Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
13 March 2018
Marshall County man sentenced for drug distribution chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – William A. Novick, of McMechen, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 15 months incarceration for fentanyl distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Novick, age 35, of McMechen, pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of a Fentanyl in Proximity to a Protected Location” in September 2017. Novick admitted to selling fentanyl near Center McMechen Elementary School in Marshall County in February 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert H. McWilliams, Jr., prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Manager of Southeast Washington Barber Shop Indicted on Firearms and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darryl Smith, 44, the self-identified manager of a Southeast Washington barbershop, has been indicted on federal charges stemming from an investigation into alleged drug trafficking at the business and in the surrounding area.
The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Smith, of Washington, D.C., is among three defendants charged with various offenses following the investigation into alleged drug trafficking from the Next Level Cuts barbershop and surrounding property in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. He was arraigned on March 12, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on a superseding indictment filed earlier this month that charges him with firearms and narcotics offenses. He pled not guilty to the charges and remains held pending further court proceedings.
The indictment includes narcotics and weapons offenses related to Smith’s arrest on Dec. 24, 2017, by the Metropolitan Police Department in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. On that date, he was allegedly in the possession of a loaded firearm and packaged capsules of fentanyl after he fled officers following a drug transaction on the street. Additionally, Smith faces PCP drug trafficking and other charges stemming from a search warrant that was executed on Feb.1, 2018 at the business. During the search, law enforcement recovered three firearms from the barbershop and adjoining property, more than $7,000 in cash, more than 800 grams of PCP, more than 300 grams of heroin, and boxes of Suboxone strips.
Anthony Fields, 44, of Washington, D.C., also was arrested and charged by indictment last month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with drug trafficking offenses arising from the Feb. 1, 2018 seizure. He has pled not guilty and also remains held.
The third defendant, James Venable, 46, of Fort Washington, Md., was indicted last month in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on narcotics and firearms charges. Venable also is charged by complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland after law enforcement recovered a loaded firearm from his Maryland residence on Feb. 1, 2018. He, too, has pled not guilty and remains held pending further court proceedings.
The charges in indictments and complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
In announcing the arrests and indictments, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who are investigating the case. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who are handling the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli.
Lycoming County Company Charged with Committing an OSHA Violation That Resulted in A Worker’s DeathRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Susquehanna Supply Company, Inc., of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information of willfully committing an OSHA violation that resulted in an employee’s death.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the information alleges that Susquehanna Supply Company’s primary business is bridge rehabilitation, and that in December 2014, the company contracted with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to rehabilitate a bridge near Eyers Grove in Columbia County.
The rehabilitation project began in June 2015, and it involved digging large trenches at each end of the bridge. Under regulations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), an employee working in a trench must be protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system, such as sloped walls. Cave-ins represent the greatest danger during a trenching operation and are more likely than other trenching-related accidents to result in worker fatalities.
On July 7, 2015, a Susquehanna Supply Company employee entered a trench at one end of the bridge to remove additional soil. The trench was approximately twelve feet deep. Although Susquehanna Supply Company was aware of the applicable OSHA regulations, the company had not implemented a protective system in the trench. While the employee was working, one of the trench’s vertical dirt walls collapsed, burying the employee up to his chest and crushing him against the bridge’s concrete abutment. The collapse caused massive trauma to the employee’s upper body and killed him almost instantly.
The case was investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli.
Criminal informations are only allegations. A charged entity is presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is a $500,000 fine and a term of probation. Under federal law, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant and protect the public. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #
Lubbock Man Sentenced to 327 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, Texas — Kevin Ismael Lopez, 25, of Lubbock, Texas, was sentenced Friday, March 9, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 327 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release, following his guilty plea in November 2017 to two counts of production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Lopez has been in custody since his arrest in August 2017 on a related criminal complaint.
According to the plea agreement factual resume, on December 14, 2016, Lopez used his mother’s cellular telephone, to record a video of Lopez engaging in sexual conduct with a prepubescent minor female as she slept at his Lubbock, Texas residence.
On January 24, 2017, at the same residence, Lopez used another cellular phone, to record a video of Lopez engaging in sexual conduct with another prepubescent minor as she slept. Lopez also made a sexually explicit video recording of the girl. After creating this video recording, Lopez used the Internet to transport the video to his Dropbox account, which he used for online storage of some of his videos and images.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood leverages federal, state and local resources to better investigate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children. Project Safe Childhood also prioritizes identifying and rescuing victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag prosecuted.
# # #
Los Angeles Woman Known on Social Media as ‘Pretty Hoe’ Indicted by Federal Grand Jury on Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles woman who describes herself on social media as “The Most Hated Hoe in LA” was indicted today on federal sex trafficking charges that include allegations that she used the internet to solicit two minor victims to engage in prostitution.
Melanie Denae Williams, 22, who uses the moniker “Pretty Hoe” on several social media platforms, was named in a five-count indictment returned today by a federal grand jury.
The indictment specifically alleges one count of sex trafficking an adult by force, fraud, or coercion; two counts of sex trafficking of a minor; and two counts of enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution.
Williams has been held without bond in a federal jail since she was taken into custody on February 7 pursuant to a criminal complaint (she was initially arrested by local authorities on December 24). The affidavit in support of the complaint outlines allegations that Williams abused a woman she had recruited through social media to work as a prostitute. In one incident, Williams allegedly ordered the victim to strip off her clothes, and then Williams threw bleach on the woman and beat her with her hands and a broomstick, according to the affidavit.
The indictment makes new allegations of sex trafficking involving two minor females.
Williams is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on Friday in United States District Court.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of any of the charges in the indictment, Williams would face a potential life sentence. Each of the five charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence. The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in federal, and each of the four counts related to minors carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
The investigation into Williams is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department as part of the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as the Los Angeles Police Department, South Bureau.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lana Morton-Owens and Joseph Axelrad of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
Los Angeles Dentist Charged in Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Los Angeles, California-based dentist was charged in an indictment unsealed on Monday for his alleged participation in a health care fraud and identity theft scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna of the Central District of California, Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office and Assistant Director in Charge Paul D. Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
Benjamin Rosenberg, D.D.S., 58, of Los Angeles, was charged with six counts of health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Rosenberg was arrested yesterday morning and made his initial court appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth of the Central District of California.The indictment alleges that Rosenberg billed various insurance companies, including Medicaid-funded Denti-Cal, for dental procedures that were never provided. Rosenberg allegedly billed the insurance companies by using patients’ identification without their permission.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Los Angeles Field Offices. Trial Attorney Emily Culbertson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
Leader of Drug Gang That Operated in the Lackawanna Housing Project SentencedRead 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 Jeffrey Graham, 32 of Lackawanna, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 151 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Felicetta, who handled the case, stated that between early 2014 and December 5, 2014, Graham conspired with several co-defendants to purchase and sell various amounts of crack cocaine from and to one another and to distribute the crack cocaine to various customers. Many of the transactions occurred at or within 1,000 feet of the Gates Housing Projects in Lackawanna, NY owned by the Lackawanna Municipal Housing Authority. Graham maintained a premises to distribute crack cocaine in the housing projects.
In addition, on November 28, 2014, the defendant obtained 149 grams of crack cocaine, which was discovered later that day by Buffalo Police during a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Graham was a passenger.
A total of 18 defendants were charged in this case, 11 have been convicted.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Michel, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Street’s Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin P. Lyons, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.
Los Angeles Dentist Charged in Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Los Angeles-based dentist was charged in an indictment unsealed on Monday for his alleged participation in a health care fraud and identity theft scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna, Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington, D.C. Field Office and Assistant Director in Charge Paul D. Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
Benjamin Rosenberg, D.D.S., 58, of Los Angeles, was charged with six counts of health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Rosenberg was arrested yesterday morning and made his initial court appearance yesterday in Los Angeles before United States Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth.
The indictment alleges that Rosenberg billed various insurance companies, including Medicaid-funded Denti-Cal, for dental procedures that were never provided. Rosenberg allegedly billed the insurance companies by using patients’ identification without their permission.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Los Angeles Field Offices. Trial Attorney Emily Culbertson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
Kansas City Man Sentenced for Trafficking Meth in TopekaRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Kansas City man was sentenced Tuesday to 24 years and six months in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in Topeka, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Marco Antonio Cortes-Gomez, 42, Kansas City, Mo., was found guilty in a jury trial on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that over a three-year period Cortes-Gomez distributed no less than 66 pounds of methamphetamine to buyers in Topeka.
The investigation began in 2015 when the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped a car in Ellis County that was bound for Topeka carrying about five pounds of methamphetamine. Investigators set up a controlled delivery at a Walmart parking lot in Topeka, where Cortes-Gomez was arrested when he attempted to pick up the load.
At trial, prosecutors presented testimony from witnesses who said Cortes-Gomez delivered one-pound and two-pound quantities of methamphetamine to them on a regular basis.
McAllister commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Topeka Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs for their work on the case.
Joseph Percoco, Former Executive Aide and Campaign Manager to N.Y. Governor, Convicted of Accepting More Than $300,000 in BribesRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSEPH PERCOCO, the former Executive Deputy Secretary to the Governor of the State of New York, was convicted of soliciting and accepting more than $315,000 in bribes in return for taking official state action to benefit energy company Competitive Power Ventures (“CPV”) and Syracuse-based real estate developer COR Development (“COR”) after an eight-week trial. STEVEN AIELLO, a COR executive, was also convicted of bribery conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Geoff Berman said: “Joseph Percoco was found guilty of taking over $300,000 in cash bribes by selling something priceless that was not his to sell – the sacred obligation to honestly and faithfully serve the citizens of New York. As every schoolchild knows, but he corruptly chose to disregard, government officials who sell their influence to select insiders violate the basic tenets of a democracy. We will continue relentlessly to bring to justice those public officials who violate their oaths by engaging in this especially offensive misconduct.”
According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
PERCOCO, who served as the Executive Deputy Secretary to the Governor between January 2012 and mid-2014, and again in 2015, abused his official position and extensive influence within the Executive Branch of New York State (the “State”) by seeking and accepting bribe payments from executives at companies that were seeking benefits and business from the State, in exchange for PERCOCO’s use of his official authority and influence to benefit those companies.
PERCOCO solicited the bribe payments from executives at two clients of cooperating witness Todd Howe – CPV and COR – both of which had retained Howe as a consultant to help them obtain official State action. In email correspondence between PERCOCO and Howe, PERCOCO and Howe referred to the bribe payments as “ziti,” a reference to a term for money used by the characters in the television show “The Sopranos.”
Bribes from CPV
PERCOCO, Howe, and others conspired for PERCOCO to receive more than $287,000 in bribe payments in exchange for PERCOCO’s official assistance for CPV on an as-needed basis.
State action was critical to CPV’s business. Starting as early as 2010, CPV provided personal benefits to PERCOCO, including expensive meals and a Hamptons fishing trip, in an effort to cultivate access to PERCOCO. In response to CPV’s requests for official State assistance, PERCOCO, who was experiencing financial difficulties at the time, requested that CPV hire his then-unemployed wife. In or around the end of 2012, CPV executive Peter Galbraith Kelly Jr. created a position for PERCOCO’s wife that paid approximately $90,000 per year while requiring PERCOCO’s wife to do little work. In exchange for these payments, PERCOCO agreed to use his official position and influence, and did in fact use his official position and influence, to help CPV with specific State matters as the opportunities arose.
Among other things, PERCOCO agreed to use his official position and influence to assist the CPV’s efforts to obtain (i) a valuable agreement from the State allowing CPV to buy lower-cost emissions credits in New York for a power plant proposed to be built in New Jersey and (ii) a lucrative long-term power purchase agreement with the State guaranteeing a buyer for the power to be produced at a power plant proposed to be built in New York, which was expected to save CPV approximately $100 million in development costs.
CPV’s payments to PERCOCO’s wife were concealed in various ways to hide their true source. For example, monthly payments to PERCOCO and his wife were made through a consultant who worked for CPV in order to disguise the source of the payments. For his part, PERCOCO concealed the criminal scheme by failing to include CPV as the source of payments on his State-mandated financial disclosure forms.
Bribes from AIELLO and the Syracuse Developer
Beginning in early 2014, PERCOCO was also paid bribes totaling approximately $35,000 from COR. These bribe payments were orchestrated by AIELLO, the COR president. AIELLO arranged for the payment of these bribes in exchange for PERCOCO’s official assistance for COR on an as-needed basis.
Specifically, PERCOCO agreed to, and did, take official action for the benefit of COR to (a) reverse an adverse decision by the Empire State Development Corporation, which is the State’s main economic development agency, that would have required COR to enter into a costly labor peace agreement, (b) free up a backlog of more than $14 million in State funds that had already been awarded to COR but were delayed in payment, and (c) secure a substantial pay raise for AIELLO’s son, who worked in the Executive Chamber.
To disguise the nature and source of the bribe payments, COR’s bribes to PERCOCO were funneled through bank accounts and a shell company set up by Howe.
* * *
The jury was deadlocked on the charges against Kelly. Joseph Gerardi, a COR executive, was acquitted of all charges.
PERCOCO is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2018, and AIELLO is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2018. Both defendants will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who presided over the trial.
A chart containing the names, ages, residences, counts of conviction, and maximum penalties for the defendants is attached. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
U.S. Attorney Berman praised the work of the Buffalo Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, which jointly conducted this investigation with investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Mr. Berman also thanked the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janis Echenberg, Robert Boone, David Zhou, and Matthew Podolsky are in charge of the prosecution; paralegal specialists Sylvia Lee and Aashna Rao provided additional support.
DEFENDANT
AGE
RESIDENCE
CONVICTED
CHARGE(S)
MAXIMUM SENTENCE(S)
JOSEPH PERCOCO
47
South Salem, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud, (Count Three and Four)
Solicitation of Bribes and Gratuities,
(Counts Five)
20 years each count
10 years
PETER GALBRAITH KELLY, JR.
53
Canterbury, CT
STEVEN AIELLO
58
Fayetteville, NY
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud
20 years
JOSEPH GERARDI
57
Fayetteville, NY
Intra-Operative Monitoring Company Agrees to Pay $550,000 to Settle False Claims Act ClaimsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Marshfield Medical, Inc., formerly known as Bromedicon, Inc. (“Bromedicon”), has agreed to pay $550,000 to settle allegations under the False Claims Act that it submitted false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs for failing to provide a qualified interpreting physician to monitor each surgery for which it purportedly provided remote Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (“IONM”).
Bromedicon was in the business of providing real-time remote IONM during certain surgeries, such as brain and spinal surgeries. In IONM, a qualified interpreting physician in a remote location monitors the integrity of neural structures during surgery via a live data stream transmitted from electrodes on the patient. IONM is intended to reduce the likelihood of unintended damage to those structures and provide guidance to the surgeon during surgery. The qualified interpreting physician is in live contact with a technician in the operating room throughout the surgery so that relevant findings can be communicated to the surgeon in real time. Medicare rules require that the qualified interpreting physician is licensed to practice medicine.
In numerous cases between 2011 and 2015, Bromedicon failed to provide a qualified interpreting physician to monitor surgeries for which it purportedly provided remote IONM services. In some of those cases, no one monitored the data stream from the surgeries. In others, Bromedicon’s medical director, a foreign medical school graduate with no license to practice medicine in the United States, was the only monitor. Bromedicon violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for reimbursement for these IONM services as though one of the licensed physicians employed by Bromedicon performed them.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit pending in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that was filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private citizens to bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. “We thank the whistleblower in this case. Information from citizens can be invaluable in detecting and combatting fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Crutchlow and Auditor Dawn Wiggins.
Idaho Man Serving Sentence in Terrorism Case Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder Charge in Attack on Federal Prison WardenRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A man who was already serving a 25-year prison sentence for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization pleaded guilty today to trying to kill the warden of the federal prison where he was serving his sentence.
Fazliddin Kurbanov, 34, entered a guilty plea to one count of attempted murder of a federal officer before United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips.
In entering his plea, Kurbanov admitted to using a prison-made knife to attack the warden at the Federal Correctional Institute at Victorville on May 31, 2016, and attempting to slit his throat. The warden, who is now serving at another facility operated by the United States Bureau of Prisons, was seriously injured in the attack, but he has recovered.
As a result of today’s guilty plea, Kurbanov faces a sentence of at least 15 years in federal prison to be served consecutively to the 25-year sentence imposed in 2016 by a federal judge in Idaho after Kurbanov was found guilty of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and possessing an unregistered destructive device.
Kurbanov is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Phillips on June 4.
The investigation into the attack on the warden was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by the National Security Division of the United States Attorney’s Office.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Illegally Re-Entering U.S. After Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Wilson Walberto Clemente-Perez, 27, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced today to 4 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after being lawfully removed, announced U.S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr., and Thomas M. Annello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (AICE@) Homeland Security Investigations (AHSI@) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Clemente-Perez also faces Department of Homeland Security removal proceedings.
Further, Clemente-Perez was sentenced to 1 year of supervised release during which time he could face additional penalties if he were to unlawfully return to the United States, in addition to any other penalty. As a result of this felony conviction, if Clemente-Perez were to unlawfully return again to the United States, he could face up to 10 years in federal prison. Clemente-Perez was convicted after pleading guilty on January 26, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., in Gulfport.
On November 5, 2017, a Honda CRV in which Clemente-Perez was a passenger was stopped by a Pearl River County Sheriff’s Deputy on Interstate-59 in Pearl River County, Mississippi, for speeding. While the Honda CRV was designed to seat five people, the deputy observed that, in addition to the driver, there were five unidentified passengers. The driver could not identify his passengers and the deputy could not communicate with the passengers due to a language barrier. Suspecting human smuggling, the deputy contacted the Department of Homeland Security and a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations was dispatched. A Mississippi Highway Patrol State Trooper also provided assistance.
Upon opening the Honda CRV’s cargo door, three additional passengers were found covered in the cargo area of the vehicle bringing the total number of occupants in the vehicle to nine including the driver. Clemente-Perez was one of the passengers in the cargo area. All of the vehicle occupants were taken to the Pearl River County Jail. Further investigation by Homeland Security Investigations revealed that Clemente-Perez previously had been removed from the United States on September 28, 2017, by the Department of Homeland Security after a lawful order of removal had been issued.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Emerson Isaac Hernandez-Turcios, age 26, a citizen of Honduras, and a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States. On January 5, 2018, Hernandez-Turcios pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens Within the United States, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 5, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden. Hernandez-Turcios faces up to 10 years in federal prison, plus 3 years of supervised release, a $250,000.00 fine, and $5,100.00 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.
Grant County Doctor Found Guilty of 173 Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. — Sundiata El-Amin, 69, a physician from Ft. Wayne, Indiana, was convicted today, by a federal jury sitting in Covington, of 173 drug trafficking offenses connected to his operation of the El-Amin Clinic, in Grant County, kentucky.
After four hours of deliberations, following a six-day trial, the jury convicted El-Amin of conspiracy to illegally distribute controlled substances, maintaining a premises for the illegal distribution of controlled substances, and 171 individual counts of illegally distributing controlled substances.
According to the evidence at trial, the Defendant conspired with his office manager to unlawfully dispense more than 300,000 oxycodone tablets, outside the scope of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, over a period of approximately one year. The evidence revealed that he repeatedly issued improper prescriptions for high doses of oxycodone and regularly issued these prescriptions without examining patients.
El-Amin was indicted in December of 2015. His office manager, Wendy Price, entered a guilty plea, in February 2018, to conspiring with El-Amin to commit these offenses.
“This is another example of a medical professional being found guilty of choosing profit over medical judgment and callously fueling the opioid epidemic,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This despicable conduct represents an egregious breach of trust and does enormous damage, both to individuals struggling with addiction and to our communities. We will continue to make prosecuting this type of conduct a core priority and we want to thank our law enforcement partners for their excellent work in the investigation of this case.”
United States Attorney Duncan and Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Voorhees and Tony Bracke.
El-Amin will appear for sentencing on July 26, 2017. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each offense. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal statutes before imposing a sentence.
Grand Jury Indicts Six with Charges Related to MurderRead the Press Release
DAYTON – A federal grand jury has charged six individuals with crimes related to the August 2017 murder of Robert Caldwell in an indictment returned here today. Two defendants are charged with death-penalty-eligible crimes.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Riverside Police Chief Frank Robinson and Sugarcreek Township Police Chief Michael Brown announced the charges.
The FBI also announced a $15,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of 14-year-old Jacob Lee Caldwell and the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in his disappearance.
Those charged in the indictment include:
Name
Also Known As
Age
City of Residence
*Sterling H. Roberts
34
Spartanburg, S.C.
*Tawnney M. Caldwell
Tawnney Thomas
33
Centerville, Ohio
Chance P. Deakin
Chance Roberts
25
Dayton, Ohio
Christopher C. Roberts
30
Dayton, Ohio
James T. Harmon
55
Burlington, Ky.
Chandra D. Harmon
54
Burlington, Ky.
* Charged with murder
According to the six-count indictment, from August 1 to August 5, Sterling Roberts cyberstalked Robert Caldwell via cell phone through the assistance of Tawnney Caldwell.
On August 15, Sterling Roberts allegedly used a firearm that he possessed illegally and traveled interstate to stalk and murder Robert Caldwell. Tawnney Caldwell, Deakin, Christopher Roberts and James Harmon are all charged with aiding and abetting the illegal gun possession.
It is alleged that Tawnney Caldwell obstructed justice by destroying the contents and data of a cell phone on that same day.
Tawnney Caldwell and Chandra Harmon also allegedly conspired to intimidate and threaten witnesses related to the case in November 2017.
Crimes charged in the indictment include:
Crime
Potential Sentence
Stalking – using mail, computer, cell phone
Up to life in prison
Felon in possession of a firearm
Up to 10 years in prison
Stalking – traveling interstate
Up to life in prison
Discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence
Death penalty or up to life in prison
Tampering with evidence
Up to 20 years in prison
Tampering with a witness by intimidation
Up to 20 years in prison
Five of the defendants were arrested on February 28. Sterling Roberts is currently in state custody in South Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the FBI and Riverside and Sugarcreek Township police departments, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys Sheila G. Lafferty and Amy M. Smith, who are prosecuting the case.
If you have any information related to the whereabouts of Jacob Caldwell, please call the Sugarcreek Township Police at 937-310-3200 or the FBI at 513-421-4310.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Four East Central Illinois Men Arrested, Charged by Complaint with Possession of Machine GunRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – This morning, FBI agents arrested four rural east central Illinois men on a criminal complaint that charges them with possession of a machine gun. The men arrested and charged are: Michael B. Hari, 47; Joe Morris, 22; Michael McWhorter, 29; and, Ellis Mack, 18, all of Clarence, Ill., a rural community approximately 35 miles north of Champaign-Urbana.
FBI agents arrested Hari this morning as he was traveling to a court appearance in Ford county, Ill., for a hearing in an alleged assault case pending against Hari.
Hari and Morris made their initial appearances in federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long. McWhorter and Mack will make their respective initial appearances at a date to be determined by the U.S. Clerk of the Court.
The arrest and charges were announced by FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Cox, Springfield Division, and U.S. Attorney John E. Childress.
The affidavit filed in support of the complaint alleges that the four men were in possession of assault rifles from October 2017 to March 2018. According to the affidavit, law enforcement agents have gathered evidence to indicate that Hari, McWhorter and Morris were responsible for the bombing of a mosque in Bloomington, Minn., on Aug. 5, 2017, and the attempted bombing of the Women’s Health Practice in Champaign, Ill., on Nov. 7, 2017.
This morning, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at the home of Hari’s parents, in Paxton, Ill.. According to the affidavit, Hari often stays at his parents’ home because his home has no running water or electricity. A search warrant was also executed at a store / office owned by Hari, located at 100 S. Main Road in Clarence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Springfield Division; FBI Minneapolis Division; University of Illinois Police Department; Ford County Sheriff’s Office; Champaign Police Department; Illinois State Police; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are continuing the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason M. Bohm and Eugene L. Miller are representing the government on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Urbana Division, Central District of Illinois, working in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Members of the public are reminded that a complaint is merely an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former Hedge Fund Employee Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York resident was sentenced in federal court on March 10, 2018, for a three-year fraud scheme involving aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
Benjamin Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Antonio J. Gomez, Postal Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division; Philip Bartlett, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, New York Division; Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office; and John Brooks, Chief, Sunrise Police Department, announce that Gerti Muho, 34, of Ridgewood, New York, was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Beth Bloom in connection with an extensive fraud scheme that targeted various banks, lenders, and companies, including his former New York-based hedge fund employer and numerous real person victims. He was also ordered to pay approximately $1.7 million in restitution.
Muho was previously convicted in July 2017 during a three-week jury trial of 40 counts of bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1344, 1343, 1957, and 1028A.
At trial, the government presented evidence that Muho, 2012 University of California Berkeley, School of Law graduate, was fired from his job at an international hedge fund company in New York City in 2013. Thereafter, Muho stole the company’s data, created numerous shell companies and attempted to syphon millions of dollars from various hedge fund bank accounts, including wire transfer requests totaling approximately $5 million.
The trial evidence revealed that later in 2013, after submitting a series of fraudulent corporate documents, Muho induced a bank in Monaco to wire him over $2 million. Muho then fled to South Florida and used the funds for his own personal use, including gambling, shopping, and purchasing a new Maserati vehicle and an ocean-view downtown Miami condominium. Furthermore, Muho created various identities and obtained false identification cards in order to escape a pending federal civil court judgment. The trial evidence showed that Muho fraudulently obtained other loans as well, including a $500,000 business loan, which he used to gamble, shop and travel in as well as a $30,000 vehicle loan, which was used to obtain a new 2015 Jaguar vehicle.
The evidence presented at trial and sentencing illustrated that Muho additionally used the personal identifying and financial information of various employees, interns, and other individuals associated with his former employer, and created more fake identification cards and drivers licenses; Muho fraudulently opened various bank accounts in Miami-Dade and Broward counties; Muho created and cashed over $161,000 in fraudulent checks; Muho fraudulently attempted to obtain approximately $342,000 in federal tax refunds; and, finally, Muho fraudulently applied for approximately $580,000 in additional credit cards, vehicle, business, and student loans with numerous lenders. Muho was ultimately apprehended in Ridgewood, New York after fleeing South Florida.
“The sentence imposed is a success in our continuing efforts to combat fraud and identity theft in this community and across the country.” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg. “Muho was an intelligent, highly educated person who used his knowledge and skills to perpetrate his various fraud schemes, which thanks to the tireless and diligent efforts of law enforcement, was successfully unraveled. We will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who engage in deceptive and fraudulent behavior that is fueled by greed.”
“Muho’s criminal activity included stealing millions of dollars and people’s identities, which caused much financial harm to his victims. Today’s sentencing should send a clear message to those attempting to defraud others that it will not be tolerated,” said Antonio J. Gomez, Postal Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division. “No matter how complex the scheme, the United States Postal Inspection Service will work diligently to protect our consumers and the mail from criminal exploitation.”
“Gerti Muho is a talented, industrious and motivated individual, unfortunately, he chose to use these skills to illegally satisfy his greed,” said Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “This type of fraud undermines the public’s confidence in our financial systems. The FBI and our partners take this seriously and are determined to bring wrongdoers like this to justice.”
Mr. Greenberg commends the investigative efforts of the USPIS, FBI, and Sunrise Police Department in this matter. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean T. McLaughlin and Matthew Langley.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former Hattiesburg Police Officer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Thomas Wheeler, 33, a former Hattiesburg, Mississippi, police officer, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to 61 months in federal prison and a $1,500 fine for attempted possession of 50 kilograms or more of marijuana with the intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
On August 8, 2015, a Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper stopped a commercial truck exiting Interstate 20 in Warren County. After observing suspicious activity, a police dog was walked around the vehicle and alerted on the truck. The Trooper obtained consent from Elijah Moore, the driver of the truck, to search the vehicle.
Upon searching the truck, officers found 8 duffle bags containing bricks of marijuana. Subsequently, Moore admitted that he obtained the marijuana from El Paso, Texas, and was transporting it to Mississippi in order to distribute it within the state. Moore also stated that he had exited the ramp to meet his grandson, Thomas Wheeler. Moore stated that Wheeler had agreed to unload the duffle bags of marijuana and transport them to Seminary, Mississippi, to be picked up by Moore at a later date. Wheeler was an off-duty Hattiesburg police officer at the time.
Elijah Moore subsequently pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and was sentenced on March 2, 2017, to 97 months in federal prison and a $1,500 fine.
At the time of the stop of Moore, agents saw a maroon Chevrolet SUV with a Covington County license plate parked on the off-ramp on which Moore’s truck was stopped. Moments after the stop, the maroon Chevrolet left the area on Interstate 20 heading towards Jackson. A traffic stop was later conducted on the maroon Chevrolet and the sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Thomas Wheeler. Wheeler admitted that he had come to the location to obtain the marijuana from Moore and that Moore would pick the marijuana up from Wheeler later. Wheeler also admitted to having picked up another load of marijuana from Moore and paid $3,000.00.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southeast Mississippi Safe Streets Task Force in Hattiesburg, which is made up of special agents from the FBI and law enforcement officers from the Office of the Mississippi State Auditor, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Hattiesburg Police Department, with assistance from the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Pearl Police Department.Former District of Columbia Government Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Bribery SchemesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former management analyst for the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) pled guilty today to federal charges stemming from schemes in which she accepted bribes in return for clearing the way for payments to be made on fraudulent invoices that cost the D.C. government more than $480,000.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
Shauntell Harley, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery. Each charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison and potential financial penalties. Under federal sentencing guidelines, the parties have estimated that Harley faces a likely range of 70 months to 87 months in prison and a fine of up to $125,000. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled sentencing for June 7, 2018.
As part of the plea agreement, Harley must pay $488,311 in restitution to the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education. She also has agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $100,400.
OSSE is an agency of the District of Columbia government. Harley was a management analyst for fiscal policy and grant management in OSSE’s Division of Special Education. From 2009 through 2014, her responsibilities included issuing requests for services through the government’s procurement process and then reviewing invoices from those who supposedly provided the services.
According to a statement of offense submitted at today’s plea hearing, Harley took part in two separate schemes involving fraudulent invoices paid by the D.C. government.
In one, scheme which began in or about June of 2012, she and business owner Vashawn Strader agreed that Harley would receive money and other things of value in exchange for favorable official action for Strader’s companies. They agreed that Strader would create fraudulent invoices purporting to reflect work that his companies did not actually perform. This work purportedly included early intervention services and professional development training.
Harley used her official position at OSSE to provide Strader with non-public information about OSSE contracts, assist him in creating fraudulent invoices, and submit these fraudulent invoices and other documents as necessary in order to cause OSSE to make the payments for services the companies never performed. In total, this led to $308,311 in payments in 2012 and 2013 to the two companies for services that never were provided. In return for her actions, Harley personally obtained a total of $43,900 in proceeds traceable to the scheme.
Strader, 39, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in October 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. He is awaiting sentencing. Under his plea agreement, Strader is required to pay $308,311 in restitution to OSSE and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
In the second scheme, which unfolded in 2013 and 2014, Harley admitted conspiring with the owner of another company to have that firm invoice OSSE for work that was not performed. Harley used her official position to create and submit fraudulent purchase orders and otherwise caused OSSE to pay the company. In exchange, the company owner provided Harley with a portion of the proceeds. According to the statement of offense, in this scheme Harley used her official position to cause OSSE to pay $179,999 for services that the company never provided. The company owner made approximately $53,000 in payments to Harley.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Inspector General Lucas commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who assisted with forfeiture issues, and Paralegal Specialists Joshua Fein and Kristy Penny. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who is investigating and prosecuting the matter.
Former Connecticut Resident Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for $3 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MOHSEN YOUSSEF, 27, formerly of Vernon, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fraud offenses relating to a scheme to secure more than $3 million in funding for his purported pita manufacturing business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately October 2011, YOUSSEF defrauded various banks, a corporate leasing and vendor finance company, and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, in a scheme to secure funding for equipment purchases for his company, Amoun Pita and Distribution LLC (“Amoun Pita”), and other companies he controlled. According to its business plan, Amoun Pita was a bakery that manufactured pocket pita bread from a production facility in South Windsor, Connecticut.
As part of the scheme, YOUSSEF provided false information when applying for loans, lines of credit, lease financing and state grants, purportedly to finance the acquisition of new pita manufacturing equipment, other machinery and inventory related to his businesses. The false information included documentation that inflated the assets and income of YOUSSEF and his companies, as well as fraudulently created invoices purporting to document equipment purchases that, in fact, never occurred. In order to induce victims to rely on the invoices he provided, YOUSSEF created marketing materials and websites for non-existent vendors.
YOUSSEF caused more than $3 million in losses through this scheme.
The investigation revealed that YOUSEFF also defrauded a property owner who entered into an agreement to sell the land on which Amoun Pita was located.
Judge Arterton ordered YOUSSEF to pay the victim lenders and the defrauded property owner a total of $3,746,603 in restitution.
YOUSSEF, who has dual U.S and Egyptian citizenship, moved to Canada in 2014. On Oct 22, 2015, a grand jury returned a 14-count indictment charging YOUSSEF with various fraud offenses. He was arrested in Canada on March 1, 2017. On October 26, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of mail fraud.
YOUSSEF has been detained since his arrest.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Quebec Provincial Police RELEX Unit, Montreal Police Service and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David E. Novick and Avi M. Perry.
Florida Man Found Guilty of Assaulting A Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – A federal jury today found Francisco Javier Barbot Cabassa (28, Kissimmee) guilty of forcibly assaulting a mail carrier while the carrier was engaged in the performance of his official duties, resulting in physical contact with the mail carrier.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Barbot Cabassa approached the mail carrier, while he was distributing mail, and demanded that the carrier give him a package. The mail carrier requested that Barbot Cabassa provide identification, but Barbot Cabassa refused. As a result, the carrier informed Barbot Cabassa that he would need to go to the post office and provide identification in order to obtain the package. Barbot Cabassa then punched the mail carrier in the face and ultimately took the package.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alejandro J. Salicrup and Vincent S. Chiu.
Federal Jury Convicts Remaining Two Members of Large Scale Drug Trafficking Organization on All CountsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that a federal jury has unanimously convicted DEMITORIS “Big Tachi” ALEXANDER, age 52, of Gonzales and COLIN KNOX, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on all charges following a six-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick, including numerous narcotics trafficking charges related to their significant roles in a large-scale and violent drug trafficking organization. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment and up to life imprisonment.
The evidence at trial demonstrated that ALEXANDER led a large-scale cocaine distribution organization in Ascension Parish that obtained cocaine from Houston, Texas, for distribution in Ascension Parish, Baton Rouge and elsewhere. ALEXANDER recruited female couriers to travel to Houston in vehicles with aftermarket secret compartments to transport money to Houston and cocaine from Houston. For example, one such courier, Andrea Rumore, transported 18 kilograms of cocaine from Houston on behalf of ALEXANDER when law enforcement stopped her vehicle in Port Allen, Louisiana. The evidence at trial also reflected that, during the spring and summer of 2013, ALEXANDER obtained and distributed over 350 kilograms of cocaine to others, including Kelly Williams.
The evidence at trial demonstrated that KNOX’s role in the organization was as an enforcer who used violence and threats of violence to protect Williams and the organization. For example, on at least two occasions in 2013, KNOX attempted to locate and harm others that were involved in disputes with Williams.
ALEXANDER and KNOX are the final two of 38 defendants convicted in Operation Third World, an extensive investigation that dismantled a violent drug trafficking network primarily operating out of Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish.
United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin stated, “These convictions, which included the leader of a multi-kilogram cocaine trafficking group and an ‘enforcer’ involved in a chilling murder plot and other violence, deliver a devastating blow to the heart of a violent drug trafficking organization that was responsible for spreading significant amounts of cocaine and other illegal drugs throughout our district. Every community and every person deserves peace, security, and freedom from the tyranny of violent drug traffickers. The combined federal, state, and local effort, which resulted in the conviction of 38 members of this organization, reflects once again the unified front against drug dealers and violent offenders in this district. I greatly appreciate the tremendous dedication and hard work by the agents, prosecutors, and support staff working on this important matter.”
DEA Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Brad L. Byerley stated, “These convictions send a clear message that drug traffickers operating in the Middle District of Louisiana will be held accountable for their crimes. DEA, in conjunction with our state and local law enforcement partners, will continue to work together to keep our nation, state, and community safe.”
The investigation is another effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program which was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
Operation Third World was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Baton Rouge City Police Department, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Gonzales Police Department, and the Baker Police Department. This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Kleinpeter and Adam Ptashkin.
Erie Man Charged with Punching Out Federal Courthouse Complex WindowRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. – A resident of Erie, Pennsylvani,a has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of willfully injuring or committing any depredation against any property of the United States, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment named Paul Howard Scalf, 48, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, on or about December 23, 2017, Scalf punched out a window causing it to shatter on the southwest side of the Erie Federal Courthouse Complex which caused damaged in excess of $1,000.00.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Protective Service 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.
Dubuque Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute pounds of methamphetamine and launder drug proceeds pled guilty on March 12, 2018, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Derek Richard Rath, age 35, of Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Evidence at a prior court proceeding showed that Rath received several multi-pound shipments of ice methamphetamine through the mail, which he then resold in Dubuque. Evidence showed that Anthony McCarron mailed the methamphetamine from Phoenix, Arizona, to Rath from September 2016 to June 2017. Rath also shipped large quantities of cash to McCarron to pay for each shipment of methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Rath admitted that he and McCarron used aliases when shipping the drugs and money. McCarron previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering on October 30, 2017.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rath remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Rath faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $40,000,000 fine, and at least 10 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 17-CR-1042-LTS. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Trafficking Offense Committed While on Supervision for Firearm ConvictionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Delonta Phillips, 28, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a police pursuit that led to the recovery of a loaded firearm and a significant quantity of marijuana from the vehicle he had been driving.
The plea, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Phillips pled guilty before the Honorable Senior Judge Thomas F. Hogan to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea agreement, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Hogan scheduled a sentencing for May 30, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 11, 2017, at approximately 2:15 p.m., ATF agents and a MPD Task Force Officer conducted surveillance in the 3400 block of 24th Street SE for Phillips, who was the subject of pending warrants.
Upon seeing Phillips, law enforcement attempted to arrest him. Phillips quickly entered the driver’s side door of a burgundy Cadillac DeVille and fled from law enforcement. Agents immediately followed Phillips’s vehicle and put out a vehicle description over the radio. Agents observed the vehicle turn left onto Southern Avenue SE, right onto Naylor Road at Suitland Parkway, left onto eastbound Suitland Parkway, exit onto the Suitland Road off ramp, make a left onto Suitland Road, and finally come to a stop in the 3700 block of Regency Parkway, in Suitland, Md. Agents observed Phillips exit the front driver’s side door of the vehicle and flee on foot into the woods. An ATF agent pursued Phillips into the woods, while another agent remained with the vehicle and coordinated the response of multiple law enforcement officers in setting up a perimeter around the ravine to prevent Phillips’s escape.
While securing the vehicle, agents observed a back pack on the driver’s side floor of the back seat. Inside the back pack, agents subsequently recovered a Glock 26, 9mm-caliber firearm, with an extended magazine containing 28 rounds of ammunition, and a jar and full gallon Ziploc bag of marijuana. At approximately 3:15 p.m., Phillips was discovered hiding underneath a ledge in the ravine, while submerged in water. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the recovered firearm had been reported stolen to the Anne Arundel County, Md., Police Department
At the time of his arrest, Phillips was on supervised release following an earlier guilty plea to a firearms offense in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He now could face formal revocation of his supervised release in that case.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from ATF and MPD. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Macchiaroli, and Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle and Teesha Tobias.
District Man Found Guilty of Murder and Other Charges in 2015 Drive-By Shooting in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dominique Williams, 24, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of murder and other charges in the 2015 drive-by killing of a man in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams was found guilty on March 12, 2018, of second-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses. A co-defendant, Maricco Knight, 25, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by the jury of acting as an accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice for his role in assisting Williams while Williams was evading law enforcement prior to his arrest. The verdicts followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff scheduled sentencing for both defendants to take place on May 11, 2018.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 19, 2015, shortly after 1 a.m., Williams, Knight and another man pulled over a Honda Accord in the 3200 block of 28th Street SE. Williams was in the rear passenger seat, Knight was in the front passenger seat, and the third man was driving. A short distance away from the Accord, gathered in an alley, were three men and an 11-year-old boy. Williams had earlier disputes with persons who resided or sometimes gathered in the block, but none of those persons was among the group in the alley.
After the Accord pulled over, Williams leaned out of the car and fired eight shots from a 9-millimeter handgun at the group. One person was hit – Marcellus Green, 39. He was shot once and was declared dead about an hour later. The three people in the Accord drove off.
MPD officers were on the scene within a few minutes. Witnesses gave the police a description of the Accord and its license plate number. At about 1:40 a.m., an officer in a marked MPD cruiser spotted the Accord, still occupied by the three men, in a different neighborhood. Before the officer could even activate his emergency equipment, the Accord began to drive off at a high rate of speed. After a 20-minute chase, during which the 9-millimeter handgun was tossed out, the Accord crashed and all three occupants fled on foot. Within two minutes, the driver and Knight were stopped.
Williams, however, got away. An arrest warrant was issued for him three months later and he was ultimately apprehended on July 20, 2016, at the residence of Knight’s girlfriend. During the search for Williams, according to the government’s evidence, Knight assisted in helping Williams hide out despite the fact that he was told repeatedly by law enforcement that Williams was wanted for the murder.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Michael Ambrosino, Special Counsel for DNA and Forensic Evidence Litigation; Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; former Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Security Specialist Lesley Slade; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker, and Interns Korey Johnson and Shani Brown.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman who investigated and prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset, who prosecuted the case.
Denham Springs Man Convicted of Illegally Possessing Numerous Firearms and an Unregistered SilencerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Brandon Fremin announced today that JOSHUA ANDREW GUILLOT, age 30, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, has been convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861(d). Earlier today, GUILLOT pled guilty to both counts before U.S. District Judge Shelly D. Dick. At sentencing, the defendant faces a significant prison term, fines, and forfeiture of the firearms and ammunition seized during in the underlying investigation.
The guilty plea arises from a tip by a concerned citizen to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (“ATF”), regarding social media postings made by the defendant. After corroborating the citizen tip, and reviewing GUILLOT’s criminal history, which included convictions for felony controlled substance offenses, the ATF quickly obtained a federal search warrant for the defendant’s residence located in Denham Springs, Louisiana.
In connection with his guilty plea today, GUILLOT admitted to a factual summary which detailed his illegal possession of firearms and silencers. According to the factual summary, on October 23, 2017, working in collaboration with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, the ATF seized 17 firearms, including several high-capacity semi-automatic rifles, 3 silencers, and over 5,000 rounds of ammunition, among other things, from the defendant’s home.
U.S. Attorney Brandon Fremin stated, “These convictions demonstrate the important role that conscientious citizens play in removing firearms from the hands of convicted felons. We are very grateful that this citizen decided to pick up the phone and help law enforcement to protect our community.”
The matter is being handled by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana and the Baton Rouge Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with substantial assistance provided by the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth E. White and J. Brady Casey.
Clarion Man to Prison for Escape ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who escaped from custody was sentenced today to more than two years in federal prison. Chad Stocks, age 37, from Clarion, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 13, 2017, guilty plea to one count of escape from custody. Stocks was also sentenced on a revocation of supervised release based on his admissions to several violations of the terms and conditions of his supervised release following his prior federal felony drug and firearm convictions.
At the guilty plea, Stocks admitted he escaped from the residential facility in Mason City, Iowa. In 2007, Stocks was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was released from prison on April 14, 2017, and entered the Beje Clark Residential Release Center on April 19, 2017. He was to be released from the center on July 3, 2017. However, on June 21, 2017, after violating several conditions of his release, Stocks left the facility without permission and did not return.
Stocks was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Stocks was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment on the escape conviction and 21 months’ imprisonment on the release violations, for a total of 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Stocks is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-3038. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Clarion County Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Clarion County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a violation of the federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on March 6 and unsealed today, named Emmett Freshcorn, 29, Ashland Township, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on December 11, 2017, Freshcorn illegally possessed a firearm and ammunition. Freshcorn has previously been convicted of a felony, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
For possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, the law provides for not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Chinle Man Sentenced to 59 Months for Assaulting GirlfriendRead the Press Release
PHOENIX– On March 12, 2018, Bennie Lee Holtsoi, 27, of Chinle, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 59 months’ imprisonment. Holtsoi had previously pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
In June 2016, Holtsoi assaulted his then girlfriend, a member of the Navajo Nation, resulting in multiple lacerations and abrasions to her scalp and body. Holtsoi is also a member of the Navajo Nation.
Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Kiyoko Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-16-8266-PCT-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2018-026_Holtsoi
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Charlotte Man Sentenced on Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced today that Timothy Fields, 40, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for distribution of hydromorphone. Fields pled guilty in November, admitting that on January 18, 2017, he distributed a quantity of hydromorphone to a confidential informant in Bluefield. He also admitted that he distributed hydromorphone and cocaine base on other occasions, and that he manufactured a quantity of cocaine base, all as charged in the indictment. Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
“The illegal trafficking of prescription opioids and other dangerous drugs has devastated our southernmost counties. My Office will continue to fight for West Virginia families struggling with opioid addiction by aggressively prosecuting those responsible for distributing them throughout our communities,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence in federal court in Bluefield. The case was investigated under the Bluefield Pill Initiative, part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers in communities across the Southern District. Assistant United States Attorney John File prosecuted the case.
Follow us on Twitter: @SDWVNews and @USAttyStuart
###
California Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Federal Drug and Gun Offenses in AnchorageRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that a California man was sentenced on Friday, March 9, 2017, for federal drug and gun offenses in Anchorage.
Abreain Terron Dalton, 36, of Victorville, California, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve 15 years in prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Dalton was also ordered to forfeit $4,830. Dalton previously pleaded guilty on Oct. 10, 2017, to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and carrying a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking.
According to court documents, on April 29, 2017, APD responded to a report of a man “passed out” behind the wheel of a running vehicle on Tudor Road. When officers arrived, they blocked the car, and were eventually able to wake the driver, who was identified as Dalton. The officers were able to persuade Dalton to turn off his vehicle. As the officers attempted to convince him to exit, however, Dalton turned the car back on and tried to ram the blocking police cars out of the way, which failed and led to him trying to escape by foot. While Dalton was attempting to escape from the officers, he discarded a bag.
The investigation revealed that the bag contained distributable amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine – in both forms: powder and crack. The investigation further revealed that Dalton had been in possession of a stolen pistol during the offense. Upon Dalton’s arrest, he was in possession of approximately $4800 in drug proceeds, which was going to be used to purchase more drugs for future distribution in Alaska.
The Anchorage Police Department (“APD”) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephan Collins prosecuted this case.
Brownsville Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 28-year-old Brownsville man has been sentenced following his conviction of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Cristhian Osornio pleaded guilty Nov. 17, 2016.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Osornio to 78 months in federal prison. Osornio was further ordered to pay restitution to the victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In October 2015, authorities conducted an undercover internet operation and found child pornography being distributed online. The investigation led them to an address in Brownsville linked to Osornio. Law enforcement later executed a search and seizure warrant at the address and seized a computer belonging to Osornio. Forensic analysis on the device revealed 845 images and 1,300 videos of child pornography.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service at a later date.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana Cano and Jason Corley prosecuted the case.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 132 Months for Distributing Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Preston James, age 39, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 132 months in prison for distributing crack cocaine on four occasions.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith; James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
James pled guilty on June 7, 2017. He admitted that he sold crack cocaine on April 6, April 9, April 21, and April 29, 2015. The crack cocaine from the four sales weighed more than 95 grams.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced James to an 8-year term of supervised release, to begin after James is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the DEA and FBI, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe.
Billy J. Williams Confirmed as U.S. Attorney for OregonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – On Wednesday, March 7, 2018, the U.S. Senate confirmed Billy J. Williams as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon by voice vote. President Donald J. Trump signed his commission on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.
“I am honored by the confidence of President Trump, Attorney General Sessions, Senators Wyden and Merkley, Congressman Walden and all those who supported me throughout this process” said Williams. “The steadfast commitment and unyielding support of so many dedicated law enforcement leaders in Oregon—sheriffs, chiefs of police, tribal law enforcement, and federal law enforcement—is humbling. It is a privilege,” continued Williams, “to serve the citizens of Oregon and the United States alongside my colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Williams was named Acting U.S. Attorney in May 2015. He was appointed Interim U.S. Attorney by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch in December 2015 and re-appointed by Chief U.S. District Judge for Oregon Michael W. Mosman in February 2016. Williams will serve a four-year term as the chief federal law enforcement officer in Oregon.
As Interim U.S. Attorney, Williams served on a variety of Attorney General Advisory Subcommittees. As U.S. Attorney, he will continue to serve on the following subcommittees: Native American Issues Subcommittee, Border and Immigration Subcommittee, Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee and the Marijuana Working Group. He is a member of the Ninth Circuit Fairness Committee and the District of Oregon Implicit Bias Steering Committee.
Williams is an 18-year veteran of the Department of Justice, joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in October 2000. Prior to his appointment as Acting U.S. Attorney, Williams held multiple leadership positions at the U.S. Attorney’s Office including First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Criminal Division, Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit, and as the district’s Indian Country Assistant U.S. Attorney and Tribal Liaison.
Prior to his federal service, Williams served as a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Multnomah County where he supervised the Career Criminal Unit. As a state prosecutor, Williams handled major crimes of violence, including aggravated murder, adult and child sex offenses, domestic violence, narcotics trafficking, vehicular homicide, and officer-involved shootings.
Williams received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Washington State University in 1981 and his law degree from the Willamette University College of Law in 1989.
Bay Minette Man Sentenced on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Cory Marquise Williams, 24, of Bay Minette, Alabama, was sentenced to 76 months imprisonment on gun and drug charges. Court documents show that Williams was arrested in August of 2016 in Bay Minette following a report to Bay Minette police that individuals at a particular location were using illegal drugs. Officers responded to investigate and they observed Williams and another person in the vehicle at the reported location. Williams attempted to enter the residence but was detained and questioned. The officers found a stolen gun and scales in the vehicle he had just left, and Williams was found to be in possession of 13 baggies of marijuana. Williams attempted to destroy the drug evidence by diving over the hood of the police car, where police had left the drugs, and attempting to swallow the drugs and the plastic bags containing them. Officers recovered some of the drugs, which tested positive for marijuana. Williams pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and using, carrying or possessing a firearm in furtherance of and in relation to a drug trafficking offense in November of 2017.
United States District Court Judge William Steele sentenced Williams to 76 months’ imprisonment, noting that he had significant criminal history for a young man which included three prior felony drug convictions. The judge also mentioned Williams’ daily use of drugs and alcohol, and ordered that Williams undergo drug and alcohol treatment and counseling while serving his sentence. The sentence consisted of 18 months imprisonment on the drug count, and 60 months mandatory minimum consecutive imprisonment on the gun count. The judge adjusted the 18 month sentence by two months, to give Williams credit for time spent in state custody on the federal charges, for a total sentence of imprisonment of 76 months. The judge also ordered that Williams serve a three-year term of supervised release when he is discharged from his custody sentence, during which he will undergo further drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Williams was also ordered to pay $200 in mandatory special assessments, but no fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the Bay Minette Police Department, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United Sates Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Bank Fraud and Identity Theft Lead to 51-Month Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Sean Michael Seney, 40, has been sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for bank fraud and identity theft, announced Robert J. Troester, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to a ten-count indictment filed on May 18, 2017, Seney and others presented to banks fraudulent checks that had been altered using information taken from stolen mail. He was charged with four counts of presenting forged checks to various banks, one count of stealing the identity of an individual, one count of theft from the U.S. Mail, three counts of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. This alleged criminal conduct took place in February 2015. Seney has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since June 19, 2017.
On August 3, 2017, Seney pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
On March 12, 2018, Chief U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Seney to a total of 51 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In particular, the court imposed a sentence of 27 months for bank fraud and a separate, consecutive sentence of 24 months for aggravated identity theft. Under federal law, a conviction for aggravated identity theft triggers a mandatory two-year prison term, to be served in addition to sentences for other crimes. The court further ordered that Seney’s federal prison time will be in addition to undischarged state prison terms in four separate cases prosecuted in Oklahoma County and Tulsa County. Seney was also ordered to pay $7,708.99 in restitution.
This case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rozia McKinney-Foster prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for further information
Baltimore Man Indicted for Ten RobberiesRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Antonio Johnson, age 49, of Baltimore, Maryland, today on ten counts of Hobbs Act robbery.
The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Darryl DeSousa of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to the 10-count indictment, between January 23, 2018 and February 12, 2018, Johnson robbed ten Baltimore restaurants at gunpoint. Johnson is currently detained.
Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the robberies.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI and the Baltimore City Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DellaBetta who is prosecuting the case.
Ballston Spa Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Damian Quillinan, age 43, of Ballston Spa, New York, was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for receipt and possession of child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced Quillinan to a life term of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment. Quillinan will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Quillinan pled guilty on November 13, 2017. He admitted that on July 29, 2016, he used his phone to download child pornography from the Internet. Quillinan further admitted to downloading and storing more than 14,000 child pornography videos and images on various computers and external hard drives in his residence between February 2014 and August 2016.
This case was jointly investigated by the FBI and the New York State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Attorney General Sessions Appoints Six Additional Members to U.S. Attorney Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the appointment of six new U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC), joining the nine members announced on November 13, 2017. The AGAC was created in 1973 and reports to the Attorney General through the Deputy Attorney General. It represents the U.S. Attorneys and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management affecting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys.
The new appointees are U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue; U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama Louis V. Franklin, Sr.; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John R. Lausch, Jr.; U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew E. Lelling; and U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss.
“I am pleased to announce these new members of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee plays an important role in helping us achieve the Department of Justice’s goals, including to reduce violent crime, combat transnational criminal organizations, secure our southern border, end the devastating opioid crisis, and enforce the rule of law,” said Attorney General Sessions.
A brief biography of each new member is below: Erin Nealy Cox
The Senate confirmed Erin Nealy Cox’s appointment as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas in November 2017. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Nealy Cox was a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Co in the cybersecurity and risk practice and on the Board of Directors of Sally Beauty Holdings, a large retailer on the NYSE. From 1999 to 2008, Ms. Nealy Cox served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Texas, where she prosecuted cyber crimes, white collar crimes, and general crimes. In 2004 and 2005, she served at Main Justice as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Policy. Ms. Nealy Cox also previously worked at Stroz Friedberg, a cybersecurity and investigations consulting firm. Ms. Nealy Cox clerked for the Honorable Henry A. Politz, when he served as Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Honorable Barefoot Sanders, United States District Judge in the Northern District of Texas. She received a B.B.A in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Richard P. Donoghue
On January 5, 2018, the Attorney General appointed Richard P. Donoghue to be interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Donoghue served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel for CA Technologies based in New York. From 2000 to 2011, Mr. Donoghue worked in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in various roles, including Criminal Chief and Deputy Criminal Chief. Mr. Donoghue received his B.A., cum laude, from Hofstra University and his J.D., from St. John’s University School of Law.
Louis V. Franklin, Sr.
The Senate confirmed Louis V. Franklin, Sr. to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama in September 2017. Mr. Franklin has served in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama for nearly 27 years, including as Criminal Chief for almost 16 years. Mr. Franklin served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1990 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2001. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Franklin was an associate at Sirote and Permutt. Mr. Franklin began his career as a staff attorney at the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama from 1987 to 1990. Mr. Franklin received his B.A. from the University of Alabama, an M.S. from Auburn University at Montgomery, and his J.D. from Howard University School of Law.
John R. Lausch, Jr.
The Senate confirmed John R. Lausch, Jr.’s appointment as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in November 2017. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Lausch was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Previously, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois from 1999 to 2010. During his time in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Lausch served as a Deputy Chief in the Narcotics and Gangs Section for several years, where he helped lead the District’s Anti-Gang and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs. Mr. Lausch clerked for the Honorable Michael S. Kanne of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He received his A.B., cum laude, from Harvard University and his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law.
Andrew E. Lelling
The Senate confirmed Andrew E. Lelling’s appointment as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts in December 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Lelling was the senior litigation counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and has worked in that office for 12 years, prosecuting white collar crime and international drug trafficking, among other offenses. Mr. Lelling also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. He previously served as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Mr. Lelling clerked for the Honorable B. Avant Edenfield of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
David C. Weiss
David C. Weiss’s nomination to be United States Attorney for the District of Delaware was confirmed in February. Mr. Weiss previously served as the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware from 2009 to 2011 and 2017 to 2018, and as the First Assistant United States Attorney from 2007 to 2017. Prior to serving in these positions, Mr. Weiss was an Assistant United States Attorney from 1986 to 1989. Mr. Weiss clerked for the Honorable Andrew D. Christie of the Delaware Supreme Court. Mr. Weiss received his B.S. from Washington University and his J.D. from Widener University School of Law.# # #
American Citizen Sentenced to 45 Years’ Imprisonment for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Nationals and Providing Material Support to Al-QaedaRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Muhanad Mahmoud al Farekh, an American citizen born in Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan following his September 29, 2017 trial conviction of multiple offenses covering seven years of terrorist conduct, including conspiracy to murder American military personnel in Afghanistan, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb a government facility, and providing material support to al-Qaeda.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“Farekh, a citizen of this country, turned his back on America by joining al-Qaeda and trying to kill American soldiers in a bomb attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This case demonstrates that we will do everything in our power to ensure that those who seek to harm our country and our armed forces will be brought to justice.” Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which comprises a large number of federal, state, and local agencies from the region.
“With the sentence handed down today, al Qaeda terrorist Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh is being held accountable for his crimes. Farekh – an American citizen – traveled overseas, joined al Qaeda, and conspired to kill Americans, including through an attack using explosive devices on a U.S. military installation in Afghanistan in 2009,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Across the globe, the National Security Division will continue to relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who seek to harm Americans, including our brave servicemen and women who risk their lives in defense of our nation. I applaud the efforts of the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this successful result.”
“Today’s sentencing shows that justice prevails even when terrorist acts are committed in distant foreign locales yet impact American citizens and interests,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force remains dedicated to investigating and bringing terrorists to justice wherever they are. I would like to thank all of our partner agencies for their continued cooperation and dedication.”
As proven at trial, in March 2007, Farekh and two co-conspirators, all of whom were students at the University of Manitoba, departed Canada for Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas. Before traveling overseas, Farekh and his co-conspirators watched video recordings encouraging violent jihad, listened to jihadist lectures by now-deceased al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaqi, and came to embrace a violent, extremist view of Islam.
Farekh and his co-conspirators traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al-Qaeda’s base of operations, where they joined and received training from al-Qaeda. Taking advantage of his familiarity with the West, Farekh became a member of, and ultimately ascended to, a leadership role within al-Qaeda’s external operations group, which specialized in planning and executing attacks against the United States and its Western allies.
In January 2009, Farekh helped to build a vehicle-borne, improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack on Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman), a U.S. military installation that served as the base for the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in Khost, Afghanistan. On January 19, 2009, two explosives-laden vehicles approached the fence line of FOB Chapman. At the gate, the first vehicle, a pickup-sized truck, exploded after its operator detonated the VBIED. The second vehicle, a truck that was carrying approximately 7,500 pounds of explosives, became stuck in the blast crater caused by the first explosion. The driver abandoned his vehicle without detonating the VBIED, and was shot and killed by local security personnel. The initial detonation of the first vehicle injured one U.S. serviceman and numerous Afghan nationals. Forensic technicians recovered 18 latent fingerprints that were determined to be a match to Farekh from adhesive packing tape used to bind together the explosive materials of the second, undetonated VBIED.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security & Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Richard M. Tucker, Douglas M. Pravda and Saritha Komatireddy, along with Trial Attorney Alicia Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant: MUHANAD MAHMOUD AL FAREKH
Age: 32
Nationality: United StatesE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-268 (S-2)
American Citizen Sentenced to 45 Years for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Nationals and Providing Material Support to Al-QaedaRead the Press Release
Muhanad Mahmoud al Farekh, 32, of Houston, was sentenced today to 45 years following his Sept. 29, 2017 trial conviction of multiple offenses covering seven years of terrorist conduct, including conspiracy to murder American military personnel in Afghanistan, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb a government facility and providing material support to al-Qaeda.
Assistant Attorney General for the National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office and Commissioner James P. O’Neill of the NYPD announced the sentence issued by U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan.
“With the sentence handed down today, al Qaeda terrorist Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh is being held accountable for his crimes. Farekh – an American citizen – traveled overseas, joined al Qaeda, and conspired to kill Americans, including through an attack using explosive devices on a U.S. military installation in Afghanistan in 2009,” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Across the globe, the National Security Division will continue to relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who seek to harm Americans, including our brave servicemen and women who risk their lives in defense of our nation. I applaud the efforts of the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who are responsible for this successful result.”
“Farekh, a citizen of this country, turned his back on America by joining al-Qaeda and trying to kill American soldiers in a bomb attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “This case demonstrates that we will do everything in our power to ensure that those who seek to harm our country and our armed forces will be brought to justice.” Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which comprises a large number of federal, state, and local agencies from the region.
“Today’s sentencing shows that justice prevails even when terrorist acts are committed in distant foreign locales yet impact American citizens and interests,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force remains dedicated to investigating and bringing terrorists to justice wherever they are. I would like to thank all of our partner agencies for their continued cooperation and dedication.”
As proven at trial, in March 2007, Farekh and two co-conspirators, all of whom were students at the University of Manitoba, departed Canada for Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas. Before traveling overseas, Farekh and his co-conspirators watched video recordings encouraging violent jihad, listened to jihadist lectures by now-deceased al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaqi, and came to embrace a violent, extremist view of Islam.
Farekh and his co-conspirators traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al-Qaeda’s base of operations, where they joined and received training from al-Qaeda. Taking advantage of his familiarity with the West, Farekh became a member of, and ultimately ascended to, a leadership role within al-Qaeda’s external operations group, which specialized in planning and executing attacks against the U.S. and its Western allies.
In January 2009, Farekh helped to build a vehicle-borne, improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack on Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman), a U.S. military installation that served as the base for the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in Khost, Afghanistan. On January 19, 2009, two explosives-laden vehicles approached the fence line of FOB Chapman. At the gate, the first vehicle, a pickup-sized truck, exploded after its operator detonated the VBIED. The second vehicle, a truck that was carrying approximately 7,500 pounds of explosives, became stuck in the blast crater caused by the first explosion. The driver abandoned his vehicle without detonating the VBIED, and was shot and killed by local security personnel. The initial detonation of the first vehicle injured one U.S. serviceman and numerous Afghan nationals. Forensic technicians recovered 18 latent fingerprints that were determined to be a match to Farekh from adhesive packing tape used to bind together the explosive materials of the second, undetonated VBIED.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Tucker, Douglas M. Pravda and Saritha Komatireddy of the Eastern District of New York, along with Trial Attorney Alicia Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, are in charge of the prosecution.
"Real Time" Defendants Receive Significant Federal Sentences for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Robert Christopher McCoy, age 23, of Columbia, South Carolina and Terrone J. Anderson, age 21, of Columbia, South Carolina were sentenced to 115 months and 96 months respectively in Federal District Court today. McCoy previously entered a guilty plea to Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of 18, U.S.C. § 922(g). Anderson previously entered a guilty plea to Possession With Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of a Methamphetamine mixture, in violation of 21 U.S.C § 841. United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten, of Columbia, accepted the guilty pleas and imposed their sentences today at the Matthew Perry Federal Courthouse in Columbia.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on September 22, 2017, Robert McCoy and Terrone Anderson were traveling in a car near Bradley Drive and Robin Road in the Columbia, when Columbia Police Officers observed them smoking marijuana in the vehicle. After a traffic stop was conducted, Anderson was found to be in possession of two pills in his pants. A search of the vehicle revealed an additional 800 pills in the center console of the vehicle and a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun in the floorboard. During the guilty plea, McCoy admitted that he knowingly and intentionally possessed the firearm. Prior to possessing the firearm, McCoy has previously been convicted of multiple South Carolina convictions for Burglary, Criminal Conspiracy, Discharging a Firearm Into an Occupied Vehicle, Unlawfully Carrying a Pistol, Assault and Battery and others. Anderson admitted to knowingly possessing all the pills, which were lab tested and confirmed to be approximately 300 grams of a methamphetamine mixture. Anderson further admitted that he intended to sell the pills for profit. Anderson has previously been convicted of Accessory After the Fact to Felony and Threatening the Life of a Public Official. It was noted at the guilty plea that Anderson was on state parole for those state prior convictions at the time of the federal drug trafficking crime.
This case was expedited for federal prosecution pursuant to Operation “Real Time.” McCoy and Anderson were arrested on September 22, 2017, and just 68 days later, they pled guilty to the above charges. They have been in continuous custody since their arrest on September 22, 2017, and they will remain in custody until they serve out their federal sentences.
The goal of the “Real Time” program is to identify individuals for federal prosecution with significant criminal histories who continue to actively possess firearms in the community. “Real Time” is a working collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement as well as state and federal prosecutors. Since August of 2015, the initiative, state-wide, has resulted in the expedited federal prosecution of over 150 defendants and seizure of over 200 firearms as well as assorted ammunition from prohibited persons in the upstate.
U.S. Attorney Beth Drake commended the partnership between local, state, and federal agencies that led to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the U.S. Attorney’s Office adopting the case. “We work best when we work together. This ‘real time’ identification of high risk offenders is smart policing and we welcome the opportunity to work alongside our state chiefs, sheriffs, and solicitors in taking violent repeat offenders out of our communities. Columbia Chief Holbrook is a leader here, using our Real Time partnership in combination with his community policing focus for a safer Columbia.”
The case was investigated by agents of the Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney JD Rowell of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
#####
12 March 2018
York Man Convicted for Possession of A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Steven Gray, age 45, of York, Pennsylvania, was convicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm after a three-day jury trial held before United States District Court Judge John E. Jones, III.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Gray was arrested on January 1, 2017, by officers of the York Police Department and found to be in possession of a 9MM Taurus handgun, loaded with seven rounds of ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The matter was investigated by the York Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott R. Ford and Kim Douglas Daniel prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
# # #
Worcester Businessman Sentenced for Tobacco Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was sentenced today in connection with a scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Massachusetts of tobacco excise taxes and submitting false tax returns.
Mohamed Afeez, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to one year and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $973,218 in restitution and forfeiture. In April 2017, Afeez pleaded guilty to subscribing a false tax return and conspiracy.
Between approximately late 2014 and July 2016, Afeez operated a wholesale business in Worcester that sold tobacco products, including cigars, smoking tobacco and smokeless tobacco (such as snuff and chewing tobacco), as well as other non-tobacco items, to convenience stores, gas stations and other retail businesses. Under state law, smokeless tobacco wholesalers must file an excise tax form monthly and pay a 210% excise tax on smokeless tobacco brought into Massachusetts. Cigar wholesalers must file an excise tax form quarterly and pay a 40% excise tax on cigars brought into Massachusetts.
In order to evade tobacco taxes, Afeez made regular purchases of loose smoking tobacco and smokeless tobacco from a distributor in Pennsylvania where these tobacco products are not taxed. Afeez and a co-conspirator repeatedly drove bundles containing more than $10,000 in cash to the distributor for payment. A co-conspirator then drove the tobacco products to Massachusetts where Afeez resold them wholesale without paying the Massachusetts state excise taxes that he knew were due. The illegal tobacco business generated over $448,000 that Afeez failed to report on his business’ income tax return for 2015.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Heymann of Lelling’s Economic Crimes Unit prosecuted the case
Williamstown Felon Jailed for Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Lawrence A. Griffen, Jr., age 50, of Williamstown, Vermont, was sentenced to a year in jail today by Judge William K. Sessions, III, in U.S. District Court in Burlington. Griffen was arrested last summer by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, after he sold five guns to an undercover agent in three transactions. Griffen has prior felony convictions in both federal and State court, arising out of transactions involving motor vehicles. In November, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one of the transactions, in which he sold a semi-automatic pistol.
At sentencing before Judge Sessions today, Griffen urged that he had multiple physical impairments requiring regular medical care. He proposed a sentence of home detention. Judge Sessions pointed out that Griffen had received probationary terms from State of Vermont courts in 2013 and 2014, but had gone on to commit the federal firearms offense in 2017. Ultimately the court downwardly varied from the 24 – 30 month term of imprisonment calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and imposed a term of 12 months and a day. Judge Sessions ordered Griffen to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence on April 10. The court ordered him to surrender to the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Massachusetts, a federal prison for persons with significant medical issues. Judge Sessions also imposed a two-year term of supervised release to begin upon release from prison, along with a $100 special assessment.
Griffen was represented by Attorney Kevin Henry of Burlington. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Darrow.
Williamson County Man Sentenced on Methamphetamine and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
On March 8, 2018, Johnathan D. Long, 41, of Johnston City was sentenced to federal prison for methamphetamine and firearm offenses, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
Long, who had previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, was sentenced to a total term of 144 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release. The offenses occurred between December 2016 and January 23, 2017, in Williamson County. Evidence at the plea and sentence hearings established that Long was involved with co-defendant Julian Rodriguez and others in the distribution of ice. Ice is methamphetamine which has a purity level of at least 80%.
On January 20, 2017, Long sold ice to a confidential source that was working for law enforcement. At the time of the drug sale, Long was armed with a firearm. When agents executed a search warrant at the Johnson City residence of Long and Rodriguez, they recovered multiple firearms, over 200 grams of ice, cannabis, and a large amount of U.S. currency. At sentencing, the judge found that Long was responsible for the distribution of approximately 907 grams of ice. Long received a sentencing enhancement for maintaining a residence for the distribution of drugs. Co-defendant Rodriguez was previously sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment for his involvement in the methamphetamine and firearm offenses.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Williamson County States Attorney’s Offices also assisted in the investigation.
Williamson County Man Charged with Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
On March 6, 2018, a Williamson County man was indicted for methamphetamine offenses, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.
Richard W. Sellers, 57, of Herrin, was charged in a two-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offenses occurred between July 17, 2017, and February 25, 2018, in Williamson County. Sellers made his initial appearance in federal court on March 8, 2018. He was ordered held without bond pending a May 14, 2018, jury trial.
The conspiracy offense carries a maximum penalty of 5-40 years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000,000. The distribution offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Herrin Police Department, Illinois State Police, and Williamson County States Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
United States and Colombian Law Enforcement Authorities Execute Arrests in Puerto Rico and Colombia Dismantling International Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, PR – During the past two weeks, United States federal agents, in coordination with Colombian law enforcement authorities, executed 14 arrest warrants in Puerto Rico and Colombia dismantling an international drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States through Puerto Rico announced United States Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez today.
The arrests stem from two indictments filed in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
The first indictment charges Aureliano Acevedo-Hernández, a.k.a. “Ciro/Morado”; John Edinson García-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Pirata”; Dalbelto Rincón, a.k.a. “Bambam/Marco Tulio Sánchez-Muñoz”; Julio Aníbal González-Compres, a.k.a. “Winston”; Jairo Andrés Cruz-Coronel, a.k.a “Jairo/Jairito”; Julio César Rojas-Betancourt, a.k.a. “Fresa”; Campo Edison Quintero-Arturo, a.k.a. “Coronel”; Luis Alberto Jaimes-Nuñez, a.k.a. “Beto”; and Jairo Gómez-Guerra, a.k.a. “Jairito” among others with conspiracy to possess, manufacture, or distribute controlled substances for purposes of unlawful importation into the United States; and possession, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances for purposes of unlawful importation into the United States. The indictment contains a forfeiture allegation for the proceeds obtained as a result of the organization’s illegal activities, and property used to commit or to facilitate the commission of the crime.
The second indictment charges Miguel Ángel Agosto-Pacheco, a.k.a. “Chino”; Jerry Omar Hernández-Peña; Anthony Jael Abreu-Matos; Luis Ángel Ramos-Cordero; Juan Tapia-Soto; and another person with conspiracy to import controlled substances; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; and attempted possession of controlled substances. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation for the proceeds obtained as a result of the organization’s illegal activities, and property used to commit or to facilitate the commission of the crime. These defendants were arrested in Vieques, Fajardo, and Levittown in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.
“These arrests are a strong indication of the success of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in the fight against drug trafficking. The arrests dismantled an organization that coordinated the importation of thousands of kilograms of cocaine into Puerto Rico from Colombia. The individuals named in these indictments are now facing long terms of imprisonment,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue maximizing our multi-agency and international efforts and will combine resources to investigate and prosecute those who disregard our laws and smuggle drugs into our jurisdiction, and increase the incidence of violent crimes in our communities.”
DEA Caribbean Division Special Agent in Charge, AJ Collazo, stated, “We will remain resilient in DEA’s mission, tracking and dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations as this one. Our agency’s joint efforts with federal, local and foreign host nation counterparts like the Colombian Cuerpo Técnico de Investigaciones (CTI) will continue to be focused on aggressively pursuing the members of these organizations across the sea, to let them know that drug trafficking and money laundering through our region will not be tolerated.”
The arrests are the result of a long-term international drug trafficking investigation led by special agents from the DEA in Puerto Rico and the “Cuerpo Técnico de Investigaciones” (CTI) in Colombia under Operation Devil’s Trail. The investigation has resulted in the seizure of over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine and the arrest of 30 defendants under 7 different indictments filed in the District of Puerto Rico. The FBI, IRS, United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Coast Guard (USCG), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Puerto Rico Police Maritime Unit “Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción” (FURA), and Colombian prosecutors from “Dirección Especializada Contra Lavado de Activos” (DECLA) also participated in this investigation.
Operation Devil’s Trail is part of the OCDETF program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The investigation was coordinated by Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Carlos R. Cardona, lead OCDETF attorney in Puerto Rico and Prosecutor Alfredo Vasquez Macias in Colombia. The cases are being prosecuted in Puerto Rico by AUSAs Carlos R. Cardona and Laura Montes, under the supervision AUSA Julia Diaz, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Unit.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs Section of the United States Department of Justice, Special Operation Division in Chantilly, Virginia; the United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs; the office of the Judicial Attaché of the US Embassy in Colombia; DEA special agents in Bogota, Colombia; and the Colombian CTI and DECLA for their assistance and support provided in this investigation.
The defendants are facing terms of imprisonment from 10 years to life. Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
U.S Attorney Kennedy Appoints Veteran Prosecutor to Lead Rochester Branch OfficeRead 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 he has appointed Douglas E. Gregory, a 19-year veteran prosecutor of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York, Attorney-in-Charge of the Rochester Branch Office.
“I am pleased to announce Doug’s selection as the Attorney-in-Charge of the Rochester Branch Office,” said United States Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. “Doug’s skills, both as a litigator and a leader, make him eminently qualified to serve in this role. He has the respect and confidence of the law enforcement community, the legal community, and all who work for the Department of Justice. Having dedicated his entire legal career to enforcing the rule of law, to protecting the community, and to achieving justice, Doug has literally spent a lifetime preparing for this position. I have the upmost confidence in him, and I believe that Rochester and our entire District will benefit from his service. Simply put, Doug’s appointment represents good news for law-abiding citizens and bad news for criminals.”
Mr. Gregory, a native of Corning, NY, began his legal career as a prosecutor with the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office in 1993, where he served until July of 1999, at which time he joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Gregory began his federal service prosecuting illegal weapons cases under Project Exile, a nationally recognized anti-violence campaign. Prior to being named Attorney-in-Charge, Gregory served as the Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Section, where he was responsible for the prosecution of gang cases, drug trafficking crimes and violent felony offenses. Gregory has been the lead prosecutor in several high-level prosecutions and jury trials, including a nearly four-month long, eight-defendant narcotics and weapons trial. He has successfully tried cases involving historical drug conspiracies, federal weapons violations, gang and violent criminal activity, and multi-defendant racketeering (RICO) offenses.
During his federal career, Gregory has received several national awards and honors, including the Directors Award for Superior Performance. He has also been recognized for distinguished service by the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation in New York City, and was a member of a Prosecutorial Instructor Team in Zagreb, Croatia as part of the Department of Justice Overseas Prosecutorial Development and Training Program. Gregory received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Union College in 1989 and Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School in 1993.
U.S. Attorney Kennedy also made the following additional appointments:
• Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee was named Chief of the Appellate Division for the Western District of New York; • Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick was named Chief of the White Collar General Crimes Section in Rochester; and
• Brett A. Harvey was re-appointed as Chief of the Narcotics and Violent Crime Section in Rochester.United States Attorney Kennedy went on to note that, “Chief Lee, Chief Resnick, and Chief Harvey are each widely-recognized as among the most talented AUSAs in their respective areas of practice in the entire Department of Justice. Tiffany is a talented writer and exceptional appellate advocate; Rick is hands-down one of the best white-collar prosecutors in the country; and Brett, who has a wealth of prosecutorial experience in area of drugs and violent crime, is likely the only AUSA in the entire United States successfully to convict two different individuals in two unrelated cases of providing material support to ISIS. All three AUSA’s are supremely talented, and as a community, we are fortunate to have them on our side.”
Ms. Lee obtained her J.D. cum laude from Syracuse University College of Law in 1997. She also obtained her M.A. in International Relations from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. From 1997-1999, Lee worked as a court attorney for the New York State Court of Appeals. In 1999, she became a confidential law clerk for the Honorable Richard C. Wesley, then Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. After completing her clerkship in August 2002, Lee began working as an Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecuting white collar crimes and crimes against children in Rochester, NY. In December 2007, Lee was appointed the Project Safe Childhood coordinator for the Western District of New York, a position she held until 2013.
Mr. Resnick obtained his law degree from the State University at Buffalo, and his undergraduate degree from Alfred University. From 1990-1994, Resnick was a trial attorney with the Department of Justice, Tax Division, in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, Resnick was a trial attorney with District Counsel, Internal Revenue Service, in Miami, Florida. In 1994, he began working as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Rochester Office in the Western District of New York, prosecuting white collar and economic crimes.
Mr. Harvey graduated from Albany Law School in 1995 after earning his undergraduate degree from Geneseo State in 1993. From 1995 to 1997, Harvey served as an Appellate Court Attorney for the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department. In 1997, Harvey joined the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, where he served until joining the Rochester Office of the United States Attorney’s Office in 2002.