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Friday 26 January 2018
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARCIO RODOLFO OCHOA-BORJAS (OCHOA-BORJAS) age 31, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information for illegal reentry of a removed alien after deportation.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced OCHOA-BORJAS to 5 months imprisonment and payment of a mandatory $100.00 special assessment.
According to the Bill of Information, on or about June 30, 2017, OCHOA-BORJAS was found in the United States after having been officially deported. He was ordered removed and deported on or about August 16, 2012.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González is in charge of the prosecution.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Steven Paul Salmon, 56, of Gulfport, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
An investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Biloxi, Mississippi, led FBI agents to order, through a confidential source, methamphetamine from Salmon. On June 6, 2017, Salmon arrived to meet with agents in order to sell them methamphetamine. He was arrested in possession of seven ounces of methamphetamine. Salmon advised that he had additional methamphetamine at his home which led to the seizure of three additional pounds of methamphetamine.
Salmon will be sentenced on April 25, 2018, by Judge Guirola, and faces a maximum penalty of forty years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Re-Entering U.S. After Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Wilson Walberto Clemente-Perez, 27, a citizen of Guatemala, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., to the federal crime of unlawful re-entry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Thomas M. Annello, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
Clemente-Perez is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Guirola on April 25, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. He faces a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, not more than one year of supervised release, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a special assessment of $100.
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.
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 is the prosecutor for the case.
Green Bay Man Sentenced to Twenty Year for Distribution of DrugsRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 26, 2018, Kyle D. Herwald (age: 27) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, appeared in federal court in Green Bay and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute Methamphetamine in Northeast Wisconsin.
Herwald conspired with a Bellevue, Wisconsin woman, Cory L. Daul, to distribute methamphetamine that she received in bulk from an out-of-state supplier via the United States Postal Service. Daul is currently serving a 5-year term in federal prison for her role in the offense.
In pronouncing sentence, Chief United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of Herwald’s crime and the negative effect that methamphetamine has had on the community. The judge condemned Herwald’s prior record, which includes convictions in state court for distribution of illegal narcotics and several violent felonies. Following his release from prison, Herwald will serve 10 years on federal supervised release.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Brown County Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble prosecuted the case.
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For further information contact:
Activing Public Information Officer Elizabeth Makowski, (414) 297-1700
Glendive Man Gets Federal Jail Time for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Glendive man will spend over 6 years in federal prison for downloading and possessing child pornography to his computer. Shawn Michael Wentz, 28, previously pleaded guilty in October 2017 to possession of child pornography stemming from a May 2015 investigation by the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).
U.S. District Susan P. Watters sentenced Wentz Thursday to 78 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Wentz also agreed to forfeit the computer he used to possess the child pornography and is required to register as a sex offender.
In May 2015, agents were investigating individuals downloading and possessing files depicting child pornography that were obtained from the internet. Through IP address records, an HSI agent determined a computer at Wentz’s residence in Glendive, Montana, had child pornography files available for download. Pursuant to a federal search warrant, agents searched Wentz’s residence in June 2015 and seized items included a desktop computer. A Certified Forensic Examiner determined the computer contained image and video files depicting child pornography including sexually explicit images of prepubescent children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office identified in its sentencing memorandum that based on the names of the files he possessed, Wentz was “interested in child pornography files that depicted prepubescent girls being anally raped by adult males, children as young as two years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and files with sadistic and extremely sexually-violent titles.”
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said, "Prosecuting offenders who possess child pornography, especially of young children, is important to reducing the demand for photos and saving children from being victimized on camera. I want to congratulate AUSA Cyndee Peterson and HSI for their good work in this case. This office will continue to work with the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to aggressively prosecute those who exploit our children.”
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children. Investigative agencies involved in the case include Homeland Security Investigations.
Fremont Builder Sentenced for Theft of Government ServicesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced today that on January 25, 2018, Chief United States District Court Judge Robert Rossiter sentenced Brian Tillman, age 54, of Fremont, Nebraska for his conviction for theft of government funds. Tillman was sentenced to a five-year term of probation and was ordered to pay restitution of $190,100 to the Social Security Administration.
During the period from March 2010 to December 2016, the Defendant received approximately $190,110 of unentitled Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for himself and his two minor children. During that time, Defendant was concealing his full-time employment doing business as Brian Home Improvements in Fremont, Nebraska. Had the Social Security Administration known of such full-time employment, Tillman would not have received disability benefits. As a result of the Defendant’s fraud, the Social Security Administration suffered a loss of $190,110.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General.
Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearms While Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute cocaine and possessed firearms pled guilty January 25, 2018, in federal court in Sioux City.
Jovon Naylor, 27, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiring to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and illegal possession of a firearm.
At the plea hearing, Naylor admitted to conspiring to distribute cocaine in the Fort Dodge area from January through September 2016. Naylor was involved in a number of controlled purchases of cocaine with law enforcement. Naylor also admitted that when he distributed cocaine, he possessed firearms during the drug deals. Drug dealers typically carry firearms for protection of their drugs and drug proceeds. Naylor further admitted to previously being convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon in the Iowa District Court for Webster County on April 13, 2012. Federal law prohibits persons previously convicted of a felony from possessing firearms.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Naylor remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Naylor faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, $300 in special assessments, and at least three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Fort Dodge Police Department, DCI Criminalistics Laboratory, and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-3049. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Former Paramedic Sentenced for Stealing Pain-Killing Drugs, Replacing Vials with WaterRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced a former paramedic with two northwest Missouri ambulance districts was sentenced in federal court today for stealing pain-killing drugs and replacing the vials with water.
Joseph L. Comstock, 31, of Bethany, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to two years and six months in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 12, 2017, Comstock pleaded guilty to three counts of tampering with a consumer product (fentanyl and morphine) with reckless disregard for the risk that another person would be placed in danger of death or bodily injury, and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk.
Comstock admitted that he emptied vials of morphine and fentanyl, taking it for his own personal use, and replaced the pain-killing drugs with sterilized water. Comstock tampered with the drug vials while working at both the NTA Ambulance District in Bethany and the Community Ambulance District of Daviess County in Gallatin, Mo., in 2014 and 2015.
Comstock started tampering with drugs in March 2014, following a medical procedure to remove his tonsils. He accessed drugs on ambulances and was able to bend up the lid of the plastic boxes and dump out the drugs he wished to tamper with. He obtained both fentanyl and morphine from ambulances and replaced the drugs with sterile water.
Comstock admitted there were at least two occasions where he personally treated patients with drugs he knew he had tampered with. These patients were both hip fracture patients that were supposed to receive fentanyl but instead received sterile water that Comstock had replaced in the vial.
Federal officials were notified on March 4, 2015, of possible drug tampering at the NTA Ambulance District in Bethany. The chief of EMS reported that an employee had noticed two morphine syringes had broken tamper-evident seals. On Jan. 30, 2015, an employee noticed that two morphine syringes had broken tamper-evident seals. On Feb. 27, 2015, ambulance employees looked through narcotic boxes kept on the three NTA ambulances. They found a number of drugs that were missing tamper-evidence caps and had broken tamper-evident seals, including midazolam, lorazepam, morphine and fentanyl.
Federal agents installed surveillance equipment at the Bethany NTA building on March 18, 2015. A camera was also placed on an ambulance, which was taken out of service. Comstock was recorded on the surveillance video as he stole morphine from the ambulance on two separate occasions on March 19 and March 23, 2015. Comstock later admitted that he had tampered with drugs on all the ambulances prior to that as well.
Comstock also admitted that he tampered with drugs when he visited the Gallatin ambulance building on Feb. 24, 2015. An employee found Comstock (who had stopped working at the Gallatin ambulance company in June 2014) inside the Gallatin ambulance building. Comstock explained he had come by the Gallatin facility to use the treadmill. Later that same day, the employee went on a service call and treated a man suffering from leg pain with 100 mcg of fentanyl; however, the man did not receive any pain relief. When the employee returned, he examined the narcotics cabinet and found several fentanyl vials with loose caps, as well as morphine that appeared to have been tampered with.
The Gallatin ambulance director told federal agents about another suspicious situation at his ambulance building involving Comstock that occurred a week earlier. On Feb. 17, 2015, Comstock stopped by the ambulance building to visit with another paramedic. The next day, another employee checked the narcotics cabinet and noticed two fentanyl vials without their tamper-resistant caps. Subsequently several other fentanyl vials were discovered to have been tampered with.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigation and the Bethany, Mo., Police Department.
Former Muncie-area volleyball coach federally charged in sexual exploitation caseRead the Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis-United States Attorney Josh Minkler announced today federal charges against a Muncie man for engaging in illegal sexual conduct with minor children over a three (3) year period. Nolan M. Brand, 24, Muncie, has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.
“This Office has sent a consistent message when it comes to the exploitation of children,” said Minkler. “When individuals abuse their position of trust to prey on children, they will feel the full force of the federal hammer.”
According to the criminal complaint, Brand began to have sexual contact with Minor Victim 1 in September of 2017, and his behavior continued until December 2017. The victim was less than 16 years old at the time, and the conduct occurred on a frequent basis over those three months. Brand admitted that the contact with Minor Victim 1 became sexual in nature when he used the Snapchat application to communicate with the child.
The illegal activity was reported to the Muncie Police Department on December 4, 2017. Brand was interviewed by Muncie Police and admitted to engaging in illegal sex acts with Minor Victim 1 on multiple occasions. During the recorded interview, when investigators had stepped out of the room, Brand admitted ‘oh my God, I have child porn on me . . . on my . . . phone.” He later whispered, “oh my God, there are pictures . . . . Other girls, oh my God.”
Law enforcement officials quickly served search warrants. A forensic review of the electronic devices showed that Brand recorded some of the illegal sexual conduct involving Minor Victim 1 on his cellular phone, and then he downloaded it to a computer. Examiners also found sexually explicit images of a second under-age victim. That victim, Minor Victim 2, confirmed the existence of the images and that the images were produced at the request of Nolan Brand.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muncie Police Department.
“This charge illustrates our commitment to protect our most vulnerable citizens, our children, from those who use a position of trust and authority to exploit them,” said W. Jay Abbott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division. “The FBI will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those who prey on children.”
“I am grateful for the strong working relationship the Muncie Police Department has with our federal law enforcement partners,” said Chief Joe Winkle. “Because of this relationship, Muncie-area residents are safer.”
Brand remains in the custody of the US Marshal Service and will have his detention hearing January 31, 2018.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Kristina M. Korobov who is prosecuting this case as for the government, Brand faces up to 30 years of imprisonment if convicted.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to utilize and partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute individuals engaged in the sexual exploitation of children. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 4.2.
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Former Missouri Elected Official and His Chief of Staff Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
The former County Executive for Jackson County, Missouri and his former chief of staff pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud political campaign funds, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Michael Sanders, 50, of Independence, Missouri, and Calvin Williford, 60, of St. Joseph, Missouri, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark of the Western District of Missouri.
According to admissions made in connection with their pleas, Sanders was the elected County Executive for Jackson County from January 2007 until December 2015. Prior to serving as County Executive, Sanders was the elected Prosecuting Attorney for Jackson County. Williford was a senior staff member for Sanders, and then later chief of staff, in the Office of the County Executive from 2007 to December 2015. Prior to then, Williford served as Sanders’s Director of Public Affairs at the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Sanders and Williford defrauded political committees with which Sanders was affiliated by converting campaign contributions for their personal use. Sanders and Williford misappropriated the money by directing the political committees to issue checks to certain individuals who performed little or no campaign-related work. Instead, the individuals cashed the checks and then returned a portion of the money to Sanders or Williford, who used the cash at times to pay for personal expenses.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Kansas City Division. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Lauren Bell and Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Former Madison County Detective Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
Charlottesville, VIRGINIA – – A former detective with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, who was most recently assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was sentenced yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville on multiple charges of sexually exploiting minors, United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Bruce Arlie Harvey, 42, of Reva, Va., was sentenced yesterday to 23 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release thereafter. In addition, Harvey will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Harvey pleaded guilty on August 14, 2017 to three counts of transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual acts, three counts of interstate travel with minors with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and one count of possession of child pornography. The charges involved two separate minor victims and occurred in approximately 1998 or 1999 and between 2004-2007.
“Bruce Harvey abused his positions of trust as a law enforcement officer and a karate instructor to sexually exploit two of his female karate students. I commend the teamwork of the FBI and the Virginia State Police for bringing this defendant to justice and for giving the victims justice and a chance to find closure,” United States Attorney Mountcastle said today. “We sincerely hope that today’s sentence will be a step toward healing, restoration, and renewal for the victims.”
“As I said before, Harvey was every parent's worst nightmare. He used his positions of trust in the community - law enforcement officer, youth karate instructor - to access the children who became his victims. Just despicable,” said Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “I hope Harvey's sentence sends a message to the victimizers of the innocent; we will find you and bring you to justice. I want to thank the heroes at the Western District of Virginia's United States Attorney's Office who expertly prosecuted the case, and I want to especially thank the brave victims who came forward.”
According to the information presented during previous hearings, Harvey, while a law enforcement officer and a karate instructor at the Virginia Tong Leong School of Karate in Madison, victimized the two young karate students when they took private karate lessons from him and traveled with him to competitions and other events at various out-of-state locations.
At the time of his arrest on May 3, 2017, investigators recovered a Sony microcassette in a bedroom closet of Harvey’s home that contained a film clip dated February 14, 2007, showing one of the victims performing a sexual act with Harvey.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia State Police investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nancy S. Healey and Department of Justice- Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section Trial Attorney Lauren S. Kupersmith prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.
Former Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
Former Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper James Carson pleaded guilty in federal court to violating an individual’s civil rights by using excessive force, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division John Gore, United States Attorney for the District of Kansas Stephen R. McAllister, and Special Agent in Charge for the Kansas City Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Darrin E. Jones.
According to documents filed in connection with the plea, on June 25, 2013, the Defendant, James Carson, was acting under color of law as a Trooper for the Kansas Highway Patrol when he used unreasonable force against an arrestee, R.T. According to the documents, Carson conducted a lawful arrest and then transported R.T. to the Labette County Jail, where at least five other law enforcement officials were present. As Carson removed R.T. from the patrol vehicle and escorted him into the booking area, R.T.’s hands were cuffed behind his back. Without warning, Carson kicked the legs out from underneath R.T., causing R.T. to crash down on his back onto the floor. Carson admitted in court that he used force against R.T. for the purpose of punishment and not for a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
As part of the plea agreement, Carson has agreed to surrender his law enforcement credentials and never again accept any employment related to law enforcement.
“Any law enforcement official who uses excessive and unreasonable force against an arrestee violates the Constitution and its provision to provide for the safety and security of all citizens,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute officer misconduct and protect the integrity of our civil rights laws.”
This case was investigated by the Topeka Resident Agency of the Kansas City Field Office of the FBI. The case was initially investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag of the United States Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Rose Gibson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Former Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
Former Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper James Carson pleaded guilty in federal court to violating an individual’s civil rights by using excessive force, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division John Gore, United States Attorney for the District of Kansas Stephen R. McAllister, and Special Agent in Charge for the Kansas City Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Darrin E. Jones.
According to documents filed in connection with the plea, on June 25, 2013, the Defendant, James Carson, was acting under color of law as a Trooper for the Kansas Highway Patrol when he used unreasonable force against an arrestee, R.T. According to the documents, Carson conducted a lawful arrest and then transported R.T. to the Labette County Jail, where at least five other law enforcement officials were present. As Carson removed R.T. from the patrol vehicle and escorted him into the booking area, R.T.’s hands were cuffed behind his back. Without warning, Carson kicked the legs out from underneath R.T., causing R.T. to crash down on his back onto the floor. Carson admitted in court that he used force against R.T. for the purpose of punishment and not for a legitimate law enforcement purpose.
As part of the plea agreement, Carson has agreed to surrender his law enforcement credentials and never again accept any employment related to law enforcement.
“Any law enforcement official who uses excessive and unreasonable force against an arrestee violates the Constitution and its provision to provide for the safety and security of all citizens,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute officer misconduct and protect the integrity of our civil rights laws.”
This case was investigated by the Topeka Resident Agency of the Kansas City Field Office of the FBI. The case was initially investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag of the United States Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Rose Gibson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Former Joplin Teacher Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a former Joplin, Mo., middle school teacher has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a minor.
Amanda Ruth Schweitzer, 38, of Joplin, was charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. That indictment was unsealed and made public upon Schweitzer’s arrest and initial court appearance on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. She remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Jan. 30, 2018.
Schweitzer was a teacher at North Middle School in Joplin at the time of the alleged offenses.
The federal indictment alleges that Schweitzer used a minor to produce child pornography from March 1 to March 29, 2017. The indictment also alleges that Schweitzer transferred obscene material to the minor during that time.
Garrison cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Hartford Resident Pleads Guilty to Heroin Distribution ChargeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NORBERTO RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Primo,” 44, formerly of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of distribution of heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement received information that RODRIGUEZ was selling heroin and crack cocaine in the area of Madison Street in Hartford. On June 9, 2016, investigators made a controlled purchase of 51 wax folds of heroin from RODRIGUEZ at a location on Franklin Avenue in Hartford. Laboratory analysis of the purchased substance revealed the presence of heroin, acetylfentanyl and furanyl fentanyl.
RODRIGUEZ was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on June 5, 2017. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford on April 20, 2018, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
RODRIGUEZ, who currently resides in Waterbury, is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the U.S. Marshals Service, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Former Hadley Police Officer Indicted for Unreasonable ForceRead the Press Release
A former Hadley, Massachusetts, Police Officer was arrested today and charged in federal court in Springfield in connection with using unreasonable force during an arrest.
Christopher M. Roeder, 48, of Feeding Hills, was charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsification of a document. Roeder will appear in federal court in Springfield this afternoon.
According to court documents, on April 3, 2017, while acting under the color of law, Roeder deprived a male arrestee of the right to be free from an unreasonable seizure, which includes the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer. It is alleged that during the arrest, Roeder struck the arrestee in the face - breaking the arrestee’s nose, which the arrestee would need plastic surgery to repair - without legal justification, while the arrestee was seated on a bench in the Hadley Police Department booking area.
The indictment alleges that Roeder subsequently attempted to obstruct the investigation into the assault on the arrestee by falsifying his police report describing the events that led to the assault. Roeder wrote that the defendant arrestee made an obscene comment toward Roeder and that when the arrestee was instructed to sit down, he sat down slowly, and then when Roeder attempted to handcuff the arrestee, the arrestee began to stand again. According to Roeder, he had no option but to deliver an elbow strike directly to the bridge of the arrestee’s nose in order to gain the arrestee’s compliance. Conversely, the indictment alleges that Roeder’s statements were false.
The charge of deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in injury provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of falsifying a police report provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division John Gore, United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of the District of Massachusetts’ Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Timothy Visser of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Hadley Police Officer Indicted for Unreasonable ForceRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Hadley Police Officer was arrested today and charged in federal court in Springfield in connection with using unreasonable force during an arrest.
Christopher M. Roeder, 48, of Agawam, was charged in an indictment unsealed today with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsification of a document.
According to court documents, on April 3, 2017, Roeder struck a male arrestee in the face - breaking the arrestee’s nose, which the arrestee would need plastic surgery to repair - without legal justification, while the arrestee was seated on a bench in the Hadley Police Department booking area.
The indictment alleges that Roeder subsequently attempted to obstruct the investigation into the assault on the arrestee by falsifying his police report describing the events that led to the assault. Roeder wrote that the arrestee made an obscene comment toward Roeder and that when the arrestee was instructed to sit down, he sat down slowly, and then when Roeder attempted to handcuff the arrestee, the arrestee began to stand again. According to Roeder, he allegedly had no option but to deliver an elbow strike directly to the bridge of the arrestee’s nose in order to gain the arrestee’s compliance. Conversely, the indictment alleges that Roeder’s statements were false.
The charge of deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in injury provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of falsifying a police report provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Timothy Visser of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Gonzales District Fire Chief Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Corey R. Amundson announced that United States District Court Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced former Gonzales District Fire Chief KRISTOPHER JOHNSON, age 37, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to serve 96 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession and distribution of child pornography. Following his release from imprisonment, JOHNSON will serve a 7-year term of supervised release.
As set forth in JOHNSON’s plea agreement, the investigation began when law enforcement discovered that a Gmail user with several email addresses, including [email protected], had uploaded images of child pornography into an online photo account. Investigators then traced the user’s Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses back to JOHNSON’s residence. After executing a search warrant at JOHNSON’s residence, investigators found child pornography on JOHNSON’s cell phone and iPad, including images of children between six and twelve years of age being sexually abused. When interviewed, JOHNSON admitted to going to various websites to view child pornography, trading child pornography via Google, and viewing child pornography that purportedly displayed the child niece of an individual with whom he was corresponding. Investigators further discovered that JOHNSON had texted multiple images of children being sexually abused to another individual via a texting application.
Acting U.S. Attorney Amundson stated, “Online child sexual exploitation investigations and prosecutions are a priority for this office. JOHNSON’s sentence appropriately reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the need to deter others inclined to engage in similar activity. I greatly appreciate the excellent and hard work of the prosecutors and agents who handle these challenging cases.”
“The outcome of this case should serve as a warning to others we will aggressively investigate and bring to justice those who would prey on our most vulnerable population,” said ICE HSI New Orleans Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas M. Annello. “HSI continues working closely with our federal and state partners to ensure we identify and arrest the perpetrators of these vile crimes."
This matter was investigated by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (DHS-HSI), and the Cyber Crime Unit of the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, with assistance from the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan R. Crosswell and Cam T. Le.
These federal charges are part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “Resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.
Former D.C. Teacher Sentenced to Prison Term for Sexually Abusing StudentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alan Wade Coleman, 47, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced today to three years in prison for sexually abusing one of his students during the 2004-2005 academic year, when Coleman was a teacher at the KIPP D.C. Key Academy middle school in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Coleman pled guilty in October 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of first-degree child sexual abuse. The plea was part of a larger plea agreement in which he already pled guilty in Montgomery County, Md., where Coleman then lived and where most of the sexual activity with the student occurred. The plea agreement in the District of Columbia called for an agreed-upon three-year prison term to run concurrently with the sentence to be imposed in Montgomery County. Coleman is to be sentenced there on Feb. 9, 2018; under sentencing guidelines there, he faces a possible four to seven years in prison.
The Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Once released from prison, Coleman will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years as a result of his plea in the District of Columbia, and for life as a result of his plea in Montgomery County. He will also be on supervised release for five years as part of his sentence in the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, during the 2004-2005 academic year, Coleman engaged in sexual acts with the female student, most of which occurred at his apartment in Takoma Park, Md.; at the time she was 14 and 15 years old. On those occasions, Coleman would drive the girl to Maryland from a location either at, or near, the KIPP School. However, on several occasions during that academic year, Coleman drove her to a location in the District, where he parked and engaged in sexual acts with her in his vehicle. Coleman remained in a relationship with the girl until she was 19.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Youth Investigation Division. She also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Juanita Harris. Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Five Texas Men Indicted for Stealing 650 Firearms from UPS Trailers in SpringfieldRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that five Texas men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing 650 firearms from United Parcel Service trailers in Springfield, Mo., en route to Bass Pro Shops.
Frank McChriston, 33, of Ponder, Texas; Keith Lowe, 28, of Dallas, Texas; Quinton Haywood, 26, of Glenn Heights, Texas; and Eric White, 26, and Derrick White, 32, both of Texas, were charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. The federal indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed under seal on Dec. 29, 2017. The five co-defendants were arrested in Texas, where they remain in federal custody pending transportation to the Western District of Missouri.
The indictment charges each of the five defendants in one count of aiding and abetting one another to steal firearms being shipped across state lines, from Beretta USA in Maryland to the state of Missouri. The indictment also charges each of the five defendants in one count of aiding and abetting one another to possess stolen firearms.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original federal criminal complaint, Derrick and Eric White, McChriston, Lowe and Haywood stole 650 firearms, along with other cargo, from United Parcel Service (UPS) trailers in Springfield in October 2017.
The firearms were in the process of being shipped from Beretta Firearms in Maryland to Bass Pro Shops in Springfield. The trailers in which the firearms were shipped had been parked in the UPS freight lot in a configuration to prevent access to the trailer doors, by being parked back-to-back, with the roll-up doors facing each other. The trailers were then blocked by longer trailers, which should have acted as a preventative measure from someone backing a truck-tractor to the trailer and pulling it forward.
Sometime between noon on Oct. 28, 2017, and 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2017, thieves hot-wired two truck-tractors and used them to push and pull various trailers around the lot, allowing the thieves access to the trailer doors. Thieves stole 600 Beretta .380-caliber handguns and 54 Beretta 12-gauge shotguns, as well as an entire pallet of Justin brand boots, numerous power tools and 12 cases of soda. UPS employees discovered the theft on Oct. 29, 2017, and notified law enforcement.
The next day, Oct. 30, 2017, Best Way Moving & Storage in Springfield (located near the UPS freight facility) discovered that a truck had been stolen sometime after noon on Oct. 28, 2017. On Nov. 8, 2017, the stolen truck was found in Seagoville, Texas, which is in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
According to the affidavit, cell phone tower records indicated that the cell phones of Derrick White, Eric White, McChriston, Lowe and Haywood all were in the vicinity of the UPS freight facility in Springfield at or near the time of the theft. Investigators determined that all five cell phones left the Dallas metroplex on Oct. 27, 2017, arrived in Springfield on Oct. 28, 2017, and returned to the Dallas metroplex on Oct. 29, 2017. Haywood’s phone was also in the area where the stolen truck from Best Way Moving was recovered in Seagoville.
Eric and Derrick White were located at Redneck Heaven Restaurant & Bar in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 19, 2017, and arrested on outstanding warrants from an unrelated case. A Beretta .380-caliber handgun was found in Derrick White’s car as it was being towed; investigators confirmed the firearm had been stolen from the shipment of firearms in the Springfield UPS freight facility. Additional items consistent with those stolen in the UPS theft were located in Derrick White’s vehicle, including a Milwaukee M18 2 Toll Combo Kit, still in the box, and two SOG folding knives, still in the box.
A loaded Taurus 9mm pistol was found in Eric White’s car. Investigators also recovered two sets of bolt cutters and two key rings containing several keys from Eric White’s car. The keys were the type commonly used for tractor trailer trucks and fork lifts, and circular keys common for storage units and vending machines.
Garrison cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Five Members of International Organized Criminal Enterprise Indicted in More Than $9.5 Million Counterfeit Documents Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Five of six alleged members of an international criminal conspiracy were arrested and appeared before the Court in Dallas, Texas on charges related to their alleged roles in an international fraud scheme that has used counterfeit driver’s licenses and counterfeit money orders to obtain monies from victim bank accounts around the United States.
The arrests and charges were announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas; and Inspector in Charge Regina Faulkerson of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Criminal Investigations Group.
John Lewis Davis II, 43, and Rasheed Wriden, 34, both of Dallas; Valandus Javon Gibson, 28 of Chicago, Illinois; Ralph Deon Taylor, 47, of Long Beach, California; and Craig Allen, 70, of Phoenix, Arizona, were all charged in a 14-count indictment unsealed on Thursday.
Davis, Gibson, Taylor, Allen, and Wriden are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Davis, Gibson, and Allen, are charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Davis, Allen, and Wriden are charged with mail fraud.
Davis, Taylor, Allen, and Wriden are charged with possession and transmission of counterfeit money orders.
Davis, Taylor, and Allen are charged with transferring counterfeit driver’s licenses.
The indictment alleges that from about April 2013 to December 2017, the defendants conspired with each other and individuals in other countries including Nigeria to obtain money through various acts of fraud. This included posting misleading advertisements of detailed descriptions of job opportunities, such as for mystery shopper positions, that were not valid job opportunities. The defendants are alleged to have conspired to pose as employers of these fraudulent job opportunities to lure victims, who resided throughout the United States and Canada.
The defendants are alleged to have conspired to obtain counterfeited driver’s licenses and money orders, which were shipped into the United States. The counterfeited money orders were shipped to co-conspirators, who then mailed them to unwitting victims who were under the mistaken belief that they were fulfilling the job duties of mystery shopper positions. The victims were instructed to deposit the counterfeit money orders and securities, mailed as payment for the mystery shopper jobs, into personal bank accounts and send a portion of the monies via money transfer businesses, to individuals known and unknown in the United States and elsewhere. After the unwitting victims cashed the counterfeited money orders and wired money to co-conspirators, the co-conspirators are alleged to have retrieved the wire transfers with the use of a counterfeited driver’s license.
According to the indictment, the purpose of the conspiracy was to fraudulently obtain monies from counterfeited U.S. Postal money orders and counterfeit checks, by sending and receiving them through the U.S. Postal Service and commercial carriers to other individuals, who would then negotiate the money orders and checks and wire the funds to the defendants using money service businesses.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Rowlett Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Leshia Lee-Dixon of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas – Dallas Division.
Federal Prison Inmate Found Guilty of Possessing Two Metal ShanksRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – DALE GOLDEN, 43, a former inmate of the Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, has been found guilty by a federal jury of possessing contraband in prison, announced Robert J. Troester, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to charges filed on September 20, 2017, Golden possessed prohibited objects while incarcerated at the El Reno prison. In particular, he possessed two metal shanks, objects that were intended to be used as weapons. Evidence at trial indicated a prison official discovered Golden sharpening the shanks in a prison metal detail shop. According to the evidence, the shanks had fallen on the floor near Golden and were hot from the metal-working process.
Today a jury found Golden guilty after listening to one day of testimony and deliberating for approximately three-and-a-half hours.
Sentencing will take place in approximately ninety days. As a result of this conviction, Golden could face five years in prison, three years of supervised release at the end of his prison term, and a $250,000 fine.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigative Services—FCI El Reno. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Patterson and Ashley Altshuler prosecuted the case.
Federal Jury Finds Blaine Man Guilty of Production and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the conviction of SCOTT FRANCIS FORTIER, 38, for producing and possessing video files containing child pornography. FORTIER, who was charged in a superseding indictment on August 23, 2017, with one count of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, was found guilty on both counts by a federal jury in Minneapolis, Minn.
“This disturbing case involved a defendant who preyed on two minor victims whom he met at a horseback riding summer camp,” said Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Middlecamp. “After hearing the evidence presented at trial, the jury swiftly returned a guilty verdict. I am thankful to the victims who courageously testified at trial and to the jury for rendering this just verdict.”
As proven at trial, FORTIER was associated for many years with Circle R Ranch (“the Camp”), a co-ed horseback riding summer camp located in Todd County, Minn. Through his involvement with the Camp, FORTIER met a 17-year-old minor (“Minor Victim #1). On September 9, 2016, FORTIER invited Minor Victim #1 and her 15-year-old friend (Minor Victim #2) to his house in Blaine, Minn., where he gave them both alcohol and subsequently used each minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. FORTIER used his cell phone to produce multiple videos of himself engaging in the sexually explicit conduct with Minor Victim #1 and Minor Victim #2. Following an execution of a search warrant, law enforcement discovered that FORTIER also possessed videos of children under the age of 12 engaging is sexually explicit conduct, along with thousands of other images of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, the Todd County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI.
Based on the evidence obtained in this case, authorities believe there may be additional victims who have not yet been identified. Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call the FBI at 763-569-8395. Callers may remain anonymous.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Kayser and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Middlecamp are prosecuting this case.
Defendant Information:
SCOTT FRANCIS FORTIER, 38
Blaine, Minn.
Convicted:
- Production of child pornography, 1 count
- Possession of child pornography, 1 count
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Excelsior Springs Man Sentenced to 22 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that eight more defendants were sentenced this week for their roles in a $4.3 million conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin throughout Jackson, Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties.
Anthony Ray Stevenson, 46, of Excelsior Springs, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, to 22 years and six months in federal prison without parole.
Taylor Lee Syas, 25, of Polo, Mo., was sentenced today to eight years and four months in federal prison without parole.
Paula Rae Scott, 48, of Excelsior Springs, and Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar, 35, and Bryan D. Carroll, 29, both of Kansas City, Mo., were sentenced on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2018. Scott was sentenced to four years and 11 months in federal prison without parole. Ruiz-Salazar was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Carroll was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison without parole.
Ryan A. Battagler, 39, of Kearney, Mo., and Franklin Charles Carter, also known as “Frankie,” 28, of Grandview, Mo., were also sentenced on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. Battagler was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole. Carter was sentenced to eight years in federal prison without parole.
Marion Eugene Brammer, 53, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced on Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, to six years and three months in federal prison without parole.
In 2010, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA initiated an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. Jose Luis Ruiz-Salazar, 39, his brother, Gabriel Ruiz-Salazar (who was sentenced today), and Gregory Bullock, 48, all of Kansas City, Mo., have pleaded guilty to being the primary sources that supplied co-conspirators with large amounts of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. Co-conspirators then distributed the methamphetamine throughout Jackson, Clay, Ray, Clinton and Buchanan counties in Missouri.
According to court documents, conspirators sold $4,359,600 worth of methamphetamine and heroin from 2010 to 2015. That estimate is based on a conservative street price of $1,200 for an ounce of 50 percent pure methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of at least 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a conservative street price of $2,500 per ounce of heroin and an overall conspiracy distribution of approximately three pounds.
Six additional defendants have been sentenced after pleading guilty to their roles in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Brian Michael Bowers, 35, of Richmond, Mo., was sentenced to 12 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Gary Dewayne Brown, 37, of Cowgill, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. Ronald Louis Roberts, 54, of Lathrop, Mo., was sentenced to 10 years and six months in federal prison without parole. Brittney James Brehm, 39, of Bland, Mo., was sentenced to six years and 11 months in federal prison without parole. Rodney Earl King, 52, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to five years and two months in federal prison without parole. Darin Gene Berry, 52, of Excelsior Springs, was sentenced to four years and five months in federal prison without parole.
A dozen co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. In addition to Jose Ruiz-Salazar and Bullock, co-defendants Steven Lee Schreier, Jr., 33, Jason Lee Kirtley, 45, Jackie R. Love, Jr., 60, and William Dean Campbell, 37, all of Excelsior Springs; Jason Daniel Davis, 44, of Liberty, Mo.; Joshua Keith Bowers, 34, of Polo; Sabrena Lynn Morgan, 40, and Elgin Eugene Dothage, also known as “Butch,” 41, both of Kearney; and Caleb Dean Hayes, 36, of Kansas City, Mo., are among 26 defendants indicted in this case who have pleaded guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades, Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Matt Moeder. It was investigated by the Clay County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force and the DEA.
Edgewood Man Sentenced to 31 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – On January 25, 2018, United States District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Brian Shumate, age 50, of Edgewood, Maryland to 31 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the sexual exploitation of children.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning and Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to court documents, between 2013 and 2015, Shumate used online sites to find and communicate with minors as young as 13. Shumate initiated sexually explicit communication with the female victims and sent images of his genitals to them. He then pressured the victims to take photographs of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Shumate would misrepresent himself online and would initially pretend to be a teenage boy. In some instances, after corresponding with his victims for a time, Shumate would disclose his real age and threaten the victims and their families, unless the victims continued to send him content.
After being convicted for traveling to Pennsylvania in 2004 to have sex with a 12-year-old female who he asked to call him “daddy,” Shumate served a seven-year prison sentence. Upon his release in 2012, he violated his parole on three separate occasions, was convicted for failing to register as a sex offender, and was subsequently arrested on May 22, 2014.
In June 2014, while in the Harford County Detention Center, Shumate called an acquaintance who informed him that the FBI was asking about his phone and social network accounts, including email and Facebook. The acquaintance also told Shumate that the FBI wanted access to Shumate’s phone and tablet. Shumate instructed the acquaintance to delete specific numbers and images from the phone (the numbers and images were all females), and to wipe the phone of all content.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning praised the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Shooting Man and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Rayvon Jamison, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to nine years in prison on charges stemming from a series of crimes, including one in which he shot a man in the leg in Southeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Jamison pled guilty in November 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with a dangerous weapon, attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and attempted possession with intent to distribute synthetic cannabinoids. He was sentenced by the Honorable Marisa Demeo. Following his prison term, Jamison will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Jan. 27, 2017, at approximately 5:50 p.m., Jamison was stopped by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in the 4300 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE, driving a car that a robbery suspect was believed to have entered. A search of the car resulted in the recovery of approximately 270.5 grams of synthetic cannabinoids, some of which was packaged in 22 small portions individually wrapped in plastic bags, as well as dozens of empty clear plastic baggies and a small digital scale.
While he was free on personal recognizance in that case, on April 19, 2017, at approximately 4:45 p.m., Jamison and two others approached a woman who had pulled into a gas station in the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue NE. Jamison immediately threatened the victim, produced a black handgun, pointed it at her, and ordered her to move, threatening to shoot at her car. At one point, he showed the woman the inside of his backpack, which contained approximately three to four additional firearms. The victim then fled and reported the incident to a nearby police officer. Jamison was arrested within minutes, about a block away from the gas station. Officers discovered that he had a firearm in his front left pants pocket.
Jamison absconded on July 10, 2017 from a halfway house where he had been placed while awaiting trial in the gun-related case. Then, on July 29, 2017, at approximately 10 p.m., MPD officers were dispatched to the sound of gunshots in the area of the 300 block of Anacostia Road SE. The victim was found on the ground with a gunshot wound to the leg. A subsequent investigation led to Jamison’s arrest on Sept. 15, 2017. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, including detectives from the Sixth Police District. She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff and the Violent Repeat Offender Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rizwan A. Qureshi, who prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Assaults, Attacked Woman and 11-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Joseph Ramsey, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a 25-year prison term on charges stemming from two sexual assaults, including an armed attack on a 25-year-old woman in September 2012 and another assault on an 11-year-old girl in March 2015, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu.
Ramsey pled guilty in November 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of first-degree sexual abuse while armed and first-degree child sexual abuse. The plea, which was contingent on the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison term of 25 years. The Honorable Judith Bartnoff accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Once released from prison, Ramsey will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. He also will be placed on 15 years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the first attack took place on Sept. 6, 2012, at approximately 11:15 p.m. The victim, 25, was walking home from the Deanwood Metro station. Ramsey approached her as she turned onto 45th Place NE and as she walked into an alley leading to the rear of her home. He pulled out a black handgun as he ran towards her. Ramsey then forced her onto her knees and sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. The victim reported the assault immediately and was transported to Washington Hospital Center for a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination (SANE), which included collection of forensic evidence.
In the second assault, in the early evening of March 1, 2015 an 11-year-old girl encountered Ramsey in the 3300 block of Stanton Road SE. She and the defendant went into a nearby apartment building, and he sexually assaulted the child on the basement landing. She immediately reported the assault and was transported to Children’s National Medical Center for an examination, which included collection of forensic evidence.
Forensic analysis of the evidence collected following the two assaults revealed that the same unknown male DNA profile was found on the biological material in both cases. Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Youth Investigation Division developed the defendant as a suspect in these assaults and obtained a warrant to collect a DNA sample from him. Forensic analysis revealed that Ramsey’s DNA profile matched the unknown male DNA profile found in the sex kits collected following both assaults. Ramsey was charged in this case in February 2016 and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu praised the work of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Sexual Assault Unit and Youth Investigation Division. She expressed appreciation to Deputy U.S. Marshals William Straw and Justin Bankert, of the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as to Bode Cellmark Forensics. She also 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; Contract Specialist Sallie Rynas; David Foster, LaJune Thames, and Katina Adams-Washington, all of the Victim/Witness Assistance Unit; Paralegal Specialists D’Yvonne Key, Angelina Slagle, Tiffany Jones, Michelle Wicker, and Jason Manuel, and Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Liu commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julianne Johnston, Sumit Mallick, and Jason Park, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Defendant Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Defrauding Mortgage Lending InstitutionsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Dirk Hall was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 41 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after having pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud in connection with a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentencing. Mr. Donoghue thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG); the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG); the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); and the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) for their hard work and dedication over the course of this multi-year investigation and prosecution.
According to court filings and facts presented at the sentencing hearing, between September 2008 and May 2011, Hall, together with others, caused mortgage loan applications with false information to be submitted to lending institutions in connection with the purchase of residential properties located within the Eastern District of New York. These applications contained fraudulently inflated purchase prices, as well as false information about the assets and income of the purchasers of the properties, many of whom were being compensated as part of the scheme to act as straw purchasers. The defendant and his co-conspirators also provided false down payment checks to make it appear as if the straw purchasers and the other borrowers had made down payments in connection with the purchase of the properties, which was a condition of the lending institutions for issuing the mortgage loans.
To carry out their scheme, the defendant and his co-conspirators conducted simultaneous purchases and sales of the properties, sometimes called “flips,” in an effort to conceal their criminal involvement and to inflate the value of the properties. To that end, the defendant and his co-conspirators, through the use of backdated and falsified documents, concealed from the lending institutions the fact that the purchase and sale had occurred on the same day and made it appear as if the transaction between the homeowner and the co-conspirator had occurred over 60 days prior to the sale from the co-conspirator to the straw purchaser.
As a result of the false applications and appraisals, the lending institutions were fraudulently induced to issue millions of dollars of mortgage loans secured by properties that had inflated appraisal values to individuals who had insufficient income and assets to qualify for the mortgage loans. In many instances, the straw purchasers and the other borrowers failed to make required mortgage payments to the lending institutions, which caused the mortgage loans to be placed into default status.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys David C. Pitluck, Mark E. Bini and Michael T. Keilty are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
DIRK HALL
Age: 42
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-356 (S-1) (ENV)
Dallas Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Distributing Crystal Methamphetamine Through Parcel Delivery ServicesRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Patrick Brian Mobley, age, 42, of Dallas, Texas today to 96 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine.
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Drug Enforcement Agency - Washington Division Office; Superintendent of the Maryland State Police Colonel William M. Pallozzi; and Chief of Police U. Renee Hall of the Dallas Police Department.
Also charged in the conspiracy were Jeffrey Saunders Harrington, age 48, of Severn, Maryland; Bernard Thomas Mozdenski, age 42, of Fort Worth, Texas; and Charles Todd, age 35, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. Mozdenski was previously sentenced to six years in prison; Harrington was previously sentenced to 70 months in prison; and Todd was sentenced to 64 months in prison. Each prison sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to court documents Mobley sold quantities of crystal methamphetamine and gamma-hydroxybutric acid, a controlled substance also known as GHB, to co-conspirators and customers in various regions of the United States. Using the business names “PBMobes” and “CloudMobes,” Mobley also maintained a website advertising and listing prices for various quantities of crystal methamphetamine under the guise of marketing cloud storage. During the course of the conspiracy, Mobley sold and shipped at least 15 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine to co-conspirators, who then distributed quantities of the drugs to others.
Between October 2015 and February 2017, Harrington placed orders for quantities of crystal methamphetamine with Mobley. These payments made for the drugs included more than 40 cash deposits totaling more than $60,000. Mobley shipped approximately 55 packages containing more than two kilograms of crystal methamphetamine to Maryland. From this supply, Harrington sold and distributed the crystal methamphetamine to customers in Maryland.
On February 16, 2017, law enforcement intercepted a package in Maryland that had been sent from Mobley in Dallas, Texas to Harrington’s residence in Severn, Maryland. After a controlled delivery of the package to Harrington’s residence and the arrests of Harrington and Todd, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the house. Inside the house, investigators found several small plastic baggies containing crystal methamphetamine, bundles of unused plastic baggies, several digital scales, and other evidence of drug distribution. A subsequent examination of Harrington’s cell phone revealed text messages between Harrington and Todd during the week prior to their arrest in which the two discussed illegal drug sales and purchasing a re-supply of drugs.
Undercover law enforcement subsequently placed an order for two ounces of crystal methamphetamine from Mobley and interdicted the package on February 25, 2017. Mobley was arrested on March 9, 2017, in Dallas, Texas. During the search of his residence, investigators found package delivery service documents, quantities of crystal methamphetamine and other suspected controlled substances in plastic baggies and other containers, a digital scale with white residue, and various equipment and materials used for packaging controlled substances. A Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic pistol and a magazine containing eight rounds of 9mm ammunition was found in a locked safe.
Mozdenski was subsequently arrested while attempting to deliver a quantity of crystal methamphetamine to Mobley’s residence in Dallas.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning praised the DEA for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Maddox who prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States District Judge David J. Hale sentenced a Louisville man to 5 years in prison yesterday, followed by 3 years of Supervised Release for violating federal gun laws, announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman. There is no parole in the federal system.
Last September, Lugene Floyd, 44, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 27, 2016, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on Floyd’s residence in Louisville, Kentucky. During execution of the search warrant, law enforcement officials discovered six firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition. The firearms included handguns and rifles.
Prior to April 27, 2017, Floyd had been convicted of several felony offenses in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The prior convictions involved drug and firearms offenses.
Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and Louisville Metro Police Department conducted the investigation as part of a joint effort to combat violent crime in Louisville.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Justin Stabler, 31, of Harrison County, Mississippi, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On the morning of September 1, 2017, officers from the Jackson Police Department responded to 911 calls from the Belhaven Heights neighborhood concerning a man walking down the street brandishing a firearm at another individual. While responding to the area, officers spotted Stabler walking down the street carrying a revolver in his hand. Stabler was taken into custody without incident, and officers quickly determined that he was a convicted felon who was on parole and residing at a halfway house in another area of Jackson. Because Stabler was a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing either a firearm or ammunition under federal law. The firearm Stabler possessed was a large caliber Taurus "Judge" revolver loaded with five .410 gauge shotgun shells. The firearm was later determined to have been stolen.
United States Attorney Mike Hurst praised the efforts of vigilant citizens in Belhaven Heights and the responsiveness of Jackson police officers. "These concerned residents and the Jackson Police Department should be commended for their cooperation in this case, resulting in a criminal being quickly located, arrested and removed from our community before he could do more harm. These types of collaborative efforts are one of the most effective ways to make our neighborhoods safer and more secure," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.
Stabler had previously been convicted of multiple state felony offenses in Harrison and Jackson Counties, including burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and possession of counterfeit currency.
Stabler will be sentenced by Judge Wingate on May 21, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Jackson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dave Fulcher.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing AM-15 Rifle and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON - Akeem Castro, 25, of Holyoke, was charged in federal court in Springfield yesterday with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The indictment alleges that on March 7, 2017, Castro possessed an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 rifle and 34 rounds of ammunition. Castro is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction.
The charge provides for sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a fine of between $20,000 and $200,000.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri; and Holyoke Police Chief James Neiswanger made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Citizen of Ghana Indicted on Charges of Assaulting Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Nana Dwomah Yeboah, 34, a citizen of the Republic of Ghana, with assaulting and resisting federal law enforcement officers and possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on the morning of December 24, 2017, Customs and Border Protection Officers were conducting a routine patrol of the Greyhound bus station on Cumberland Street in Rochester. Officers observed the defendant enter the bus station, place a package on a bench in the lobby area, and exit the station, leaving the package unattended. After several minutes, the officers searched the abandoned package to ensure that it did not pose a threat to the public. Inside, the officers discovered a quantity of marijuana that appeared to be packaged for sale. After several minutes, Yeboah returned to the area and was questioned by the officers, who quickly determined that he was not a U.S. Citizen. As officers attempted to detain and further identify the defendant, he fled the station, leading the officers on a short chase. Yeboah was ultimately apprehended, but proceeded to fight the officers for several minutes, causing one of the officers to suffer facial injuries that required treatment at Rochester General Hospital.
The defendant was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Feldman and is being detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, with assistance from the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Cincinnati Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Distributing Carfentanil that Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY. – Robert Lee Shields, 30, of Cincinnati, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Danny C. Reeves to serve two terms of life imprisonment for distribution of carfentanil that resulted in death and serious bodily injury.
Shields was convicted after a jury trial in Lexington in July 2017. The jury found Shields guilty of all counts, including conspiracy to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl and heroin, distribution of carfentanil resulting in death and distribution of carfentanil resulting in serious bodily injury.
Shields co-defendant, Wesley Scott Hamm, was found guilty of the same charges. Hamm was recently sentenced by Judge Reeves to serve terms of imprisonment of 420 months as to each of the counts of distribution resulting in death or serious bodily injury, and 240 months for the conspiracy charge. All counts were ordered to run concurrently.
The charges against both Shields and Hamm resulted from multiple near-fatal overdoses and one fatal overdose in Montgomery County in August 2016. The investigation revealed that the lethal substance was carfentanil, a drug commonly used as a general anesthetic for large animals, such as elephants. It is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.
“Reducing access to opioids is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said United States Attorney Robert M. Duncan, Jr. “We are committed to this fight by aggressively prosecuting drug traffickers that spread their poison in our communities. The sentences imposed should send a strong message that illegally distributing lethal drugs will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Kentucky. If you distribute drugs and cause a death, you could spend the rest of your life in prison. I want to commend the federal and local agencies that worked in partnership to investigate this case. Without their quick action, more lives could have been lost.”
Under federal law, Hamm must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system which will mean that Shields will serve life for his sentences.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Christopher D. Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville, Fred Shortridge, Montgomery Co Sheriff and Chief David Charles, Mt. Sterling Police Department. jointly made the announcement today after the sentencing hearing.
Investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, and the Mt. Sterling Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of both Shields and Hamm. Assistant United States Attorney Todd Bradbury represented the United States.
Camden Man Pleads to Federal Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Swan Nicoyis Jackson, age 22, of Camden, plead guilty yesterday in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 924(e) and Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), and 851. Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the United States Probation Office.
Evidence presented in court established that on morning of June 2, 2017, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department deputies encountered Jackson and another male walking down railroad tracks near a neighborhood that had recent thefts. When deputies asked Jackson and the other male to stop, they both ran. Deputies could smell marijuana emanating from their direction. During the chase, Jackson fell and deputies were able to catch up to him and found a 9mm handgun in his pants pocket, along with marijuana. Further investigation revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen from a residence.
Jackson is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms based upon his prior separate state convictions for possession of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, distribution of crack cocaine (2 counts), distribution of crack cocaine near a school, possession with intent to distribute marijuana 2nd offense, and possession of crack cocaine 3rd offense or more.
On the firearm charge, Jackson faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge. However, if he is deemed an armed career criminal in light of his extensive prior convictions for serious drug offenses, he would face a statutory mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years with a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, and 5 years of supervised release on the firearm charge. Jackson faces a maximum of 10 years, a fine of $4,000,000 and 4 years of supervised release on the marijuana charge.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.
Project Ceasefire is South Carolina’s continued application of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
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Buffalo Woman Indicted on Heroin Charge in Case Involving Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Brittney Ridgeway, 29, of Buffalo, NY, with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on November 24, 2017, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Cheektowaga Police officers responded to a report of a possible overdose death. After the officers arrived, they discovered a deceased 28 year-old female in the residence. Investigators who examined the scene discovered a NARCAN kit which had been opened but unused, items of drug paraphernalia, and a red and white checkered wax envelope, the type commonly used to package heroin.
Also discovered, a cellular phone belonging to the deceased woman. Investigators accessed the contents and recovered a series of text messages between the woman and another individual that appeared to be drug related in nature. Subsequent investigation determined that the other individual was Brittney Ridgeway.
The defendant was previously convicted on a federal charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Ridgeway was released on June 28, 2017, and began 36 months supervised release.
On November 29, 2017, United States Probation officers met with the defendant. Ridgeway refused to provide her cell phone for examination. Officers then conducted a search of Ridgeway's Waverly Street residence and recovered a box containing numerous red and white checkered wax envelopes, similar in physical size and color to the envelope found near the deceased woman. Ridgeway was uncooperative with Probation Officers conducting the investigation.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack; and the U.S. Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Anthony SanGiacomo.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Bronx Man Charged with Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest of DAVID MICHAEL HYLTON in connection with a robbery of a bank in the Bronx, during which thousands of dollars were stolen. HYLTON was arrested yesterday, and presented today in Manhattan federal court before the Honorable Andrew J. Peck.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, David Michael Hylton robbed a Bronx bank during business hours yesterday, wielding what appeared to be a shotgun. Thanks to the FBI and the NYPD, shortly after Hylton got $7,000, the Violent Crimes Task Force got Hylton.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “As alleged, Hylton thought he could make a quick getaway after robbing a Bronx bank yesterday, making off with more than $7,000 in cold hard cash. But thanks to members of the Joint Violent Crimes Task Force, he was caught red-handed and no longer remains a threat. The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively investigate bank robbery cases to minimize the threat these alleged criminals pose to our community.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
On January 25, 2018, at approximately 10:00 a.m., HYLTON entered a bank in the Bronx, gained access to the secure teller area, and approached a bank teller. HYLTON brandished what appeared to be a shotgun and demanded that the teller give him the money the teller was holding. HYLTON took from the teller over $7,000 in United States currency. HYLTON then fled and was later apprehended and arrested.
* * *
HYLTON, 33, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of bank robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI-NYPD Joint Violent Crimes Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Juliana N. Murray is in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the Complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Bradenton Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that David Earl Johnson (37, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. Johnson also must pay restitution to the family of the victim.
According to the plea agreement, on January 11, 2017, Johnson distributed fentanyl, which resulted in the death of “K.H.,” who was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead that day from fentanyl intoxication. The investigation into the victim’s death identified Johnson as the Bradenton-based supplier who had sold the fentanyl to the victim.
After Johnson was identified, detectives from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arranged an undercover purchase of fentanyl from him on the evening of January 11, 2017. During that meeting, Johnson gave eight bags of fentanyl to an undercover detective, and he was arrested.
“The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with all of our partners to ensure that the victims and their surviving family members get justice through our legal system,” said Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells. “We appreciate the hard work of the United States Attorney’s Office to bring this very important case to a successful conclusion.”
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed “Hot Batch.” It was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Bossier City woman pleads guilty to distributing methamphetamine, possessing firearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Bossier City woman pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm.
Erin W. O’Daniel, 35, Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to the guilty plea, a Webster Parish sheriff’s deputy pulled over O’Daniel’s car on October 27, 2017 on Interstate 20. The deputy noticed a strong odor of marijuana and saw a large sum of cash in a bag in the center console of the car. The deputy searched the car and found two bags in the center console containing 282.7 grams of methamphetamine, two bags of marijuana, 14 ecstasy pills, a set of digital scales, plastic baggies and a .40 caliber loaded pistol. She was then arrested and taken to the Minden Police Department. She later stated she had more methamphetamine at home, and law enforcement agents recovered an additional 113.5 grams of methamphetamine in a box under her bed.
O’Daniel faces 10 years to life in prison for the conspiracy count and five years for the firearms count to run consecutive to the conspiracy count. She also faces four years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of May 8, 2018.
The DEA, Louisiana State Police, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and Minden Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Cowles Jr. and Aaron Crawford are prosecuting the case.
Bethlehem Man Charged with Six Counts of RobberyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Herik A. Jaramillo, 29, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania was charged today by Indictment with six counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce in violation of the Hobbs Act, announced United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
If convicted on all counts, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 120 years in prison, plus possible fines, supervised release, and special assessments.
This case was investigated by the Bethlehem Police Department, the Lehigh Valley Violent Gang Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Stengel.
An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
Barbour County man admits to his role in a firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – A Volga, West Virginia man has admitted today to his role in a firearms theft and sale scheme, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Aaron Matthew McLain, age 37, pled guilty to one count of “Possession of Stolen Firearm - Aiding and Abetting.” McLain admitted to receiving, possessing, bartering or selling two firearms in Barbour County in October 2016.
McLain faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, the Greater Harrison Drug &Violent Crime Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, the West Virginia State Police, Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckhannon Police Department, and the Weston Police Department investigated.
The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.Bank Teller Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Gradually Embezzling $180,000 from South Side BankRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former teller at a South Side bank has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for gradually embezzling approximately $180,000 in bank funds.
PATRICK GALVAN worked as a teller at Chicago Community Bank in the city’s Bridgeport neighborhood. Galvan pocketed cash from his teller drawer and concealed the theft by falsely inflating the amount of coins held in the bank’s vault. Galvan took the money over a two-and-a-half year period, occasionally processing coins through a coin counter at his teller station in order to give the appearance that he was handling large amounts of coins from customers.
Galvan, 39, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to one count of embezzlement. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey on Wednesday imposed the 15-month prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Joseph Moriarty, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Regional Office of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of Inspector General.
“This was a serious, calculated, and deliberate crime, and the defendant took advantage of the trust placed in him by his employer to pull it off,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet S. Bhachu argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
In addition to his teller duties, Galvan managed the bank’s coin accounts and was responsible for reporting the total amount of coins present in the vault. Galvan admitted in a plea declaration that he pocketed the cash and falsely reported the coin total from 2008 to 2010.
Bank Robber Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CASEY JOHNSON, age 27, has pleaded guilty to one count of Bank Robbery with a Firearm in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Sections 2113(a) and (d) and 2. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in the Bureau of Prisons, five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution to the victim bank in this case.
On December 20, 2014, two tellers at the Chase Bank drive-up location at the intersection of Gentilly Boulevard and Elysian Fields Avenue in New Orleans reported that two armed and masked men entered the bank and robbed the location of $196,715 in cash. CASEY JOHNSON admitted to being the get-away driver when his brother, Walter Johnson and friend, Jay Lyons, entered the bank and committed the robbery.
The U.S. Attorney wishes to thank the hard work of the FBI’s Violent Crime Unit in investigating the matter. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Myles Ranier and David Haller.
Bangor Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that David Jack, 43, of Bangor, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possessing child pornography.
According to court records, in the summer of 2016, the defendant, while living in Bangor, used his cellular telephone to show images of children engaged in sexual activity to a 9-year-old girl. Shortly thereafter, detectives with the Bangor Police Department obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s home and seized two laptop computers and a cellular telephone. A forensic examination of those devices revealed over two thousand images of children, many of them prepubescent, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the Bangor Police Department and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
BNP Paribas USA Inc. Pleads Guilty to Antitrust ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BNP Paribas USA Inc. (BNPP USA), a subsidiary of BNP Paribas S.A., pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in a price-fixing conspiracy in the foreign currency exchange (FX) market, the Justice Department announced.
According to the one-count information filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, between September 2011 and July 2013, BNPP USA conspired to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing prices in Central and Eastern European, Middle Eastern and African (CEEMEA) currencies, in violation of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1. The conspiracy involved manipulation of prices on an electronic FX trading platform through the creation of non-bona fide trades, coordination of bids and offers on that platform and agreements on currency prices to quote specific customers, among other conduct.
“The Antitrust Division is committed to uncovering and prosecuting wrongdoing in all corners of the foreign currency exchange market, including this conspiracy affecting multiple emerging market currencies,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Division’s investigation aims to root out and eradicate the manipulation that has plagued this industry.”
“This guilty plea holds BNP Paribas accountable for its corrupt price-fixing behavior which violated the integrity of the financial services industry and undermined competition,” said FDIC Inspector General Jay N. Lerner. “We are pleased to work with our law enforcement partners in combating this misconduct.”
As part of its sentence, BNPP USA has agreed to pay a criminal fine of $90 million. Both the government and BNPP USA have agreed to recommend no probation, in light of, among other factors, the bank’s substantial efforts relating to compliance and remediation. BNPP USA also has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing criminal investigation into the FX market, and to report relevant information to the government.
BNPP USA’s guilty plea follows the Jan. 4, 2017 guilty plea of its former CEEMEA trader Jason Katz, and the Jan. 12, 2017 guilty plea of a former CEEMEA trader from another financial institution, Christopher Cummins. In addition, on Jan. 10, 2017, three individuals from other financial institutions – Richard Usher, Rohan Ramchandani and Christopher Ashton – were indicted for conspiring to fix prices and rig bids for U.S. dollars and euros. The charge in the indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
BNPP USA is the sixth major bank to plead guilty as a result of the department’s ongoing investigation into antitrust and fraud crimes in the FX market. On May 20, 2015, four major banks – Citicorp, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays PLC and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc – pleaded guilty at the parent level and agreed to pay collectively more than $2.5 billion in criminal fines for their participation in an antitrust conspiracy to manipulate the price of U.S. dollars and euros exchanged in the FX market. A fifth bank, UBS AG, pleaded guilty to manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other benchmark interest rates and agreed to pay a $203 million criminal penalty, after breaching its December 2012 non-prosecution agreement resolving the LIBOR investigation.
This antitrust investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s New York Office with the assistance of the FDIC OIG and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section also provided substantial assistance in this matter.
Thursday 25 January 2018
Wheeling man sentenced for firearm chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Levar Jermain Matthews, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 84 months incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Matthews, age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” in September 2017. Matthews, having previously been convicted of Distribution of Crack Cocaine Within 1,000 feet of a School in the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, admitted to possessing a .38 special caliber revolver. The crime occurred in April 2017 in Ohio County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Volga Man Convicted on Disturbing Protected WetlandsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Kevin Jay Mast, age 61, of Volga, South Dakota, was found guilty of Disturbing Protected Wetlands of the United States, as a result of a federal jury trial in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The jury returned the verdict on January 18, 2018.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 6 months in custody and/or a $10,000 fine.
Mast was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 6, 2017.
On January 19, 1973, an easement was voluntarily sold to the United States for waterfowl management rights. The easement prohibited the drainage of any wetland areas on the property. In 2010, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service notified Kevin Mast that his plan to install drain tile conflicted with the protected wetlands and would not be permitted. Despite the warning, Mast installed the drain tile in the fall of 2013. The jury’s verdict concluded that Mast disturbed, injured, and destroyed the wetland areas protected by the easement, and did not have the authority and permission of the United States of America.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Clapper.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for April 9, 2018.
Visalia, California, Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Aichu Saesee, age 30, of Visalia, California, pled guilty to Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), punishable by not less than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about July 14, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, Aichu Saesee, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), a Schedule II controlled substance.The charges arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Odometer and Title Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Norfolk, Virginia, man pleaded guilty today to operating an odometer fraud scheme involving more than 50 vehicles, the Department of Justice announced.
Lawson W. Basnight, 48, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and odometer tampering.
Basnight pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller. Sentencing is set for May 16.
“When consumers purchase a vehicle, they rely on recorded mileage totals in assessing a vehicle’s cost, condition, and reliability for passenger safety,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work diligently to prosecute individuals who use altered odometers and phony titles to defraud consumers.”
As part of his plea, Basnight acknowledged that, between 2010 and 2016, he purchased high-mileage vehicles online and then arranged to alter those vehicles’ odometers to reflect false, lower mileage readings. He also obtained fraudulent Virginia motor vehicle titles with mileage readings matching the false, lower mileages on the odometers. Basnight used the fraudulent titles to sell the vehicles with inflated sales prices to subsequent purchasers. As a result, consumers paid more for their vehicles than they would have paid had they known the true mileages and were unknowingly driving high-mileage vehicles. Basnight agreed that his conduct caused between $250,000 and $550,000 in loss to consumers.
Trial Attorneys Jacqueline Blaesi-Freed and John W. Burke of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting this case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation (NHTSA) investigated the case.
NHTSA estimates that odometer fraud in the United States results in consumer losses of more than $1 billion annually and has established a special hotline to handle odometer fraud complaints. Individuals having information relating to odometer tampering should call (800) 424-9393 or (202) 366-4761.
More information on odometer fraud is available on the NHTSA website at http://www.nhtsa.gov/Odometer-Fraud, and tips on detecting and avoiding odometer fraud are available at this page: www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/811284.pdf
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
United States Attorney Ongoing Commitment to Supporting Service MembersRead the Press Release
Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that the United States Attorney’s Office demonstrated its commitment to support our nation’s men and women in uniform, including the protections for service members with disabilities under the Uniformed Services Employment Reemployment Rights Act or the USERRA.
USERRA is a 1994 Federal law that establishes rights and responsibilities for uniformed service members and their civilian employers. Its origins date back to earlier statutes first enacted in 1940 shortly before the United States entered World War II, when so many Americans were ‘called to the colors’ in defense of our country. USERRA is intended to encourage non-career uniformed service so the United States can enjoy the protection of those Services, staffed by qualified people, while maintaining a balance with the needs of private and public employers who also depend on these same individuals.
On January 24, 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office participated in training in Greenville, South Carolina, for Human Resource (HR) professionals on a wide variety of Federal Disability Employment laws. The event was sponsored by Touch the Future, Greenville CAN, Greenville Technical College, and Greenville chapter of Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). This highly successful, well-attended program was held at the Center for Manufacturing Innovation in Greenville.
AUSA Rob Sneed provided training on the USERRA, focusing on the rights of returning service members with disabilities. There were several other presenters, including from the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC), Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
The lead organizer for the event was Ms. Sandy Hanebrink, Executive Director of Touch the Future, which is a non-profit organization that provides a wide range of services to individuals with disabilities, as well as those in the public and private sector. AUSA Rob Sneed worked with Ms. Hanebrink in organizing the event and recruiting speakers from the above-mentioned agencies that work in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in civil rights matters.
U.S. Attorney Drake stated that, “Over twenty years ago, in 1994 Congress passed, and the President signed the USERRA, following Desert Storm.” She added that USERRA strengthened and clarified protections for service members from prior federal statutes regarding military leave. According to U.S. Attorney Beth Drake, “Preventative law training events such as this are a win-win situation for both employers and service members in South Carolina. Employers benefit by becoming more knowledgeable about the law. Service members benefit when their companies avoid missteps.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office participation in this event demonstrates the continued commitment from the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to the Service Member and Veterans Initiative and civil rights program under federal disability laws.
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