
Darion Perdue, 24
Portsmouth
October 17, 2017
March 19
Christina James
New York
October 18, 2017
5 years
Rhadu Schoolfield, 33
Portsmouth
October 18, 2017
24 years
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Division, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Kelvin L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, and Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Tidewater Violent Crime Task Force, in partnership with HSI’s Norfolk Field Office, ATF, Chesapeake Police Department, Virginia State Police, and the Portsmouth Gang Suppression Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla, Andrew C. Bosse, and William B. Jackson, are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
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-116.
Ohio man pleads guilty to federal drug crimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man who sold crack to an informant in September 2016 pled guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Stephen Somon, 44, of Ironton, entered his guilty plea to aiding and abetting the distribution of crack. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“If you sell your poison in Huntington, you’re making a big mistake, and it will cost you dearly,” said U.S. Attorney Stuart. “We’re taking back the streets of Huntington and the only hospitality we are offering drug dealers is a long stay in a prison cell, and that cell doesn’t come with turn down service or a chocolate on the pillow.”
On September 13, 2016, law enforcement used a confidential informant to arrange a drug deal for crack in the area of the Little Caesar’s on 1st Street in Huntington. Somon admitted that he arrived and gave the informant crack in exchange for $850. As part of the plea agreement, Somon also admitted that he allowed others to reside at his residence for the purpose of distributing crack.
Somon faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 29, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie S. Taylor are handling the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
This prosecution is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Ohio Man Admits Crashing through Security Gate at FBI-Pittsburgh HeadquartersRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - An Ohio resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of willfully injuring or committing depredation against any property of the United States, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Thomas Ross, age 49, formerly of New Waterford, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on July 26, 2016, Ross drove his vehicle, a large dump truck, through the gate of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, located at 3311 East Carson Street, in Pittsburgh. Ross proceeded to ram through the security barriers at a high rate of speed, inflicting extensive damage on the gate and security barriers and causing the vehicle to become airborne. Upon hitting the ground, the vehicle struck a nearby light post in the interior parking lot of the FBI Pittsburgh.
The court was advised that the total amount of loss attributable to Ross’s actions will be determined at sentencing. The government estimates that the cost to repair and replace the gate and security barriers struck by Ross’s vehicle was approximately $175,000, and that the cost to repair the light post was approximately $13,684. The government also advised the court that, while the gate and security barriers were being repaired, the FBI also hired additional security personnel at additional cost to the FBI.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for June 13, 2018. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam N. Hallowell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh FBI and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Thomas Ross.
Norwich Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Distributing Oxycodone, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RODNEY T. MORGAN, 48, of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing oxycodone, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 23, 2010, Judge Chatigny sentenced MORGAN to 49 months of imprisonment, followed by six years of supervised release, for distributing oxycodone, cocaine and crack cocaine. MORGAN was released from prison in July 2013 and began serving his six-year term of supervised release.
In October 2016, the Norwich Police Department received information that MORGAN was receiving large shipments of prescription pills and kept a supply of the narcotics at a friend’s residence in Stonington. On October 12, 2016, detectives stopped MORGAN’s car after he drove away from the Stonington residence. A search of the car revealed more than 100 oxycodone pills. Detectives subsequently located more than 300 oxycodone pills inside the residence.
MORGAN has been detained since his arrest on October 12, 2016. On January 5, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. On that date, he also admitted that he violated the terms of his supervised release.
This is MORGAN’s third federal conviction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Anthony P. Kaplan.
Northern Idaho Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Heather R. King, 31, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to theft of government funds, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.
According to court records, King’s daughter received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). King served as her daughter’s representative payee because her daughter was a minor child. From May 17, 2014, through October 1, 2015, King did not have custody of her daughter, but she continued to receive her daughter’s SSI benefits. King did not contact the SSA to report that her daughter no longer lived with her. Instead, she stole her daughter’s SSI benefits and converted them to her own use.
The charge of theft of government funds is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for May 22, 2018, before the Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
North Las Vegas Man Indicted for Unlawful Possession of Pipe BombRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A previously convicted felon was charged today for possession of a 12-inch pipe bomb that was found in a North Las Vegas house, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson of the District of Nevada.
Christopher Michael Robinson, 46, of North Las Vegas, is charged with one-count of unlawful possession of a destructive device and one-count of felon in possession of a firearm. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for March 1, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on January 11, 2018, North Las Vegas Police Department officers requested assistance from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, and the FBI related to a pipe bomb in a house. The house’s resident indicated that he had evicted Robinson for nonpayment of rent and that Robinson had in turn threatened to “blow up the house.” Bomb technicians used a robot to remove a 12-inch pipe bomb from the house. After inspection, it was determined that the pipe contained match heads, a pyrotechnic powder, and BB pellets (for fragmentation). During an interview with law enforcement, Robinson admitted to constructing the pipe bomb and stated that he was currently on parole in Hawaii for previously manufacturing a pipe bomb.
In addition to the current possession of a destructive device charge, Robinson is charged with being a former felon in possession of a destructive device after multiple prior felony convictions in Clark County, Nevada, and Hawaii.
If convicted, Robinson will face the statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine per each count.
The case is a joint investigation by the FBI, the North Las Vegas Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip N. Smith Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
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Niagara County Man Sentenced on Child Pornography and Cyberstalking ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Timothy Laubacker, 26, of Lockport, NY, who was convicted of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and cyberstalking, was sentenced to 180 months in prison and lifetime supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary C. Baumgarten, who handled the case, stated that in September 2015, a female victim reported to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department that she received unsolicited communications from an individual on Facebook. The individual threatened to distribute and post images that the female victim sent to her then-boyfriend when she was about 14 years-old.
During the investigation, it was determined that Laubacker was the individual who had contacted the female victim on Facebook. The investigation further determined that the co-defendant Travis Guerriera, who had possession of the images that the victim had previously shared with her former boyfriend, had provided such images to Laubacker.
In June 2015, Laubacker attempted to entice a second victim, a minor, via Facebook to produce images of child pornography. When the minor victim refused to comply, Laubacker threatened to distribute child pornography images that he had previously obtained from the victim. Laubacker’s threats continued until November 2015.
Laubacker made initial contact with the minor victim during his former employment as a behavioral health aide at a mental health facility. Laubaker was terminated from that employment in late December 2015 for inappropriate communications with another minor female.
Co-defendant Travis Guerriera was convicted of possession of child pornography and cyberstalking and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years when sentenced on March 14, 2018.
Today’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Lyons, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of James Voutour.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
Sajmir Alimehmeti, aka, Abdul Qawii, 24, of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty today to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and to committing passport fraud in order to facilitate an act of international terrorism. Alimehmeti pleaded guilty today to a Superseding Indictment in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Edward C. O’Callaghan and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York made the announcement.
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment and the Complaint filed in this case, statements made during the plea proceeding, and other documents filed in the public record:
In October 2014, Alimehmeti attempted to enter the United Kingdom but was denied entry after U.K. authorities found camouflage clothing and nunchucks in his luggage. About two months later, in December 2014, Alimehmeti was again denied entry into the United Kingdom, this time after U.K. authorities found that his cellphone contained images of ISIS flags. Further forensic examination of the contents of the cellphone and Alimehmeti’s laptop computer showed numerous indicia of Alimehmeti’s support for ISIS, including a photograph of Alimehmeti with an ISIS flag in the background, images of ISIS fighters in the Middle East, a photograph of Alimehmeti making a gesture of support for ISIS, various files relating to jihad and martyrdom, and electronic communications in which Alimehmeti assisted another ISIS supporter in efforts to travel to Syria to join ISIS by providing contact information for an ISIS affiliate who could facilitate the travel.
After returning to the United States, Alimehmeti continued to support ISIS. Among other things, Alimehmeti displayed an ISIS flag in his apartment in the Bronx and, in the course of recorded meetings with undercover law enforcement employees, Alimehmeti played multiple pro-ISIS propaganda videos on his computer and cellphone, including videos of ISIS fighters decapitating prisoners, and also indicated that he was interested in radicalizing other individuals in the Bronx area. Alimehmeti also made repeated purchases of combat knives and other military-type equipment, including masks, handcuffs, a pocket chainsaw, a wire pocket saw and a rucksack designed for tactical combat, which he stockpiled at his apartment in the Bronx.
In October 2015, Alimehmeti applied for a U.S. passport, falsely claiming in the application that his previous passport had been lost. Alimehmeti later told an undercover law enforcement employee that his prior passport – which Alimehmeti showed to the undercover law enforcement officer – had not been lost and, instead, that he was applying for a new passport because he believed the rejection stamps in his existing passport resulting from his attempted entries into the United Kingdom would make it difficult to travel. Alimehmeti further conveyed to undercover law enforcement personnel that he was seeking the new passport, without rejection stamps, to facilitate his travel overseas to join and fight for ISIS.
In May 2016, Alimehmeti attempted to assist an individual who was purportedly traveling from New York to Syria to train and fight with ISIS but who was actually an undercover law enforcement employee (UC). On May 17, 2016, Alimehmeti met with the UC in Manhattan. The UC had purportedly arrived in New York earlier that day on a bus and was en route to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport) to take an overseas flight later that night.
Alimehmeti agreed to help the UC with several tasks prior to the UC’s purported travel. Alimehmeti assisted the UC by locating stores so the UC could purchase supplies to use while traveling to, and fighting with, ISIS, including a cellphone, boots, a compass, a bag, and a flashlight, among other items. Alimehmeti also gave the UC advice on which items to purchase and on the use of different kinds of encrypted communications services, including the service that Alimehmeti stated was currently being used by fellow ISIS supporters, whom Alimehmeti referred to as “the brothers.” Alimehmeti also downloaded three encrypted communications applications on the UC’s newly purchased cellphone for use by the UC.
Further, Alimehmeti assisted the UC in traveling from Manhattan to a hotel in Queens, so the UC could purportedly meet with an individual who was preparing travel documents that the UC would use to travel to Syria to join ISIS. Alimehmeti gave the UC a piece of paper with his name and contact information, so the UC could provide that information to the purported document facilitator. Alimehmeti explained that he also wanted to travel to Syria and join ISIS, stating “I’m ready to . . . go with you man . . . you know I would. I’m done with this place.” After leaving the hotel in Queens, Alimehmeti brought the UC to JFK Airport, via public transportation, so the UC could begin the purported journey to ISIS. Within days of seeking to facilitate the UC’s travel to join ISIS, Alimehmeti indicated during a call to his brother in Albania that that he had learned of a new way to obtain a passport for his own travel (referring to the UC’s purported document facilitator), and that a “friend of mine” (referring to the UC) had “just [done] it two days ago.”
Following Alimehmeti’s arrest on the charges in this case in May 2016, the FBI executed a search of Alimehmeti’s Bronx apartment pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant. The FBI’s search of Alimehmeti’s apartment resulted in the seizure of, among other evidence, the following: (i) a laptop computer and a cellphone belonging to Alimehmeti that contain an array of materials further demonstrating his allegiance to ISIS and terrorist ideology, including images of the ISIS flag, photographs of Alimehmeti with an ISIS flag and making gestures supportive of ISIS, images of ISIS fighters overseas, and propaganda videos promoting and glorifying ISIS, including videos depicting ISIS fighters engaging in combat and beheading prisoners; (ii) a collection of combat knives and other military-type equipment that Alimehmeti had purchased and stored at his apartment, as discussed above; and (iii) an ISIS flag that was displayed on a wall in the apartment.
Alimehmeti faces a maximum sentenced of 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for making a false statement in an application for a U.S. passport with the intent to induce the issuance of a passport to facilitate an act of international terrorism. 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 a judge. Sentencing is scheduled for June 7, before Judge Engelmayer.
Mr. O’Callaghan and Mr. Berman praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD, and the NYPD’s Intelligence Division. Substantial assistance was also provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Albania State Police, and the Metropolitan Police Service's Counter Terrorism Command of London, United Kingdom.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III, George D. Turner and Brendan F. Quigley of the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Joseph Attias and Kiersten Korczynski of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
New York Attorney Charged with Tax FraudRead the Press Release
An indictment returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Manhattan was unsealed today, charging a New York-licensed attorney and partner at a New York law firm, with conspiring to defraud the United States, corruptly endeavoring to impede the internal revenue laws and tax evasion, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York.
According to the indictment, Steven M. Etkind, 57, was the head of a New York law firm’s tax, trusts and estates group and a Certified Public Accountant. The indictment alleges that Etkind performed legal work for a successful entrepreneur client, who passed away in 2008, naming Etkind as the co-executor of his $35 million estate.
The indictment further alleges that the client’s will directed the creation of charitable trusts, funded with assets from the client’s estate, for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations, including those aimed at assisting Jewish sponsored organizations. Etkind was allegedly named co-trustee of these trusts.
The indictment charges that Etkind and his co-conspirator set up a phony charitable organization and used it to steal more than $3.5 million from these charitable trusts – by first directing donations from the trusts to legitimate Jewish charitable organizations, then redirecting the funds to the phony charity accounts that Etkind and his co-conspirator controlled. Etkind is alleged to have used part of the money he stole to purchase a 6,300 sq. ft. home with a swimming pool, in Southampton, New York, titling it in a nominee name.
The indictment further alleges that to conceal his theft, Etkind filed, and caused to be filed, fraudulent personal, corporate and charitable trust returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and made several false and misleading statements to the IRS during the course of an audit and examination.
If convicted, Etkind faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and each of the tax evasion charges, as well as three years in prison for obstructing the internal revenue laws. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Berman praised the outstanding efforts by special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Jorge Almonte and Jack A. Morgan of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
New York Attorney Charged with Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Richard E. Zuckerman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Tax Division, and James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office (“IRS”), announced the arrest of STEVEN M. ETKIND, a New York-licensed attorney and partner at a New York law firm, for conspiring to defraud the United States, corruptly endeavoring to impede the internal revenue laws, and tax evasion.
According to the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
ETKIND was the head of a New York law firm’s tax, trusts, and estates group and a Certified Public Accountant. The indictment alleges that ETKIND performed legal work for a successful entrepreneur client, who died in 2008, naming ETKIND as the co-executor of his $35 million estate.
The client’s will directed the creation of charitable trusts, funded with assets from the client’s estate, for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations, including those aimed at assisting Jewish sponsored organizations. ETKIND was named co-trustee of these trusts.
The indictment charges that ETKIND and his co-conspirator set up a phony charitable organization and used it to steal more than $3.5 million from these charitable trusts – by first directing donations from the trusts to legitimate Jewish charitable organizations, then redirecting the funds to the phony charity accounts that ETKIND and his co-conspirator controlled. ETKIND used part of the money he stole to purchase a 6,300-square-foot home with a swimming pool in Southampton, New York, titling it in a nominee name.
To conceal his theft, ETKIND filed, and caused to be filed, fraudulent personal, corporate and charitable trust returns with the IRS and made several false and misleading statements to the IRS during the course of an audit and examination of the phony charity.
If convicted, ETKIND, 57, faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge, five years on each of the tax evasion charges, and three years for obstructing the internal revenue laws. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman and Mr. Zuckerman praised the outstanding efforts by special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation.
Mr. Berman also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division for their significant assistance in the investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds Unit. Special Assistant United States Attorneys Jorge Almonte and Jack A. Morgan (of the Tax Division) are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
New Orleans Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAMIAN BARBARITO ROMERO, age 37, from New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty as charged today before United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance to a one-count Indictment charging him with possession of child pornography involving children under the age of twelve, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(B).
According to court documents, special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at ROMERO’S residence in February 2017. During the execution of the warrant, agents seized dozens of electronic devices, including laptop computers, “thumb” drives, external storage devices, and DVDs, that contained images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of children. A subsequent forensic review revealed that ROMERO had downloaded and saved approximately 3,984 unique images and 1,258 videos depicting the sexual victimization of children, including children as young as two (2) years old being forced to engaged in violent sexually explicit conduct. The forensic review also determined that ROMERO attempted unsuccessfully to encrypt and hide his collection by using a sophisticated twenty-two character password.
ROMERO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, and he may also be required to register as sex offender. Sentencing in this matter will occur before Judge Vance on May 16, 2018, at 9:30 am.
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 United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
New Haven Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE MEDINA, also known as “Tito,” 48, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a heroin trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad targeted a New Haven-based heroin trafficking organization led by Bienvenido and Antonio Gonzalez. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics and physical and video surveillance, revealed that the Gonzalez brothers regularly purchased bulk quantities of heroin from suppliers located in the Bronx, New York, and sold the heroin through a network of redistributors, including MEDINA, in New Haven and elsewhere.
The investigation resulted in federal charges against 24 individuals.
On October 18, 2017, MEDINA pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 100 grams or more of heroin.
Judge Meyer ordered MEDINA, who is released on bond, to report to prison on March 23, 2018.
Bienvenido Gonzalez and Antonio Gonzalez have pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing.
The DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad includes officers from the Bristol, Hamden, Milford, Monroe, New Haven, Shelton, Wallingford and Wilton Police Departments. The New Haven, East Haven and West Haven Police Departments, together with the U.S. Coast Guard, provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Patrick F. Caruso.
Nevada Doctor Arrested on Federal Charges of Illegally Selling Narcotic Prescriptions for Cash at High Desert ClinicRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A medical doctor was arrested this morning on federal charges of illegally selling prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose to undercover operatives who visited the physician’s Victorville medical office.
Wendell Mark Street, 66, of Las Vegas, was arrested this morning without incident at his residence by special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Today’s arrest is the result of a 10-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on February 9. The indictment charges Street with five counts of illegally distributing the painkiller oxycodone and five counts of illegally distributing the tranquilizer alprazolam (often sold under the brand name Xanax). Street allegedly issued the prescriptions in 2013 in exchange for cash “while acting and intending to act outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.”
Street allegedly wrote prescriptions without performing any physical examinations in exchange for $200 to $300 in cash from each of two undercover investigators with the California Medical Board and an informant.
Street is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Las Vegas.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The five counts related to illegal distribution of oxycodone each carry a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The five counts related to alprazolam each carry a sentence of up to five years in prison.
During the investigation into Street, investigators executed a search warrant at his Victorville office in 2014. Street surrendered his California medical license in 2016.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria A. Degtyareva of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
Naperville Man Convicted of Violently Forcing Women into ProstitutionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury today convicted a Naperville man on sex trafficking charges for violently forcing women to engage in prostitution between 2007 and 2016.
BENJAMIN BIANCOFIORI, 38, used the promise of financial security to entice women into performing commercial sex acts on his behalf. Biancofiori often beat and punched the women, and he kept almost all of the proceeds they earned through prostitution. On one occasion, Biancofiori arranged for a victim to be returned to him at gunpoint after she tried to run away. He ran his sex-trafficking operation primarily out of his residences in the western suburbs of Chicago.
The jury convicted Biancofiori on 14 of the 15 counts against him, including conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion; engaging in sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion; and obstructing, attempting to obstruct, or interfering with the enforcement of the sex trafficking statute.
Biancofiori has remained in federal custody since his arrest in May 2016. The conviction carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber set sentencing for May 30, 2018, at 9:45 a.m.
The conviction was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and Gabriel L. Grchan, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Denver office of the FBI, the Carol Stream Police Department and the Naperville Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abigail Peluso and Erika Csicsila.
According to evidence at trial, Biancofiori lied to his victims to entice them to work for him and posted their information in commercial sex advertisements online, including the websites Backpage.com and Craigslist.com. Biancofiori also recruited multiple victims through social media. He arranged for the women to travel to meet clients at various locations throughout the United States, including in the Chicago area.
Five of the victims testified at trial about their ordeals.
Two co-defendants of Biancofiori pleaded guilty prior to trial. MARCUS WILLIS, 39, of Wheaton, and NATHAN PEREZ, 32, of West Chicago, admitted in written plea agreements that they conspired with Biancofiori to engage in sex trafficking. Judge Leinenweber will set sentencing hearings for Willis and Perez at a later date.
Monongalia County man sentenced for drug distributionRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Codey Bonnette, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 41 months incarceration for drug distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Bonnette, age 26, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Oxycodone” in October 2017. Bonnette admitted to selling oxycodone in Monongalia County in September 2015.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Mission Woman Indicted on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Distribution of a Controlled Substance, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.
Wiyaka Rochelle Guerue, a/k/a Feather Rochelle Guerue, age 32, was indicted on October 17, 2017. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 20, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 60 years in custody and/or a $2,500,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and up to $300 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that commencing on January 1, 2016, Guerue knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Guerue is also alleged to unlawfully and knowingly have opened, leased, rented, used, and maintained her residence for the purpose of distributing and using a controlled substance.
The charges are merely accusations and Guerue is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Guerue was released on bond pending trial, which has been set for March 20, 2018.
Minnesota Tax Return Preparer Indicted for Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury sitting in the District of Minnesota returned an indictment today charging a Rochester-based tax return preparer with conspiring to file false claims for tax refunds, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory G. Brooker for the District of Minnesota.
According to the indictment, Mercedes Maldonado Rodriguez from 2008 through April 2013, operated a tax return preparation business located in Rochester, Minnesota. Rodriguez allegedly purchased authentic birth certificates of Mexican nationals, which she and her co-conspirators then used along with other falsified documents to fraudulently obtain Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) from the Internal Revenue Service. The indictment further alleges that Rodriguez and her co-conspirators used the fraudulently obtained ITINs to file fraudulent tax returns, which claimed refunds based on, among other items, false dependents and child tax credits. An ITIN is a tax processing number issued by the IRS to individuals who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain, a social security number.
Rodriguez is further alleged to have directed the fraudulent tax refund checks to be mailed to addresses belonging to her co-conspirators, employees, and family members and then cashed.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, Rodriguez faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy, 10 years in prison for each count of theft of public money and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. She also faces substantial monetary penalties and restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Brooker commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General, who investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter and Trial Attorney Christopher S. Strauss of the Tax Division.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Terrell Shankle, a/k/a “King Relly” (age 40), of Milwaukee was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison and 5 years supervised release for sex trafficking crimes. Shankle was found guilty after a federal jury trial on September 6, 2017, of five counts of sex trafficking a minor and sex trafficking a person using force, fraud, or coercion, and one count of conspiracy to transport a minor across state lines to engage in prostitution.
The evidence presented at trial established that Shankle was a violent sex trafficker who, between September 2006 and May 2012, used force, fraud, and coercion to cause a number of minor and adult female victims to engage in prostitution. Victims of Shankle’s sex trafficking testified that he recruited girls as young as 16 years old to engage in prostitution with false promises of money and a better life. He then used physical violence and threats of violence to force them to engage in prostitution in Milwaukee and Chicago for his profit. Shankle even had some of his victims get tattoos of his name to signify his ownership of them.
One victim testified that Shankle beat her nearly every day for three years starting when she was 16 years old. On one occasion, he struck her repeatedly in her face with his “pimp cane,” and he beat her again for seeking medical treatment for the resulting injuries. Shankle often told this victim that he would kill her family if she tried to leave him. Another victim testified that Shankle pressed the barrel of a pistol against her head because he believed she withheld money from him. This victim also saw Shankle fire a gun at another victim’s feet after she purportedly disobeyed him.
United States Attorney Haanstad stated that “Sex traffickers prey upon some of the most vulnerable members of society, subjecting victims to extraordinary levels of violence and brutality to force them to engage in commercial sex acts. This prosecution is the result of an outstanding joint investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Milwaukee Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to vindicate the rights of sex trafficking victims and to protect citizens from these violent and predatory offenses.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin W. Proctor and Erica J. Lounsberry.
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For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, 414-297-1700
McKeesport Man Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Restitution for Overseas Reshipping SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of the Western District of Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court on his conviction of fraud conspiracy; mail fraud; wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering; trafficking or using unauthorized access devices aggregating $1,000 or more (attempt); and possession of 15 or more access devices, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence yesterday on Daniel K. Miller, 52, of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Miller received a sentence of 33 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release, and was ordered to pay approximately $71,472 in restitution.
According to information presented to the court, Miller falsely represented to be employees of companies in order to arrange and cause the unauthorized purchases of merchandise, and thereafter directing its shipment to individuals (re-shippers) who would re-ship the merchandise to co-conspirators overseas or would sell the products online and transfer the proceeds to co-conspirators overseas. Miller also knowingly transported, transmitted, or transferred monetary instruments or funds from a place in the United States to a place outside the United States (Nigeria). On or about September 10, 2010, Miller attempted to traffic in and use an unauthorized credit card in the amount of $2,213.44. On or about September 17, 2010, Miller possessed 15 or more unauthorized credit cards.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Scott Brady commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Miller.
Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty in Connection with Plattsburgh Heroin Distribution RingRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Jimolo Coates, a.k.a. “Lo,” Marlo” and “Brodie,” age 24, of Annapolis, Maryland, pled guilty today to participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Division, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Clinton County Sheriff David Favro.
In pleading guilty, Coates admitted to regularly selling 40 grams of heroin to Melissa Kusalonis in Annapolis for $4,000. Kusalonis then transported the heroin to Plattsburgh, New York, and sold it in personal-use quantities.
Coates admitted that initially, and beginning in June 2016, he sold the heroin directly to Kusalonis. Then, following his arrest and detention in early September 2016, Coates directed two couriers, Tynaejah Thompson and Kiara Scott, to provide the heroin to and collect payment from Kusalonis. Coates also admitted to selling distribution-size quantities of heroin to Charles Adams, who frequently transported heroin from Annapolis to Plattsburgh with Kusalonis.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino will sentences Coates on June 22, 2018. Coates faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 8 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Coates was charged along with 9 other people in two related indictments pertaining to a heroin-distribution ring that transported heroin from Annapolis and Schenectady, New York, and sold it in the Plattsburgh area. In addition to Coates, the following 8 defendants have pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin:
- Kyle Touchstone, age 30, of Plattsburgh;
- Melissa Kusalonis, a.k.a. “Mel” and “Liss,” age 36, of Plattsburgh;
- Tynaejah Thompson, a.k.a. “Naee,” age 21, of Annapolis, Maryland;
- Kiara Scott, age 28, of Annapolis, Maryland;
- Anthony DeFilippo, a.k.a “Flip,” age 36, of Schenectady;
- Charles Adams, a.k.a. “Chuck,” age 32, of Peru, New York;
- Travynn Ippolito, a.k.a “Trav,” age 30, of Plattsburgh; and
- Luke Kiroy, age 33, of Saranac, New York.
The tenth defendant, Danielle Conners, age 32, of Plattsburgh, is scheduled for trial on April 2, 2018. The charge against Conners is merely an accusation, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges are the result of a nearly year-long investigation led by the DEA Task Force in Plattsburgh, which consists of law enforcement officers from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Border Patrol, New York State Police, Clinton County Sherriff’s Office, Essex County Sheriff’s Office, and the Plattsburgh Police Department. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision also assisted in the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Katherine Kopita.
Man arrested for Possession of Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI- Rehelio Trant, 39, of St. Thomas, made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller after being charged in an indictment with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Gretchen C. F. Shappert announced. Trant was detained pending further proceedings.
According to the indictment, on October 16, 2017, the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) received a report from an individual that Trant brandished a firearm after a verbal confrontation with the individual. The indictment further states that Trant was previously convicted in District Court of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and that he is not licensed in the Virgin Islands to possess a firearm.
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the VIPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.
Man Sentenced for Armed Robberies Targeting Chinese RestaurantsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for three armed robberies targeting employees of Chinese food restaurants located in Hampton Roads.
According to court documents, Raheem Lorinzo Lacey, 23, served as the get-away driver during three armed robberies that occurred in January and August of 2017. All three robberies followed the same pattern, as Lacey and his co-conspirators waited outside of the restaurants and, under cover of darkness, followed the victims to their home. Lacey served as the getaway driver, while two of his co-conspirators ambushed the victims while waving handguns and demanding money and property. From July 28 through August 14, 2017, Lacey and his co-conspirators robbed six victims and stole at least $4,500 in cash and valuables.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, and Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel T. Young is prosecuting 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-146.
Man Heads to Prison for Trafficking Drugs Through Port of EntryRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 33-year-old U.S. citizen who was residing in Mexico has been ordered to federal prison for cocaine trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Gerardo Leal pleaded guilty July 19, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera sentenced Leal to a total of 36 months imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Olvera noted that no matter the difficulties Leal may encounter, he should do some prison time and that there was no reason that existed in this world to break the law.
On June 15, 2017, Leal arrived at the Gateway port of entry in Brownsville driving a Mazda 3. At the time, he claimed to be enroute to Sun Loan Company in Brownsville. When officers sent Leal to secondary inspection and moved the Mazda to the vehicle lift for further inspection, Leal attempted to run back to Mexico but was detained before he reached the Mexican border.
Several officers had to assist in placing Leal in handcuffs. After securing Leal, officers continued their inspection and soon discovered five kilograms of cocaine concealed in a false compartment within the center console of the vehicle.
Leal 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena Salinas prosecuted the case.
Man Charged with Possessing Guns at Fox High School in Arnold, MissouriRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Dustin Lockwood, 23, was charged in a federal criminal complaint today February 21, 2018.
According to the affidavit submitted in support of the complaint, on February 20, 2018, at approximately 4:00 p.m, Arnold Police Department and ATF responded to Fox High School in Arnold, Missouri, after a school staff member contacted them and advised that there was a subject sitting in a black 2001 Toyota Corolla on the parking lot of the school who appeared to have a rifle case in the passenger seat of the vehicle.
As the officers approached the vehicle, a white male identified as Dustin Lockwood was sitting in the driver’s seat and officers observed in plain view a gray and black rifle case in the rear of the vehicle.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a .22 caliber rifle, .22 caliber revolver, multiple spent shell casings throughout the vehicle, a suspected homemade silencer and multiple bags and boxes in the trunk of the vehicle containing explosive related material, multiple knives, a machete and .22 and 9mm caliber ammunition.
Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Lockwood’s residence and recovered numerous chemicals and bomb making components. During an interview of Lockwood conducted by ATF special agents and the officers from the Arnold Police Department, Lockwood indicated the explosive material in his vehicle and residence were possessed for legal purposes.
Lockwood was charged with one violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(q)(2) for possessing a firearm in a school zone. A violation of this statute carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
Lockwood was taken into custody without incident and made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in St. Louis this afternoon. The United States Attorney requested that Lockwood be detained pending trial. Lockwood will receive a preliminary hearing and a hearing on pretrial detention on Monday, February 26, 2018.
As is always the case, charges set forth in the complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Arnold Police Department; St. Louis County Bomb Squad and the Jefferson County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rodney H. Holmes is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Luzerne County Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced that Megan Fox, age 31, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison on February 20, 2018, by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley, for conspiring with others to distribute heroin in Luzerne County during February through November 2014.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Fox previously admitted to helping Desmond Mercer, the leader of the conspiracy, run his heroin trafficking operation while Mercer was incarcerated in the Luzerne County Prison. Fox admitted to involvement in the distribution and possession with intent to distribute of between 700 grams and 1 kilogram of heroin, which is approximately equivalent to between 28,000 and 40,000 retail bags of heroin.
Desmond Mercer, the leader of the drug conspiracy, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Shaliek Stroman and Shaquan Murphy, two key associates of Mercer, were each sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for their roles in the conspiracy. Another member of the drug ring, Antuan Jamison, was sentenced to five years in prison. In all, ten defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with the case.
Judge Munley also ordered Fox to forfeit her interest in $15,948 and a Buick vehicle that were seized during the investigation. Fox must also serve three years on supervised release following her prison sentence.
Fox was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2014, as a result of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and Kingston Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
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Local Man Convicted of Illegally Selling a FirearmRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Houston resident has entered a guilty plea to selling a firearm to a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick along with Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Reyes Hernandez admitted he sold a pistol to someone he knew to be a felon.
“Selling a gun to a convicted felon is a crime that ATF takes very seriously,” said Milanowski. “We will continue to pursue individuals who break the law and put more guns into the hands of illegal possessors.”
On multiple occasions, a man known to Hernandez had advised that he was a felon and had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term exceeding a year. He noted that, because of that, he was unable to purchase a firearm through legal means.
On June 7, 2017, Hernandez sold a Sig Sauer, model 1911, .45 caliber pistol to this individual against federal law.
U.S. District Judge Gray Miller accepted the plea today and set sentencing for May 18, 2018. At that time, Hernandez faces up to 10 years in federal prison. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Moyer is prosecuting the case.
Knoxville Resident Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Felon in Possession ConvictionRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On February 20, 2018, Steven Eugene Johnson, a.k.a. Yahya Johnson, 36, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to serve 37 months in federal prison by the Honorable Pamela Reeves, U.S. District Court Judge. Upon his release from prison, Johnson will be supervised by the U.S. Probation office for three years.
Johnson previously pleaded guilty to violating the Gun Control Act for being a felon in possession of a firearm and the National Firearms Act for possessing an unregistered silencer. It was illegal for Johnson to possess firearms and/or ammunition due to a 2011 felony conviction in Knox County, Tennessee.
The investigation revealed that from March through July 2017, Johnson spoke with friends about buying and selling firearms and also about acquiring and manufacturing homemade silencers for firearms. He advertised online that he was interested in buying, selling, and trading firearms, and he sought to learn how to obtain firearms without completing a background check. Federal investigators executed a search warrant at Johnson’s home in July 2017 and recovered a .22 caliber handgun, a .22 caliber rifle, over 600 rounds of ammunition, a homemade silencer, and materials believed to be intended for use in assembling a destructive device. Johnson admitted that he unlawfully possessed the firearms, ammunition, and silencer.
“To protect the safety of our citizens and neighborhoods, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute aggressively convicted felons who illegally possess or attempt to gain access to firearms,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “We commend the federal investigators in this case for quickly and thoroughly investigating the information provided to them regarding this defendant. His conviction and prison sentence has disrupted any plan of violence that he may have intended to pursue at this time,” added U.S. Attorney Overbey.
“This focused investigation will have a lasting impact on reducing firearms related violence. The sentencing illustrates the continued dedication by ATF and our partners to identify and investigate violent criminals who lessen the quality of life in our neighborhoods. ATF’s mission is to protect the public and fight violent crime, striving to eliminate violent crime and its impact on our nation,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jack Webb.
Renae McDermott, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Knoxville Division stated, "Today's sentencing sends a message that the FBI will work with our law enforcement partners to actively investigate and pursue prosecution of individuals who pose a threat to national security and the safety of our citizens."
This case was investigated by the FBI and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bart Slabbekorn represented the United States in court proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
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Kenner Woman Sentenced for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LOIS MCCORKLE, age 68, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to theft of government funds.
U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced MCCORKLE to three (3) years’ probation and ordered MCCORKLE to pay restitution in the amount of $105,320.98 to the Social Security Administration.
According to court records, MCCORKLE was receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA). On or about November 17, 2001, MCCORKLE married, but she failed to notify SSA of her change in marital status. If she had reported her marriage as required by the SSA, she would not have been entitled to her SSI benefits due to her husband’s wages. MCCORKLE received Social Security Supplemental Security Income payments to which she knew she was not entitled, having a value of approximately $105,320.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Social Security Administration- Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Loan “Mimi” Nguyen is in charge of the prosecution.
KC Woman Indicted for $100,000 Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., woman was indicted by a federal grand jury today for a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns in order to obtain more than $100,000 in illegal tax refunds.
Tanisha Williams, 40, of Kansas City, was charged in a 21-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Williams prepared and filed false income tax returns on behalf of others that claimed refunds to which she knew they were not entitled. Williams allegedly caused 20 false returns to be filed for tax years 2012 through 2014, claiming approximately $102,172 in refunds.
At times, Williams recruited individuals to file federal income tax returns under their own names and Social Security numbers. At other times, the indictment says, Williams used stolen identity information to file federal income tax returns. Williams allegedly used false Form W-2 information to inflate the income on the federal individual income returns filed for some of the taxpayers. At other times, Williams fraudulently caused dependents to be listed on tax returns for individuals knowing the dependents were not associated with the taxpayer listed on the return.
Williams requested the refunds be deposited onto pre-paid debit cards. Once the funds were deposited to the debit cards, she would withdraw cash from them or utilize the funds for her personal expenses.
Williams is charged with 13 counts of making false claims, four counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
Garrison cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Justice Department Announces Plans to Advance Forensic ScienceRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein announced new Department of Justice policies to advance forensic science at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 70th Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle, Washington today. The new guidance implements additional quality assurance measures based on science-informed practices, enhances forensic capacity and efficiency, and increases coordination and collaboration between the Department and state, local, and federal partners.
“President Trump ordered the Department of Justice to reduce crime, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made it the Department’s top priority to achieve that goal,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. “Forensic science, used appropriately, will help us accomplish our mission. The policies that I am announcing today will advance the Justice Department’s commitment to reliable science that helps us to find and report the truth.”
Announcements today include:- Release of Department of Justice approved Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports for use by Department forensic examiners to provide testimonial consistency and quality assurance;
- Initiation of Department-wide testimony monitoring practices to ensure testimonial consistency and accountability by Department forensic examiners;
- To increase transparency, Department forensic laboratories supporting criminal investigations and prosecutions will begin publicly posting current quality management system documents and summaries of internal validation studies online;
- Leading federal efforts to advance forensic science, the Department announced the re-chartering of the Council of Federal Forensic Laboratory Directors, which will begin meeting again this May. All executive branch agencies with forensic laboratories and digital analysis entities are invited and encouraged to join.
View full remarks here.View the “Department of Justice Approved Uniform Language for Testimony and Reports for the Forensic Latent Print Discipline” here.
View the “Department of Justice Testimony Monitoring Framework” here.
View the Memo here.Illegal Alien and North Carolina Woman Plead Guilty to Fentanyl PossessionRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Uriel Adolfo Rayo-Dominguez, 19, a citizen of Mexico, and Jennifer Castillo, 18, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam.
On October 11, 2017, a Gulfport police officer initiated a traffic stop for careless driving on a vehicle driven by Rayo-Dominguez. Castillo was a passenger in the vehicle. The officer detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and conducted a search. During the search of the vehicle, 7,041 grams of fentanyl was located in the trunk liner of the vehicle. Rayo-Dominguez and Castillo were arrested and charged with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Rayo-Dominguez and Castillo will be sentenced on May 31, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. by Judge Guirola. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the DEA with assistance fromthe Gulfport Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Hobbs Man Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Felipe T. Castillo, 38, of Hobbs, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 21 months in prison for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. Castillo will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Castillo was arrested on June 13, 2017, on a criminal complaint that charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the complaint, Castillo pointed a firearm at a DEA task force officer on May 31, 2017, in Lea County, N.M. The complaint indicated that Castillo was on parole for a prior firearms offense when he assaulted the task force officer by pointing a firearm at him. Court documents indicate that Castillo previously had been convicted in Texas of engaging in organized criminal activity in 2000, and discharging a firearm in 2002.
On Aug. 23, 2017, Castillo pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assaulting a federal officer. In entering the guilty plea, Castillo admitted that on May 31, 2017, he pointed a firearm at a DEA task force officer who was engaged in his official duties.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and DEA, and the Hobbs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terri J. Abernathy and Dustin Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.