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23 February 2018
Three Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging MIGUEL MORALES-MARTINEZ, age 44, of Mexico, ULFRANO PEREZ-ESTEBAN, age 36, of Mexico, and JOSE OMAR LLERENA-VIZARRETA, age 35, of Peru, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.
If convicted of Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien, PEREZ-ESTEBAN, previously deported three times and found in Wake County, and LLERENA-VIZARRETA, previously deported and found in Cumberland County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
MORALES-MARTINEZ, found in Pitt County, is alleged to have been previously deported subsequent to a felony conviction. Therefore, if convicted, he faces a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.
Stock Promoter Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for His Role in International Pump and Dump SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, stock promoter Songkram Roy Sahachaisere was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 27 months’ imprisonment for participating in a multi-million dollar international market manipulation scheme. Sahachaisere was convicted in November 2015, following more than five weeks of trial, of conspiring to commit securities fraud, conspiring to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Sahachaisere participated in an international “pump and dump” operation, which fraudulently pumped up the share price of worthless penny stocks, and then dumped billions of shares on unsuspecting victim investors across the globe. They “pumped up” the share prices of the companies’ stock by engaging in fraudulent and illegal sales campaigns, which included distributing false press releases, announcing non-existent business ventures and fake mergers, posting false information on Internet message boards and bribing stock promoters. These schemes fraudulently inflated the value of the shares by approximately $100 million. Sahachaisere’s role in the scheme was to arrange promoters to “pump” the stocks to potential victims. Sahachaisere also conspired with other members of the conspiracy to artificially affect the trading price and volume of stocks so that they appeared legitimate to investors. In addition, the conspiracy used brokerage houses to manipulate transfers of shares, effectuating matched and wash trades in their targeted securities. Six co-defendants of Sahachaisere were previously convicted and sentenced. Two co-defendants are awaiting sentencing.
“Songkram Roy Sahachaisere, a licensed broker, defrauded investors across the globe through an international pump and dump scheme,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “His sentence should serve as a warning to those who would consider manipulating the securities markets for their own personal gain.” Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the FBI, which led the government’s investigation, and thanked the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, New York; Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security, Buffalo; Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and law enforcement authorities in England, Thailand and China for their assistance in this case.
“Sahachaisere promoted a scheme to overstate the value of stocks and sell them to unwitting investors worldwide,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “This elaborate plan had but one simple intention, which was to profit from the misfortune of others. Today’s sentencing holds him accountable for his crimes.”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Smith and Mark Bini are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Assistant United States Attorney Karin Orenstein of the Office’s Civil Division, which is responsible for the forfeiture of assets.
The Defendant:
SONGKRAM ROY SAHACHAISERE
Age: 48
Newport Beach, California
Defendants Previously Sentenced: SANDY WINNICK
Bangkok, ThailandGREGORY CURRY
Bangkok, Thailand
GREGORY ELLIS
Ontario, CanadaCORT POYNER
Boca Raton, FloridaWILLIAM SEALS
Fallbrook, CaliforniaKOLT CURRY
Ontario, CanadaDefendants Awaiting Sentencing:
GREGORY KERSHNER
Tucson, ArizonaJOSEPH MANFREDONIA
Tom’s River, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 13-CR-452 (ENV)
St. Francis Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on February 21, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Louis Andrew Rabbitt, Jr., age 37, was sentenced to 21 months in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Rabbitt was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 12, 2017. He pled guilty on September 26, 2017.
Rabbitt was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in August 2001. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. Between the dates of July 24, 2017, and July 31, 2017, Rabbitt did not register.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Nelson prosecuted the case. Rabbitt was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Spring Creek Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Spring Creek, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on February 21, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Lane Felix Knife, age 20, was sentenced to 6 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Knife was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 17, 2017. He pled guilty on December 11, 2017.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on August 31, 2017. On that date, Knife resisted arrest and spit on the arm and shoulder of one of the corrections officers who was assisting in removing Knife from a patrol vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Nelson prosecuted the case. Knife was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
A convicted sex offender who lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for 11 months without registering was sentenced February 22, 2018, to 8 months in federal prison.
Raymond Hockenberger, age 44, most recently from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 20, 2017, guilty plea to one count of failing to register as a sex offender.
Information from the sentencing hearing showed that Hockenberger was required to register as a sex offender because he was previously convicted of attempted rape. While still on probation for that conviction, Hockenberger provided a fake name to police and was convicted of identity theft. Hockenberger moved to Cedar Rapids in January 2016. He did not register as a sex offender until November 2016 and registered only after he was likely alerted to the fact that law enforcement was looking for him in Cedar Rapids.
Hockenberger was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hockenberger was sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hockenberger is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-cr-57.
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Seven Suspects Arrested in West Tennessee on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Seven suspects from West Tennessee have been indicted for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine or ICE. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictment today.
A task force made up of special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dyersburg Police Department and members of the FBI Jackson Safe Streets Task Force arrested seven people in an early morning raid on February 22, 2018, on federal drug trafficking charges.
Yesterday morning’s arrests are the result of a year-long investigation in which law enforcement officials have seized a large amount of ICE. One seizure alone was approximately ½ kilo of actual methamphetamine, which was 95% pure.
A federal grand jury in Jackson, TN returned the eighteen-count indictment on February 20, 2018, but it remained under seal until yesterday’s arrest. The indictment contained counts against each defendant alleging violations under the Controlled Substances Act. Some defendants also have firearms charges. The charges stem from the defendants’ participation in a conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute ICE.
The suspects arrested during the operation were:
Christopher Faulcon a/k/a "Wheezy," 32, Dyersburg, TN
Tommy Taylor, a/k/a "Chubbs,"35, Friendship, TN
Damien Nixon, 39, Gates, TN
David McNeely, 41, Finley, TN
Patricia Wilson, a/k/a "PJ," 30, Dyersburg, TN
Elisha Kirk, 29, Dyersburg, TN
William Hardy, 54, Dyersburg, TN
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dyersburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth C. Boswell is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
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Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty in Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Arsen Muhtarov, 39, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to today to conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing fraudulent tax returns, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Aleksandr Kuzmenko, 34, of Loomis, was a tax preparer at VK Tax Services in Citrus Heights. Muhtarov conspired with Aleksandr Kuzmenko, Petr Kuzmenko, 39, of West Sacramento, and Valeriy Nikitchuk, 45, of Kent, Washington, to defraud the United States. Between February 2009 and November 2009, using stolen identification information and fictitious addresses, they filed approximately 90 fraudulent tax returns with the IRS that claimed the First Time Home Buyer Credits (FTHBC) on behalf of filers who were not entitled to the credit. The resulting fraudulent refunds were electronically deposited into bank accounts that the defendants controlled. The proceeds were then withdrawn and spent. The fraudulent claims totaled approximately $695,724, of which the IRS paid approximately $573,000.
Petr Kuzmenko was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and ordered to pay $573,332 in restitution to the IRS. Aleksandr Kuzmenko was sentenced to over two years in prison, and Valeriy Nikitchuk was sentenced to 10 months in prison.
Muhtarov is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. on June 1, 2018. Muhtarov faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years and prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith is prosecuting the case.
Rosebud Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rosebud, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on February 21, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Annie Rose Gasman, age 33, was sentenced to 27 months in custody, followed by 4 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,000, and a mandatory special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Gassman was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 14, 2017. She pled guilty on December 1, 2017.
Between August 1, 2015, and June 14, 2017, Gassman knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in the District of South Dakota.
Gassman received distributable quantities of methamphetamine and distributed some of the methamphetamine in South Dakota. The individuals who provided methamphetamine knew that she intended to engage in further distribution. Gassman admitted that it was reasonably foreseeable to her that more than 500 grams of methamphetamine would be distributed during the course of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.
Gassman was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Republic Sex Offender 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 registered sex offender in Republic, Mo., has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the sexual exploitation of a minor.
Christopher Paul Chmela, 52, of Republic, was charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Chmela’s arrest last night and initial court appearance this morning.
Chmela, a registered sex offender, has prior convictions for the attempted use of a child in a sexual performance.
The federal indictment alleges that Chmela used a minor to produce child pornography from Aug. 8 to Oct. 25, 2017, in Greene County, Mo. The indictment also charges Chmela with using a cell phone to entice the child victim to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Chmela is also charged with receiving and distributing child pornography from May 26 to Nov. 16, 2017.
Garrison cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Republic, Mo., Police Department and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
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."
Port St. Lucie Dermatologist Sentence on Obstruction and Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Physician Gary L. Marder, D.O., 61, of Palm Beach County, and owner and operator of the Allergy, Dermatology & Skin Cancer Centers in Port St. Lucie and Okeechobee, was sentenced yesterday in relation to his guilty plea to the crimes of obstruction of a health care investigation and health care fraud.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, Shimon R. Richmond, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region, John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office, Martin J. Dickman, Inspector General, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General (RRB-OIG), and Scott Rezendes, Special Agent in Charge, United States Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General (OPM-OIG), made the announcement.
U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg sentenced Marder to 36 months imprisonment, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Judge Rosenberg also ordered Marder to pay $200,000 fine and a special assessment of $200, each to be paid immediately. Marder is required to surrender to the place designated for his incarceration on April 23, 2018, by noon. Marder was also required to permanently surrender his license to practice as an osteopathic physician, and is not allowed to own, operate, manage or consult in a medical practice in anyway during the term of his sentence.
Marder pled guilty and admitted to committing the crimes of obstructing the investigation of federal healthcare fraud by delivering falsified and altered patient files that had been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury and delivered to an FBI Special Agent, and to having submitted approximately $350,000 in false claims for the services of a medical physicist to healthcare benefits programs including Medicare, Tricare, Railroad Retirement Board, OPM health insurance programs and other insurers.
The investigation originally arose from a Qui Tam lawsuit filed by whistleblower Theodore A. Schiff, M.D. alleging that Marder knowingly submitted fraudulent claims to federal healthcare programs for payment to which Marder was not entitled. On February 7, 2017, the government and Marder entered into a settlement of the civil suit resulting in Marder agreeing to an $18 million judgment in favor of the United States that was subsequently satisfied by the payment of approximately $6 million to the United States by Marder. Marder paid $5.2 million and transferred a piece of real property to the United States to settle this civil suit. The United States agreed that this payment would also satisfy any restitution due and owing in the criminal case.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, HHS-OIG, DCIS, RRB-OIG and OPM-OIG. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen L. Cohen.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Pleasants County woman ordered to pay money from the theft of social security benefitsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Anne Louise Hall, of St. Marys, West Virginia, was ordered to pay more than $54,000 to the Social Security Administration, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Hall, age 57, pled guilty to one count of “Theft of Government Money” in October 2017. Hall admitted to collecting social security benefits under false pretenses. The crime occurred from October 2006 to March 2017.
Hall was sentenced to five years probation for the theft. Hall was also ordered to pay $54,678.90 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Pittsburgh Man Passed Counterfeit $100 Bills at Western Pennsylvania Target StoresRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of passing and uttering counterfeit money, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Peter A. Maiolo, Jr., 42, of Pittsburgh, PA pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on or about July 6, 2015, July 10, 2015, August 2, 2015, August 18, 2015, August 22, 2015, August 25, 2015, August 30, 2015, and September 7, 2015, Maiolo passed counterfeit $100 Federal Reserve Notes at Target in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for June 6, 2018 at 10 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 60 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Maiolo.
Oxford Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that yesterday afternoon in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced ROY LEE TERRY, 53, of Oxford to 101 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
TERRY was named in a three-count Indictment filed on August 23, 2016. On November 16, 2016, TERRY subsequently pled guilty to one-count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and one-count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime.
The investigation began when the Oxford Police Department (OPD) received information that TERRY was dealing in drugs. On August 26, 2015, the OPD received information from a confidential source (CS) indicating that TERRY was storing and selling cocaine base at his residence. With the assistance of the CS, authorities conducted four purchases of narcotics from TERRY.
On September 10, 2016, the OPD executed a search warrant at TERRY’S residence. A cooperating witness (CW) informed law enforcement that TERRY had been seen with a handgun and cocaine in his bedroom prior to OPD’s arrival. Present at the time, in addition to Terry was Terry’s mother, who was charged by the State of North Carolina, two females and juveniles. During the subsequent search of the residence, authorities located the following in TERRY’S bedroom: a stolen .380 semi-automatic handgun loaded with 8 rounds; approximately 9.34 grams of cocaine base; approximately 15.5 grams of off-white powder; a plastic bag with cocaine residue; $680 in U.S. currency, a digital scale, plastic baggies, and other related items. In a bedroom next to TERRY’S bedroom, a box containing 42 rounds of 9 mm ammunition was located. After waiving his rights, Terry confessed to knowingly possessing the firearm. Further investigation revealed that the firearm was stolen.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The Oxford Police Department, the North Carolina State Crime Lab, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the criminal investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Omaha Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joseph P. Kelly announced that on February 23, 2018, Allie Johnson, 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced to 10 years (120 months) in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine between January of 2013 and August of 2016. Information obtained by law enforcement indicated that during that time-frame, Johnson was involved in the distribution of at least 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of methamphetamine in the Lincoln and Omaha areas.
Following the prison term, Johnson will serve five years on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Charge Related to Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that THOMAS HEAPHY, Jr., 43, of East Moriches, N.Y., waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to a conspiracy charge stemming from an investment fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this scheme involved the promotion and sale of securities of Waters Club Worldwide, Inc. and Waters Club Holdings, Inc. (collectively, “Waters Club”), which provided yacht charter services to customers. From approximately August 2016 to February 2017, HEAPHY and another promoter solicited prospective investors to purchase shares of Waters Club stock purportedly in advance of an initial public offering (“IPO”). According to HEAPHY and his co-conspirators, Waters Club intended to form a membership-based “time share” club with a fleet of yachts that members jointly owned and could use for yachting vacations.
In pleading guilty, HEAPHY admitted that he and his co-conspirators made certain misrepresentations to prospective investors in Waters Club, including that investors’ money would be used to develop the business and fund the operations of Waters Club, and that HEAPHY and his co-conspirators were being compensated with stock for recruiting investors. In truth, HEAPHY received approximately half of all the money he induced investors in Waters Club to invest. Due in part to the payments to HEAPHY and the other promoter, Waters Club lacked the capital to develop its membership-based club, Waters Club did not pursue an IPO, and the shares purchased by investors were unsalable.
HEAPHY and the other promoter recruited at least 12 investors to pay a total of at least $1,289,500 for shares of Waters Club stock. One of the victims of the Waters Club scheme was a Connecticut resident who paid $475,000 to Waters Club. HEAPHY’s total gain from this scheme was $307,658.
HEAPHY pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
On July 28, 2017, HEAPHY pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of tax evasion stemming from his role in an unrelated stock “pump and dump” scheme. In that scheme, between approximately 2011 and July 2016, HEAPHY and others induced investors to purchase securities in shell companies with virtually no legitimate business activities. After the share price of the securities became artificially inflated, certain of HEAPHY’s co-conspirators sold their own preexisting positions in the securities at a profit. They then allowed he price of the securities to fall, leaving investors with worthless and unsalable stock. As a result, victim investors lost millions of dollars.
HEAPHY began to sell Waters Club securities after he learned that he was under federal investigation for the stock pump and dump scheme in the summer of 2016.
At least six Waters Club victim-investors have also been identified as victims of the earlier stock pump and dump scheme.
A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi M. Perry.
Nashville Kingpin Pleads Guilty to Illegally Importing and Distributing More Than 100 Kilograms of Molly from ChinaRead the Press Release
Terrence Deon Reames, aka Santos, 40, of Nashville, Tenn., formerly of Riverdale, Georgia, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court, to charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise (also known as the Kingpin statute) and money laundering conspiracy relating to the illegal importation and distribution of methylone and ethylone (Molly), announced Don Cochran, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Reames was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 24, 2017.
According to court documents, Reames operated the criminal enterprise from May 2011 through August 2014, during which time he obtained more than 100 kilograms of Molly from a source in China and conspired with and supervised at least five other persons while distributing the drugs in the Nashville area. Prior to this time, Molly was a relatively unknown drug in the Nashville area but became widely available after Reames began distributing substantial amounts of the drug.
Court documents also outline the methods used by Reames to recruit distributors and to communicate with the source in China, including using encrypted communications, when discussing price, quantity, quality of the controlled substance and shipment and payment methods. Reames provided the source with the names, including the name of a dead relative and addresses to ship to through the U.S. Postal Service and international shipping companies. The controlled substances were subsequently shipped to addresses in and around Nashville, Tenn. and Riverdale, Georgia. Reames also arranged for the transfer of funds by others, totaling approximately $300,000 to Chinese bank accounts and wire transfers to individuals in China. He also provided cash to these persons to use for the transactions.
Reames used his Georgia residence to re-package the Molly for distribution. There, he and his subordinates would breakdown kilograms of Molly and package it into capsules for distribution. Each kilogram of Molly produced approximately 1,000 capsules. Reames also possessed multiple firearms at his residence, including AR-Style rifles, handguns and a sawed off shotgun, which he kept to protect his drug-related assets and defend against drug-related robberies.
According to the plea agreement, Reames agrees to face a 20-year prison sentence and a $1 million forfeiture judgement when he is sentenced on June 8, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms & Explosives; the IRS-Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sunny A.M. Koshy and Ahmed Safeeullah are prosecuting the case.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Four Months in Prison for Illegally Returning to the United States Following DeportationRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who illegally returned to the United States was sentenced February 22, 2018, to four months in federal prison.
Amador Artiniega-Reyes, age 38, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 3, 2018, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Artiniega-Reyes admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in May 2010, and that he illegally reentered the United States in October 2011 without permission of the United States government. Artiniega-Reyes was also returned to Mexico by immigration officials in 2002. On November 24, 2017, Artiniega-Reyes was found by immigration officers in the Benton County, Iowa, Jail following Artiniega-Reyes’s arrest for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
Artiniega-Reyes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Artiniega-Reyes was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Artiniega-Reyes is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-94.
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Mexican Man Sentenced for Illegally Returning to the United States Following DeportationRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who illegally returned to the United States was sentenced February 22, 2018, to almost three months in federal prison.
Jose Luis Nava, age 49, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in American Falls, Idaho, received the prison term after a December 27, 2017, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
At the guilty plea, Nava admitted he had previously been deported from the United States in December 2007, and that he illegally reentered the United States without permission of the United States government. Nava had also been returned to Mexico by immigration officials in 2005. On November 6, 2017, Nava was found by immigration officers in the Black Hawk County, Iowa, Jail following his arrest for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
Nava was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Nava was sentenced to 88 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Nava is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-CR-2088.
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Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – On February 21, 2018, Daniel Henriksen was sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing a gun that was used in an unintentional shooting when a four-year old boy shot himself in the head and died. Henriksen was the fourth defendant sentenced for a federal firearm offense involving a gun that was used in an unintentional shooting in the Northern District of Iowa since August 2016.
On February 27, 2018, at 1:00 p.m., the United States Attorney’s Office will hold a press conference to highlight these cases and the consequences of illegally possessing firearms. U.S. Attorney Peter E. Deegan, Jr. will be present at the press conference along with law enforcement officials from agencies involved in the investigations.
Event Details
When: Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Where: Cedar Rapids Federal Courthouse (United States Attorney’s Office), 111 7th Ave. SE
Time: 1:00 p.m.
A press release will be provided and interview opportunities will be available. Please RSVP to Tony Morfitt at [email protected] if you plan to attend.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 75 ½ Years in Prison for 2011 Killing of Government WitnessRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stanley Moghalu, 31, of Bowie, Md., was sentenced today to a 75 ½-year prison term for an attack that killed one man, who was a government witness, and wounded another man in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Moghalu was found guilty by a jury in October 2017, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to kill, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and other charges.
Before imposing the sentence, the Honorable José M. López stated that, “I agree with the government that the murder of a government witness is among the most serious crimes known to society. Such crimes directly threaten the order of our criminal justice system.”
According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 14, 2011, shortly after 5 p.m., Moghalu and an accomplice ambushed Ronald D. Smith and Charles Harrison at the intersection of 21st and M Streets, NE. Mr. Smith, 27, was killed in the attack. Mr. Harrison was shot nine times, losing the use of his right arm, but survived his injuries.
An investigation determined that Mr. Smith was killed because he was a government witness in an investigation into the May 2011 murder of Ervin L. Griffin in the 1200 block of 18th Street NE. One defendant, David Warren, now 31, and formerly of Washington, D.C., was later found guilty of first-degree murder while armed and other charges in Mr. Griffin’s slaying and sentenced to 36 years in prison.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura R. Bach; Lead Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn Kirschner and Gilead Light, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Who Regularly Visited the Philippines as A Child Sex Tourist Sentenced to 330 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced David Paul Lynch (56, Venice) to 330 years in federal prison for traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and for possessing, receiving, and producing child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit his home in Venice, Florida, as well as computers and other electronic devices that he had used to commit the offenses.
A federal jury found Lynch guilty on October 13, 2017.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Lynch traveled to the Philippines regularly between 2005 and 2016 to have sex with children and make recordings of the abuse. Prior to his trips, he communicated online with individuals in the Philippines in order to locate children to sexually exploit. Lynch produced child pornography of at least three Filipino children on these visits, and he solicited child pornography via email of a fourth. He was arrested in San Francisco as he attempted to board a flight to the Philippines on December 30, 2016. During a simultaneous search of his home in Venice, FBI agents located dozens of self-produced images and videos of child pornography from his trips.
“The FBI is focused not only on the children being victimized here at home, but those across the globe who are being preyed upon by offenders," said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre. "Thanks to our strong law enforcement partnerships, there are no borders in these types of cases and we can achieve great outcomes as demonstrated in this case."
This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Sarasota Police Department, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Eric K. Gerard.
It is another case 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 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.
Man Sentenced for Developing and Distributing Prolific MalwareRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arkansas man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for aiding and abetting computer intrusions.
According to court documents, Taylor Huddleston, 27, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, developed, administered, marketed, and distributed two products that were extremely popular with cybercriminals around the world. The first is the “NanoCore RAT,” which is a type of malicious software, or “malware,” that is used to steal information from victim computers, including sensitive information such as passwords, emails, and instant messages. The NanoCore RAT even allowed users to surreptitiously activate the webcams of infected computers in order to spy on the victims. Huddleston’s NanoCore RAT was used to infect and attempt to infect over 100,000 computers. Huddleston’s other product, “Net Seal,” was a licensing software that he and his customers (co-conspirators) used to distribute malware for a fee. For instance, Huddleston used Net Seal to assist Zachary Shames in the distribution of malware to 3,000 people that was in turn used it to infect 16,000 computers. In his guilty plea, Huddleston admitted that he intended his products to be used maliciously.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer and Senior Counsel Ryan K. Dickey and Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-289.
Madison County Man Indicted on Gun, Drug-Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a New Hope man on drug-trafficking and firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton.
A three-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges ANDREW DONALD PASEUR, 38, with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Madison County on May 12. The indictment also charges Paseur with possessing a firearm, a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber pistol, in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, Paseur has two previous felony drug-possession convictions in Madison County Circuit Court – unlawful possession of marijuana, first degree, in 2006, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance in 2012.
“Drugs, guns and violent crime nearly always come as a package,” Town said. “We are committed to working with federal, state and local law enforcement to find the criminals who threaten our communities the most and charge them with the most serious, readily provable offense.”
The prison penalty for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, after a previous felony drug conviction, is a minimum of 20 years. The prison penalty for using a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime is a minimum of five years, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed for the crime. Possessing a gun as a convicted felon carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Hodge is prosecuting.
An indictment carries only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Lincoln Man Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Joseph P. Kelly announced that on February 23, 2018, Samuel Turner, 50, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was convicted by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine actual. The trial began in federal court in Lincoln on Tuesday, February 20th, before Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf. The jury received the case on Thursday afternoon and deliberated for a total of approximately five hours before returning their verdict on Friday morning.
On the late evening of August 9, 2017, officers of the Lincoln Police Department, investigating a disturbance call, contacted Turner outside his residence in a north Lincoln trailer park. They asked Turner if he knew the suspect in the disturbance call. Turner said he did not. During this conversation, Turner asked one of the officers to lower his flashlight beam, so that it was not shining in his eyes. When the officer did as requested, officers saw that Turner was standing with one of his feet on a baggie of what appeared to be methamphetamine. Turner failed to comply with officer commands to place his hands on a vehicle and, instead, he reached down, picked up the bag and threw it under the vehicle. Officers retrieved that bag, which was found by the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab to contain at least 31 grams of pure methamphetamine, along with a smaller bag containing approximately 1 gram of methamphetamine, which was found nearby.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Leader of Redding-Area Heroin Conspiracy Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eduardo Salinas-Garcia, 44, of Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, Salinas-Garcia led a 2015 conspiracy to distribute heroin in the Redding area. On March 27, 2015, law enforcement officers in Redding pulled over the car in which Salinas-Garcia was riding. They also pulled over the car behind his; that vehicle was being driven by one of Salinas-Garcia’s co-defendants and was carrying about 5.75 pounds of heroin in the trunk. Salinas-Garcia later confessed that he was a U.S. citizen living in Mexico and that he smuggled large quantities of heroin from the Los Angeles area to Redding. Salinas-Garcia said that he had intended to deliver this heroin to a dealer living in Redding. Further investigation showed that, for at least the seven months preceding his arrest, Salinas-Garcia and some of his co-defendants exchanged text messages related to drug trafficking with this dealer. The messages directed the dealer to deposit his drug sale proceeds in specific bank accounts in the United States and in Mexico. Salinas-Garcia personally provided the names of more than 10 banks and accounts to which the dealer should make his deposits.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck prosecuted the case.
Co-defendants Fernando Acosta, 40, and Jesus Nunez-Meza, 24, both of Perris, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and were each sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison. Co-defendant Ramon Herrera, 65, of Santa Ana, has pleaded guilty to the same charge and is expected to be sentenced on March 16, 2018.
Last defendant in Acadiana methamphetamine, cocaine distribution conspiracy sentenced to 12 yearsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Breaux Bridge man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in a methamphetamine and cocaine conspiracy in the Acadiana area.
Derwin S. Williams, 32, of Breaux Bridge, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the October 27, 2017 guilty plea, Williams was initially a cocaine supplier to other members of the drug trafficking organization from 2013 to 2015 supplying powder cocaine on a bi-weekly basis. In early 2015, Williams and co-codefendant Antonio Boyd, 39, of Parks, La., started making trips to California to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine. They shipped it to various locations in the Western District of Louisiana and elsewhere. Some of the locations include Arnaudville and Breaux Bridge.
In addition to Williams and Boyd, the other defendants indicted were Tyler Shy, 30, of Breaux Bridge; Michael Nicholas, 49, of Breaux Bridge; Bryalon Dugas, 23, of Breaux Bridge; Cody Lormand, 30, of Arndaudville; and Damien Alexander, 39, of Breaux Bridge. The defendants and penalities are shown below:
Defendants Prison term Supervised release Counts* Sentencing DateWilliams
144 months
5 years
1
Feb. 23, 2018
Boyd
120 months
5 years
1
Jan. 29, 2018
Alexander
62 months
5 years
1
Jan. 29, 2018
Shy
48 months
4 years
13
Oct. 23, 2017
Nicholas
48 months
3 years
1, 2
July 17, 2017
Lormand
37 months
3 years
8
June 9, 2017
Dugas
40 months
1 year
1
May 5, 2017
*Count 1 is conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, Count 2 is possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and counts 8 and 13 are possession with intent to distribute a controlled substances.
The defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation named “Cajun Coke.” The DEA, Louisiana State Police, St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department and Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation. The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Moore and John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Lancaster County Man Sentenced in Federal Court on Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Jimmy Hunter, age 48, of Lancaster County, South Carolina was sentenced in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for felon in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, of Columbia, sentenced Hunter to 78 months incarceration followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on September 1, 2017, the Lancaster County Drug Task Force was following up on a drug overdose investigation that involved Hunter. Officers went to Hunter’s residence located in Lancaster to speak to him concerning the overdose. After knocking on the door several times, a guest of Hunter opened the door and walked onto the front porch. As she opened the door, an investigator smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the residence. The guest was interviewed about the overdose on the porch of the residence. After investigators finished speaking to the guest, she was advised that officers had detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside the residence. She was asked if anyone else was at the residence, and she stated that it was Hunter’s residence and that he was still next door. Officers then obtained a search warrant for the residence.
When the officers entered the residence, several illegal items were immediately located out in the open on the master bedroom bed such as marijuana, scales, and crystal methamphetamine in a clear plastic bag and on a tray. A thorough search also revealed crystal methamphetamine, syringes, and spoons throughout the residence. These items were located in almost every room of the residence to include the living room desk, under the bar, the bathroom, the master bedroom dresser as well as on the master bedroom bed. The officers also located several firearms and ammunition in an open gun safe located in the master bedroom. When officers searched the bedroom closet, they observed several cases of ammunition, a ballistic vest, holsters, and several ammunition cans of firearm magazines.
Officers recovered the following firearms: an Anderson model AM15, .223 caliber rifle, a Mossberg (Companhia Brasiliera) model 702 Plinkster, .22 caliber rifle, a Romarm/Cugir model M-10, 7.62 caliber rifle, a Mossberg Maverick model 88, 12 gauge shotgun, a Springfield/Stevens 12 gauge shotgun, and a Gerstenberger U. Eberwein .32 caliber revolver. At least 3300 rounds of ammunition were found in the gun safe and the master bedroom closet.
The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lancaster County Sheriff's Department. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. 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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Lake Charles veterinarian, pharmacy sentenced for in race horse doping conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Lake Charles veterinarian and a Nebraska pharmacy were sentenced for selling an unapproved opioid drug 40 times more powerful than morphine for the purpose of improving the performance of race horses.
Kyle James Hebert, 43, of Lake Charles, La., was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of conspiracy; two counts of receipt of adulterated or misbranded drug with the intent to defraud and mislead; and one count of misbranding a drug while held for sale with the intent to defraud and mislead. Hebert was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Kohll’s Pharmacy & Healthcare Inc. of Omaha, Neb., was sentenced to five years of corporate probation and ordered to pay a $200,000 fine for one count of conspiracy and two counts of introduction of adulterated or misbranded drug in interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter presided over the sentencing hearing.
Evidence admitted at the nine-day trial that ended November 7, 2017 showed that from November 11, 2010 to December 2012 Hebert, Kohll’s Pharmacy & Healthcare Inc. of Omaha, Neb., which operated as Essential Pharmacy Compounding, and others conspired to distribute a synthetic form of the drug Dermorphin, which was then given to racehorses to improve their racing performance. Essential Pharmacy Compounding repackaged a synthetic form of the drug that it obtained from a California chemical company, labeled it as D-Peptide, and sold it to Hebert and other veterinarians. Hebert then put the drug into syringes and gave the loaded syringes to the racetrack trainers tasked with the horses’ care. Evidence showed that Demorphin is a strong painkiller that masks horses’ pain and any pre-existing injuries. Depending on dosage, it can also act as a stimulant when injected in horses. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved the drug for use in humans or animals.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph T. Mickel and David C. Joseph prosecuted the case.
L.A. Man Convicted of ATM ‘Shoulder Surfing’ that Allowed Him to Withdraw Cash after Bank Customers Left ATMsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A federal judge has convicted a Los Angeles man of three counts of aggravated identity theft for using the secret codes of elderly Bank of America customers to make fraudulent withdrawals at ATMs in Los Angeles and Orange County.
In a written order issued yesterday, Daniel Jermaine Usher, 26, of South Los Angeles, was found guilty of three counts of aggravated identity theft. The verdict was issued by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who presided over a two-day bench trial.
The trial came after Usher pleaded guilty last month to five counts of bank fraud and admitted that he illegally withdrew cash from Bank of America ATMs.
Judge Carney convicted Usher on the same day the Justice Department announced cases against more than 250 defendants who targeted the elderly in fraud cases.
The evidence presented at Usher’s trial showed that Usher engaged in “shoulder surfing” to obtain bank customer PIN numbers. Usher loitered near Bank of America ATMs and covertly watched as customers entered their PINs to conduct various transactions. When customers left the ATMs without concluding their sessions, Usher quickly re-entered PIN he had covertly obtained, which allowed him to fraudulently withdraw cash.
The accountholders targeted in Usher’s shoulder-surfing activity were elderly and minority individuals. The three victims of the identity theft charges – two of whom required translators at trial – testified that they had not given Usher or anyone else permission to use their account information.
In his ruling, Judge Carney found that “Mr. Usher piggybacked off of the victims’ use of their ATM cards and the encoded information therein and misrepresented himself as the victims by re-entering their PIN to fraudulently withdraw funds.”
Judge Carney scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 21, at which time Usher will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal for each of the five bank fraud counts, and a mandatory two-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft counts.
The investigation into Usher’s shoulder-surfing activity was conducted by the United States Secret Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul C. LeBlanc and Daniel S. Lim of the Santa Ana Branch Office.
Justice Department coordinates nationwide elder fraud sweep of more than 250 defendantsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Jeff Sessions and law enforcement partners announced today the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history. The cases involve more than two hundred and fifty defendants from around the globe who victimized more than a million Americans, most of whom were elderly. The cases include criminal, civil, and forfeiture actions across more than 50 federal districts. Of the defendants, 200 were charged criminally. In each case, offenders engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors. In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused losses of more than half a billion dollars. The Department coordinated its announcement with the FTC and state Attorneys General, who independently filed numerous cases targeting elder frauds within the sweep period.
“The Justice Department and its partners are taking unprecedented, coordinated action to protect elderly Americans from financial threats, both foreign and domestic,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Today’s actions send a clear message: we will hold perpetrators of elder fraud schemes accountable wherever they are. When criminals steal the hard-earned life savings of older Americans, we will respond with all the tools at the Department’s disposal – criminal prosecutions to punish offenders, civil injunctions to shut the schemes down, and asset forfeiture to take back ill-gotten gains. Today is only the beginning. I have directed Department prosecutors to coordinate with both domestic law enforcement partners and foreign counterparts to stop these criminals from exploiting our seniors.”
The actions charged a variety of fraud schemes, ranging from mass mailing, telemarketing and investment frauds to individual incidences of identity theft and theft by guardians. A number of cases involved transnational criminal organizations that defrauded hundreds of thousands of elderly victims, while others involved a single relative or fiduciary who took advantage of an individual victim. The schemes charged in these cases caused losses to more than a million victims.
“Winners. That’s what so many of the people who received these solicitations in the mail thought they were. But they’re not. They are victims of scams that Postal Inspectors have seen and investigated for decades. In fact, some of the same operators we encountered 20 years ago are back. But so are we. Yesterday, Postal Inspectors around the country executed search warrants on 14 locations that some of these same operators used to run their scams. We’re letting the American public know – and especially our vulnerable older Americans – that Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect them and ensure their confidence in the U.S. Mail,” said Chief Postal Inspector Cottrell.
“Over the last year, the FBI has initiated more than 200 financial crimes cases involving elderly victims who were devastated financially, emotionally, mentally and physically. Picking up the pieces of these fraud schemes can be equally as traumatizing for the caregivers of these elderly victims,” said Acting Deputy Director Bowdich. “The FBI reminds seniors and their caregivers to be vigilant. If any person believes they are the victim of, or have knowledge of fraud involving an elderly person, regardless of the loss amount, they should report it to the FBI.”
“We target and prosecute those who target the elderly, because the true measure of the strength of our criminal justice system is in how we treat and protect our most vulnerable members of society,” said U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler. “Schemes to defraud the elderly often dovetail with specialized types of fraud, such as health care and financial fraud, that are also Department priorities. Any time we can root out and stop a complex fraud that also targets the elderly, we are fulfilling one of the Department’s highest purposes with some of the Department’s most effective tools. Recognizing the multi-faceted aspect of these schemes, we have coordinated with multiple law enforcement partners across different specialties to vigorously investigate and charge complex cases targeting vulnerable victims.”
In the last year alone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana charged multiple defendants with creating approximately $10 million in fraud, waste, and abuse within the health care industry. These cases implicated the sick and the elderly.
Other recently prosecuted cases involving elder victims include:
United States v. Michael Sallee: Sallee, 59, of Bloomington, Indiana, acted as a trusted CPA and financial advisor when he stole approximately $1.1 million from an elderly widow, her children, and grandchildren. He used the funds for his own benefit, and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud charges.
United States v. Sherry Gore: Gore, 67, of Morgantown, Indiana, was charged with conspiring to use a false name in connection with a fraud scheme for her role collecting money for a long-running psychic mail fraud scam. According to charges, Gore sent letters to victims of the psychic scheme after the victims’ checks bounced. In many letters, Gore used a false name, claimed to be the “Director/Legal Services-Collections,” and threatened that lawyers would pursue legal proceedings against victims.
This case is being prosecuted by the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
To ensure that we continue to hold accountable those who take advantage of the elderly, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana met with law enforcement partners at FBI and the U.S Postal Inspection Service this past week, coordinating public outreach relating to elder justice, as well as efforts to critically evaluate and identify schemes that target the elderly.
Actions against other elder fraud schemes
Prosecutors across the country from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices have heeded the call to focus resources on elder fraud cases. Over 50 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department Components filed elder fraud cases in the last year. Some examples of the elder financial exploitation prosecuted by the Department include:
- “Lottery phone scams,” in which callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes must be paid before one can receive lottery winnings;
- “Grandparent scams,” which convince seniors that their grandchildren have been arrested and need bail money;
- “Romance scams,” which lull victims to believe that their online paramour needs funds for a U.S. visit or some other purpose;
- “IRS imposter schemes,” which defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming that victims owe back taxes;
- “Guardianship schemes,” which siphon seniors’ financial resources into the bank accounts of deceitful relatives or guardians.
Many of these cases illustrate how an elderly American can lose his or her life savings to a duplicitous relative, guardian, or stranger who gains the victim’s trust. The devastating effects these cases have on victims and their families, both financially and psychologically, make prosecuting elder fraud a key Department priority.
Public Education
The Department has partnered with Senior Corps, a national service program administered by the federal agency the Corporation for National and Community Service, to educate seniors and prevent further victimization. The Senior Corps program engages more than 245,000 older adults in intensive service each year, who in turn, serve more than 840,000 additional seniors, including 332,000 veterans.
Using its vast network operating in more than 30,000 locations, Senior Corps volunteers will communicate about elder fraud to potential victims across the country and will use their skills, knowledge and experience to educate their peers and caregivers about the most prolific types of schemes and how to avoid them.
Coordination with state officials
Kansas Attorney General Schmidt highlighted the cases filed by state Attorneys General targeting elder frauds within the sweep period, and he emphasized efforts at the state level to combat elder abuse and protect seniors from fraud and exploitation. He encouraged all of the state Attorneys General to devote enforcement and public education resources to preventing financial exploitation of senior citizens.
Coordination with foreign law enforcement
Exceptional assistance from foreign law enforcement partners amplified the effectiveness of the Department’s initiative. The sweep announced today benefited greatly from the work of the International Mass-Marketing Fraud Working Group (IMMFWG), a network of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Europol, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The IMMFWG is co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Justice and FTC, and law enforcement in the United Kingdom, and serves as a model for international cooperation against specific threats that endanger the financial well-being of each member country’s residents. Attorney General Sessions expressed gratitude for the outstanding efforts of the working group, including law enforcement action taken as part of the sweep by the Vancouver Police Department in Canada to halt mass mailing schemes that defrauded hundreds of thousands of elderly victims worldwide.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Maricopa County Arizona Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The United States has asked a federal court in Phoenix, Arizona, to permanently bar Alfred George Decker and his business Accountable Business Services Inc. (ABS), located in Gilbert, Arizona, from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The complaint alleges that the defendants unlawfully understate their customers’ income tax liabilities and overstate their customers’ refunds.
According to that complaint, Decker and ABS have continually and repeatedly prepared returns that claimed deductions to which their customers were not entitled, ignored basic principles of tax law by claiming personal expenses as business deductions, ignored limitations on certain types of deductions by identifying the expense incorrectly on the return, and manipulated different entities’ tax returns to try to hide or eliminate income and zero-out customers’ tax liabilities. As alleged in the complaint, Decker engages in this conduct despite the fact that he has previously pleaded guilty to fraudulently preparing an income tax return in Arizona State Court.
The IRS has a list of steps on their website that you can take now in anticipation of filing your 2017 federal income tax return and ten tips for choosing a tax preparer. Return preparer fraud was one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2017 and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some information on their website about selecting a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Coordinates Nationwide Elder Fraud Sweep of More Than 250 DefendantsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Jeff Sessions and law enforcement partners announced today the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history. The cases involve more than two hundred and fifty defendants from around the globe who victimized more than a million Americans, most of whom were elderly. The cases include criminal, civil, and forfeiture actions across more than 50 federal districts. Of the defendants, 200 were charged criminally. In each case, offenders engaged in financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors. In total, the charged elder fraud schemes caused losses of more than half a billion dollars. The Department coordinated its announcement with the FTC and state Attorneys General, who independently filed numerous cases targeting elder frauds within the sweep period.
Attorney General Sessions was joined in the announcement by FBI Acting Deputy Director David Bowdich; Chief Postal Inspector Guy Cottrell; FTC Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen; and Kansas Attorney General and President of the National Association of Attorneys General Derek Schmidt.
“The Justice Department and its partners are taking unprecedented, coordinated action to protect elderly Americans from financial threats, both foreign and domestic,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Today’s actions send a clear message: we will hold perpetrators of elder fraud schemes accountable wherever they are. When criminals steal the hard-earned life savings of older Americans, we will respond with all the tools at the Department’s disposal – criminal prosecutions to punish offenders, civil injunctions to shut the schemes down, and asset forfeiture to take back ill-gotten gains. Today is only the beginning. I have directed Department prosecutors to coordinate with both domestic law enforcement partners and foreign counterparts to stop these criminals from exploiting our seniors.”
The actions charged a variety of fraud schemes, ranging from mass mailing, telemarketing and investment frauds to individual incidences of identity theft and theft by guardians. A number of cases involved transnational criminal organizations that defrauded hundreds of thousands of elderly victims, while others involved a single relative or fiduciary who took advantage of an individual victim. The schemes charged in these cases caused losses to more than a million victims.
“Winners. That’s what so many of the people who received these solicitations in the mail thought they were. But they’re not. They are victims of scams that Postal Inspectors have seen and investigated for decades. In fact, some of the same operators we encountered 20 years ago are back. But so are we. Yesterday, Postal Inspectors around the country executed search warrants on 14 locations that some of these same operators used to run their scams. We’re letting the American public know – and especially our vulnerable older Americans – that Postal Inspectors are working hard to protect them and ensure their confidence in the U.S. Mail,” said Chief Postal Inspector Cottrell.
“Over the last year, the FBI has initiated more than 200 financial crimes cases involving elderly victims who were devastated financially, emotionally, mentally and physically. Picking up the pieces of these fraud schemes can be equally as traumatizing for the caregivers of these elderly victims,” said Acting Deputy Director Bowdich. “The FBI reminds seniors and their caregivers to be vigilant. If any person believes they are the victim of, or have knowledge of fraud involving an elderly person, regardless of the loss amount, they should report it to the FBI.”
Actions against mass-mailing fraud industry
As part of the initiative, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and others, brought numerous cases this past week in a coordinated strike against more than 43 mass-mailing fraud operators, including criminal charges against six individuals. In addition, law enforcement agents executed 14 premises search warrants from Las Vegas to south Florida, served numerous asset seizure warrants, and coordinated with the Vancouver Police in Canada, who executed over 20 warrants, including search warrants on business premises.
“The defendants targeted elderly and vulnerable consumers both in the United States and abroad, using U.S. addresses and the U.S. mails to try to legitimize their fraudulent schemes,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue. “They sold false promises of life-changing prizes that never came true. We will pursue the perpetrators of these mail schemes wherever they are located, and hold them accountable.”
These recently filed cases particularly targeted transnational criminal actors who collectively defrauded at least a million victims out of hundreds of millions of dollars. Indeed, just one of the schemes prosecuted criminally by the Consumer Protection Branch operated from 14 foreign countries to cost American victims more than $30 million. Click here for map showing a transnational, single fraud scheme.
Mass-mailing fraud inflicts hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to elderly U.S. victims each year. Department prosecutors and U.S. Postal Inspectors have taken a comprehensive approach to combatting this fraud, disrupting and prosecuting individuals who manage the schemes, artists who draft the fraudulent solicitations, list brokers who supply victim lists, and individuals who collect victim payments.
Actions against other elder fraud schemes
Prosecutors across the country from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices have heeded the call to focus resources on elder fraud cases. Over 50 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department Components filed elder fraud cases in the last year. Some examples of the elder financial exploitation prosecuted by the Department include:
- “Lottery phone scams,” in which callers convince seniors that a large fee or taxes must be paid before one can receive lottery winnings;
- “Grandparent scams,” which convince seniors that their grandchildren have been arrested and need bail money;
- “Romance scams,” which lull victims to believe that their online paramour needs funds for a U.S. visit or some other purpose;
- “IRS imposter schemes,” which defraud victims by posing as IRS agents and claiming that victims owe back taxes;
- “Guardianship schemes,” which siphon seniors’ financial resources into the bank accounts of deceitful relatives or guardians.
Many of these cases illustrate how an elderly American can lose his or her life savings to a duplicitous relative, guardian, or stranger who gains the victim’s trust. The devastating effects these cases have on victims and their families, both financially and psychologically, make prosecuting elder fraud a key Department priority.Public education
The Department has partnered with Senior Corps, a national service program administered by the federal agency the Corporation for National and Community Service, to educate seniors and prevent further victimization. The Senior Corps program engages more than 245,000 older adults in intensive service each year, who in turn, serve more than 840,000 additional seniors, including 332,000 veterans.
Using its vast network operating in more than 30,000 locations, Senior Corps volunteers will communicate about elder fraud to potential victims across the country and will use their skills, knowledge and experience to educate their peers and caregivers about the most prolific types of schemes and how to avoid them. Click here for information on Senior Corps’ efforts to reduce elder fraud.
Coordination with state officials
Kansas Attorney General Schmidt highlighted the cases filed by state Attorneys General targeting elder frauds within in the sweep period, and he emphasized efforts at the state level to combat elder abuse and protect seniors from fraud and exploitation. He encouraged all of the state Attorneys General to devote enforcement and public education resources to preventing financial exploitation of senior citizens.
Coordination with foreign law enforcement
Exceptional assistance from foreign law enforcement partners amplified the effectiveness of the Department’s initiative. The sweep announced today benefited greatly from the work of the International Mass-Marketing Fraud Working Group (IMMFWG), a network of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Europol, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The IMMFWG is co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Justice and FTC, and law enforcement in the United Kingdom, and serves as a model for international cooperation against specific threats that endanger the financial well-being of each member country’s residents. Attorney General Sessions expressed gratitude for the outstanding efforts of the working group, including law enforcement action taken as part of the sweep by the Vancouver Police Department in Canada to halt mass mailing schemes that defrauded hundreds of thousands of elderly victims worldwide.
Elder fraud complaints
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
For more information about Elder Fraud prevention please visit
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Jury Convicts Binghamton Sex Offender on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Roland Kyzer, age 39, of Binghamton, New York, was found guilty today of receipt and possession of child pornography following a three-day jury trial.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Kyzer was previously convicted on March 28, 2003 in federal court in Binghamton for receipt of child pornography and sentenced to serve 108 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, which began on November 2, 2011.
The evidence at trial established that on November 15, 2016 U.S. Probation Officers searched Kyzer’s residence in Binghamton, during which they discovered a laptop computer, an iPod, mobile phone, compact discs, other electronic media, and thumb drives, all of which were prohibited by the terms of Kyzer’s supervised release conditions. When questioned, Kyzer admitted that these devices contained child pornography, and a search of those electronic devices revealed over 25,000 images and videos of child pornography.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2018. Kyzer faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years for his receipt of child pornography, and a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years for his possession of child pornography, as well as a lifetime term of supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Kyzer must also continue to register as a sex offender.
Kyzer has also been charged separately with violating the conditions of his supervised release based upon his receipt and possession of child pornography, and could face an additional term of at least 5 years imprisonment if he is found to have violated his supervised release conditions.
This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office and the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miroslav Lovric.
This case is prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Judge Sentences Armed Heroin Dealer to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal narcotics and firearms charges and was then sentenced, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Ismael Felix, age 41, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before United States District Judge David Cercone. Shortly after Judge Cercone accepted Felix’s plea, he also sentenced him to a term of imprisonment of 76 months and a term of supervised release of six years.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on August 8, 2017, FBI Special Agents and Task Force Officers executed a search warrant at Felix’s apartment in Pittsburgh. While inside, agents discovered Felix in his living room with approximately 12 bricks of heroin and a loaded firearm. Felix subsequently confessed to possessing the heroin as well as to being a heroin trafficker. FBI Agents also seized over $80,000 in cash from Felix’s apartment and his home. In connection with his guilty plea and sentence, Felix agreed to forfeit the cash and the firearm.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Western District of Pennsylvania Opioid Task Force conducted the investigation leading to guilty plea in this case. This Task Force is comprised of FBI Special Agents and state and local Task Force Officers, including officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Sherriff’s Department, Allegheny County Police, Port Authority Police, Munhall Police Department, West Mifflin Police Department, and Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
Joplin Man Indicted for Attempting to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Joplin, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for attempting to produce child pornography.
James Loyd Wainright, 36, of Joplin, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018.
The federal indictment charges Wainright with two counts of attempting to use two minors, on separate occasions from June 25 to Aug. 6, 2017, to produce child pornography. According to the indictment, the first child victim was born in 2002 and the second child victim was born in 2003.
Wainright is also charged with one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
Garrison cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the Webb City, Mo., Police Department.
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."
Joint Investigation Leads to the Arrest of Six Defendants Involved in Significant Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested six defendants who are charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in the midlands of South Carolina. Based on the investigation, agents seized over sixteen pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of heroin, and three pounds of fentanyl.
The defendants named in the criminal complaint are Endira Torres, Devon Tremain Thomas, Matias Castro Hernandez, Leslie Geraldene Gutierrez, Alan Alberto Maldonado-Dominguez, and Luis Antonio Cruz-Gonzales. All defendants appeared this week for bond hearings at the Matthew J. Perry Federal Courthouse in Columbia, South Carolina, before the Honorable Shiva V. Hodges, United States Magistrate Judge, and remain in federal custody.
Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in this case, including the DEA Columbia Provisional Task Force, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
This case represents another example of the fine work being done by Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies working together in South Carolina. Assistant United States Attorney Ben Garner of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this case are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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John C. Anderson Sworn in as 46th U.S. Attorney for the District of New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – This afternoon, Chief Judge William P. Johnson of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico administered the oath of office to John C. Anderson as the 46th U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico, during a private ceremony in the federal courthouse in Santa Fe, N.M.
President Donald J. Trump nominated Mr. Anderson to be U.S. Attorney in Nov. 2017, and the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed his nomination on February 15, 2018. As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Anderson serves as the top federal law enforcement official in New Mexico, and he represents the United States’ interests in civil cases. Mr. Anderson previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Mexico from 2008 to 2013, primarily focusing on the investigation and prosecution of white-collar crime.
Prior to serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Anderson was a litigation associate at the New York City law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP from 2004 to 2008, where his practice focused on antitrust, securities and general commercial litigation. Since leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2013, Mr. Anderson has been with the law firm of Holland & Hart in Santa Fe, where his legal practice has focused on complex litigation and government investigations.
Mr. Anderson received his A.B. from Bowdoin College and his J.D. cum laude from Fordham University School of Law in New York City. Mr. Anderson clerked for Judge Paul J. Kelly, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Santa Fe, N.M., from 2003 to 2004.
Itasca County Felon Sentenced to 175 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the sentencing JAYSEN LANE HEYER, 39, to 175 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. HEYER pleaded guilty on September 8, 2017, and was sentenced today before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court in Saint Paul, Minn.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on December 28, 2016, HEYER was found to be in possession of approximately 199 grams of methamphetamine, an amount that carries a street value of between $8,000 and $12,000. Law enforcement officers also found HEYER to be in possession of stolen firearms, including a Smith and Wesson M&P 40 .40 caliber pistol and an Intratec Tech-DC9 9-millimeter pistol, as well as ammunition for both firearms. Because he is a felon, HEYER is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms at any time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad prosecuted this case.
Defendant Information:
JAYSEN LANE HEYER, 39
Squaw Lake, Minn.
Convicted:
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 175 months in prison
- Four years of supervised release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Illegal Alien with Previous Felony Conviction Pleads Guilty to Illegally Re-entering United StatesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. - Cristobal Marin-Lopez, 22, of Mexico, pled guilty yesterday before U. S. District Court Judge Tom S. Lee to unlawfully re-entering the United States after having previously been deported and convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.
On December 22, 2017, Cristobal Marin-Lopez was involved in a single vehicle accident in Simpson County on Highway 43 and Tom Coke Road. Marin-Lopez was driving a Silver Chevy Trailblazer when he lost control and wrecked. Eyewitnesses to the wreck stated that several individuals ran into the woods after the wreck. None of the individuals were located. Marin-Lopez was previously convicted for possession of heroin in Harris County, Texas, a felony, on November 4, 2014. He was subsequently removed from the United States on November 1, 2016.
Marin-Lopez will be sentenced on May 31, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. by Judge Lee, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with the Simpson County Sheriff Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda Haynes.
Harrisburg Consultant Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Financial Services CompanyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Pennsylvania resident pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud and damaging a computer, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
William Simon Sullivan, Jr., 44, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Sullivan worked as a consultant for Triangle Benefits Services, Inc. (TBS), a Pennsylvania corporation that provides clients with various financial services including payroll and tax escrow processing services. From January 12, 2013, and continuing to January 24, 2014, Sullivan executed a scheme to defraud TBS and its clients. Using his position as a consultant to TBS and his remote access to TBS’s computer network, Sullivan fraudulently altered TBS’s daily computer files and caused over $374,000 to be transferred via wire transfers from bank accounts of TBS and its clients to Sullivan’s personal bank accounts, without the knowledge, approval or authorization of TBS or its clients.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for June 6, 2018. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles A. Eberle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of William Simon Sullivan, Jr.
Hampton Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery and ObstructionRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to over 14 years in prison for armed robbery and obstructing his federal prosecution.
According to court documents, Jesse Lockhart, 24, robbed an Exxon gas station in Hampton, while brandishing a firearm. During the robbery, Lockhart dropped a package of cigarettes that he had stolen from the store. Forensic technicians recovered his left palm print from the cigarette package, and later the store clerk picked Lockhart out of a photo line-up. After Lockhart’s federal arrest, Lockhart along with his mother Germekia Lockhart, 40, and girlfriend Tamara Washington, 34, both of Newport News, conspired and executed a plan to falsify evidence in Lockhart’s federal case. Lockhart, his mother and Washington agreed to obtain a replica airsoft firearm and provide it to federal authorities. Lockhart’s mother provided Washington with a description of the firearm used in the robbery. Washington, a sheriff’s deputy, purchased a look-alike airsoft pistol from the internet. She modified the firearm so it would look real and delivered it to Lockhart’s mother. Federal agents picked up with firearm from Lockhart’s mother only weeks before Lockhart was to be tried on the violent crimes. The conspiracy was uncovered when federal agents reviewed recorded jail calls between the parties and confronted Washington.
Both Washington and Germekia Lockhart were each sentenced to 27 months in prison for their roles in the plan to obstruct justice. Jesse Lockhart was sentenced today to 176 months.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, and Anton A. Bell, Commonwealth Attorney for the City of Hampton, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:17-cr-2.
Gulfport Felon Sentenced to over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Guns and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Cornell Lamar Abram, 38, of Gulfport, was sentenced to 157 months in federal prison today by District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr., on two indictments charging him as a felon in possession of ammunition and firearms, announced U. S. Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr.
Abram faced a maximum of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and 3 years of supervised release in each case.
On June 11, 2014, a 911 call to Gulfport Police Department regarding shots fired resulted in the recovery of two spent shell casings. The investigation revealed that Cornell Lamar Abram had entered a home and caused a disturbance by firing a gun outside as he left. No firearms were recovered. However, Abram, a multiple convicted felon, was charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Abram, who was on supervised release at the time, absconded, only to be arrested almost three years later, on April 6, 2017, in Birmingham, Alabama, in possession of two firearms.
The Alabama case was transferred to the Southern District of Mississippi. On July 21, 2017, Abram was sentenced to 36 months in prison for revocation of supervised release on a 2005 federal drug conviction. On November 14, 2017, he entered guilty pleas to possession of ammunition and possession of guns in Alabama.
Abram was sentenced today to 120 months on the Southern District of Mississippi ammunition case and 37 months on the Alabama gun case. All sentences were ordered to run consecutively, with Abram continuing to serve 36 months, then he will serve 120 months, followed by 37 months for a total of 194 months.
The Gulfport Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the Mississippi case. The Birmingham Police Department investigated the Alabama case. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Cecilio Castro-Zacarias, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to time served and one year of supervised release. Castro-Zacarias is also subject to deportation. In November 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
In September 2017, law enforcement in New Bedford encountered Castro-Zacarias and determined him to be unlawfully present in the United States. Castro-Zacarias was previously deported on Jan. 13, 2005; April 6, 2005; and Aug. 12, 2005.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Granite City Man Indicted for Child Pornography and Destruction of Records OffensesRead the Press Release
A Granite City man previously indicted on a charge of receiving child pornography now faces additional charges for crimes he allegedly committed while on pretrial bond, Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today.
David C. Hogue, 30, of Granite City, was originally charged in a one-count indictment with knowingly receiving, in September 2016, a video file containing child pornography. Subsequent to that indictment, on March 8, 2017, the U.S. District Court released Hogue on pretrial bond. The superseding indictment, filed on February 21, 2018, adds two new counts and alleges that Hogue committed additional crimes while released on bond. The superseding indictment adds a second count alleging that while on bond Hogue knowingly received another video file containing child pornography. The superseding indictment adds a third count alleging that while on bond Hogue attempted to destroy images, videos and files on his computer in an attempt to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into Hogue’s receipt of child pornography.
The receipt of child pornography offenses carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years imprisonment up to a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, to be followed by not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. The destruction of records offense is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Hogue also faces up to ten years imprisonment for committing an offense while on pretrial bond in an existing case.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell.
Goose Creek Woman Sentenced for Receiving KickbacksRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced that Barbara Powell, age 59, of Charleston, was sentenced in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, for bribery of a public employee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel, of Charleston, sentenced Powell to 6 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, and a $12,500 fine.
The investigation in this case proved the existence of public corruption in construction contracts at the Joint Base in Charleston (JBC). JBC was formed in 2010 when the Naval Weapons Station and the Charleston Air Force base merged. As a large and aging military base, JBC hires private companies on a regular basis to renovate and/or build facilities.
Barbara Powell was a government-contracting officer at JBC, and her duties included awarding and administering construction contracts to private companies for the federal government. From 2011 until 2015, Powell solicited and received dozens of bribes from subcontractors at JBC. The value of the bribes exceeded $15,000. In return for these bribes, Powell steered projects to some subcontractors to the detriment of other subcontractors, and she forwarded the bid proposals of some subcontractors to other subcontractors that paid her bribes. As a contracting officer for the federal government, it was illegal for Powell to provide confidential pricing information to anyone outside the government.
The case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Rhett DeHart of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
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Goose Creek Man Sentenced for Receiving KickbacksRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced that Joseph Hamrick, age 68, of Goose Creek, was sentenced in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, for receiving kickbacks involving federal contracts, in violation of 41 U.S.C. § 8702. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel, of Charleston, sentenced Hamrick to 12 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, and a $50,000 fine.
The investigation in this case proved the existence of public corruption in construction contracts at the Joint Base in Charleston (JBC). JBC was formed in 2010 when the Naval Weapons Station and the Charleston Air Force base merged. As a large and aging military base, JBC hires private companies on a regular basis to renovate and/or build facilities.
Joseph Hamrick was a quality control officer for Chugach, Inc., which was the prime contractor at JBC from 2007 through 2014. Later in the scheme, Hamrick served in the same position at Aspen Construction, another contractor at JBC.
Beginning in 2011, Hamrick demanded that subcontractors pay him kickbacks to approve their work at JBC. As a quality control officer for a prime contractor, Hamrick had the authority to approve or disapprove a subcontractor’s work at JBC and to slow the payments to subcontractors. Hamrick’s position gave him power over subcontractors, which he used to solicit kickbacks.
From 2011 until 2015, Hamrick solicited and received more than 40 kickbacks at JBC. The value of the kickbacks exceeded $40,000. In addition to these kickbacks, Hamrick received hundreds of free lunches and other gifts provided by subcontractors over which he had authority. These kickbacks related to federal contracts at JBC. In return for these kickbacks, Hamrick steered subcontracting jobs at JBC to various subcontractors.
The case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Rhett DeHart of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
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Four sentenced for their roles in an oxycodone distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four West Virginia residents were sentenced to a combined 73 months incarceration for their roles in an oxycodone distribution operation, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Floyd Pancoast, of Pursglove, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 months incarceration. Pancoast, age 24, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility” in October 0217. Pancoast admitted to using a telephone to help distribute oxycodone in Monongalia County in February 2017.
Jason Pancoast, of Pursglove, was sentenced today to 18 months incarceration. Pancoast, age 23, pled guilty to one count of “Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Offense” in October 2017. Pancoast admitted to having and using a pistol in connection to a drug trafficking crime. The crime occurred in March 2017 in Monongalia County.
Leon Jamar Maddox, age 35, of Fairmont, was sentenced to 37 months incarceration. He pled guilty to one count of “Distribution of Oxycodone” in October 2017. Maddox admitted to selling oxycodone in Monongalia County in September 2015.
Amanda Maddox, age 33, of Morgantown, was sentenced to eight months incarceration. She pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility” in October 2017. Maddox admitted to using a telephone to assist in distributing oxycodone in Monongalia County in March 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
The investigation was funded in part by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Four Men Indicted for Illegally Re-entering United States after DeportationRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted four Mexican nationals for illegally re-entering the United States after previous deportation, two following felony convictions, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Ray Parmer.
Separate and unrelated indictments charge FELIPE MARTINEZ-ARRELLANES, 35, MIKE SIERRA, 40, RICARDO VASQUEZ-ALFEREZ, 38, and FRANCISCO VERA-MARTIN, 46, as foreign aliens who illegally re-entered the United States.
According to the indictment against Vasquez-Alferez, he was in Marshall County on Feb. 4 after having been removed from the United States to Mexico in July 2009 following his conviction for an aggravated felony. The maximum penalty for that charge is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to Martinez-Arrellanes’ indictment, he was found in Tuscaloosa County on Jan. 18 after having been removed to Mexico in June 2013 following a felony conviction. The maximum penalty for that charge is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Sierra’s indictment charges he was found in Tuscaloosa County on Dec. 6 after removal from the United States in February 2016 and in July 2014. Vera-Martin was found in Jefferson County on Nov. 14 after having been removed from the country in December 2010 and in August 2017, according to his indictment. The maximum penalty for illegal re-entry is two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI investigated the cases, which are being prosecuted in the Northern District of Alabama.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Four Lancaster Men Indicted for Burglarizing A Pharmacy and A GunshopRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Henry Morales, age 23; Jorge Santiago, age 19; Fernando Rodriguez, age 20; and Ronald Grover, age 23, all of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, were indicted on February 14, 2018, by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to burglarize a pharmacy, burglary of a pharmacy, conspiracy to possess stolen firearms, and possession of stolen firearms. Morales and Santiago were also charged with being felons in possession of firearms. The case was unsealed following the arrest of defendants.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, the indictment alleges that the defendants broke into the Medicine Shoppe located in Lebanon, Pennsylvania on January 17, 2018, and stole various medications to include cough syrup with codeine. The defendants then traveled to the Horseshoe Pike Gunshop in Palmyra, where they broke into the building and stole 12 handguns.
This matter was investigated by the Lebanon Police Department, the Palmyra Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of opioids. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 45 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Fort Thompson Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Casey World Turner, age 30, was indicted on February 14, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 22, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 28 years in custody and/or a $500,000 fine, 6 years of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 19, 2018, World Turner forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with an officer from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, while said officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties. World Turner used shod feet on the officer, which resulted in physical contact.
The charges are merely accusations and World Turner is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
World Turner was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.