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23 February 2018
Former Supervisory Deputy Jailer at Kentucky River Regional Jail Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Charges Related to the Death of a DetaineeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that William Curtis Howell, 61, a former supervisory deputy jailer at the Kentucky River Regional Jail (KRRJ) in Perry County, Kentucky, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison related to his role in violently assaulting a pre-trial detainee and willfully failing to provide necessary medical attention that led to his death. Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Special Agent in Charge Amy Hess for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement.
United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell formally sentenced Howell, on his conviction. Under federal law, Howell must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Following the completion of his prison term, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
On May 11, 2017, a jury convicted Howell of using excessive force against a detainee, Larry Trent, 54, and to deliberately denying him medical care after violently beating him. Another former supervisory deputy jailer, Damon Wayne Hickman, pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2016, to the same charges, and to obstructing justice by creating a fake medical log to cover up his and Howell’s misconduct. Hickman was sentenced on Nov. 1, 2017, to serve 126 months in prison.
According to evidence and testimony presented during Howell’s jury trial and Hickman’s pretrial hearings, on July 9, 2013, at the Kentucky River Regional Jail in Hazard, Kentucky, Hickman and Howell violently beat Trent and left him in his cell, seriously injured and bleeding from an open head wound. Trent, who was in custody for a DUI charge, ultimately died from injuries sustained during the beating. Hickman, who was initially charged along with Howell, pleaded guilty prior to trial and testified against Howell.
According to evidence, the assault started when Howell and Hickman opened the door to Trent’s cell to remove a sleeping-mat, and Trent ran out of the cell. Howell tased Trent and after Trent was brought to the floor, Hickman, without justification, violently kicked Trent in the ribs. While deputies carried Trent back to his cell, Trent took the taser from the deputy jailers. Witnesses testified that after deputies retrieved the taser from Trent and while Trent was restrained on the floor by deputy jailers, Howell and Hickman, without justification, punched, kicked, and stomped on Trent. Witnesses further testified that, before closing the cell door, Howell stepped into Trent’s cell and kicked Trent in the head while Trent was on the floor and posing no threat. Further testimony was presented that, after the assault, Trent’s blood was in the detox hallway, booking area and on the deputies involved.
The evidence further revealed that Trent was lying motionless in his cell, without medical attention, with blood all over his face. Approximately four hours after the beating, another employee at the jail discovered Trent’s motionless body. Paramedics were summoned and Trent was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Corrections officers throughout the country carry out their duties in a responsible manner on a daily basis,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Attacks like this one dishonor those responsible corrections officers and is a violation of civil rights, and the Department of Justice will prosecute such misconduct.”
“There is no place in law enforcement or corrections for this shocking and illegal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. “The actions of those convicted dishonor the work done and sacrifices made by the overwhelming majority of law enforcement and corrections officers. All persons, including pretrial detainees and inmates, should be free of this sort of abuse. Our Office is committed to prosecuting these cases and ensuring that all persons are treated fairly under the law.”
Autopsy results presented at trial showed that Trent died from internal bleeding caused by a displaced pelvic fracture, and from blunt force trauma to his head, torso, and extremities.
According to evidence presented at pretrial hearings for Hickman and at an unrelated jury trial of another KRRJ supervisory deputy jailer, Kevin Asher, Hickman and Asher assaulted another pre-trial detainee at the same jail in 2012. On Oct. 19, 2017, Asher was sentenced to 108 months imprisonment for his involvement in that unrelated inmate assault.
The Kentucky River Regional Jail houses pre-trial detainees from Perry and Knott Counties. As a supervisory deputy jailer, Hickman was responsible for the custody, care, safety and control of the inmates at the jail.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins of the United States Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government.
Former Supervisory Deputy Jailer at Kentucky River Regional Jail Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Charges Related to the Death of A DetaineeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that William Curtis Howell, 61, a former supervisory deputy jailer at the Kentucky River Regional Jail (KRRJ) in Perry County, Kentucky, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison related to his role in violently assaulting a pre-trial detainee and willfully failing to provide necessary medical attention that led to his death. Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Special Agent in Charge Amy Hess for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement.
United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell formally sentenced Howell, on his conviction. Under federal law, Howell must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Following the completion of his prison term, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.
On May 11, 2017, a jury convicted Howell of using excessive force against a detainee, Larry Trent, 54, and to deliberately denying him medical care after violently beating him. Another former supervisory deputy jailer, Damon Wayne Hickman, pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2016, to the same charges, and to obstructing justice by creating a fake medical log to cover up his and Howell’s misconduct. Hickman was sentenced on Nov. 1, 2017, to serve 126 months in prison.
According to evidence and testimony presented during Howell’s jury trial and Hickman’s pretrial hearings, on July 9, 2013, at the Kentucky River Regional Jail in Hazard, Kentucky, Hickman and Howell violently beat Trent and left him in his cell, seriously injured and bleeding from an open head wound. Trent, who was in custody for a DUI charge, ultimately died from injuries sustained during the beating. Hickman, who was initially charged along with Howell, pleaded guilty prior to trial and testified against Howell.
According to evidence, the assault started when Howell and Hickman opened the door to Trent’s cell to remove a sleeping-mat, and Trent ran out of the cell. Howell tased Trent and after Trent was brought to the floor, Hickman, without justification, violently kicked Trent in the ribs. While deputies carried Trent back to his cell, Trent took the taser from the deputy jailers. Witnesses testified that after deputies retrieved the taser from Trent and while Trent was restrained on the floor by deputy jailers, Howell and Hickman, without justification, punched, kicked, and stomped on Trent. Witnesses further testified that, before closing the cell door, Howell stepped into Trent’s cell and kicked Trent in the head while Trent was on the floor and posing no threat. Further testimony was presented that, after the assault, Trent’s blood was in the detox hallway, booking area and on the deputies involved.
The evidence further revealed that Trent was lying motionless in his cell, without medical attention, with blood all over his face. Approximately four hours after the beating, another employee at the jail discovered Trent’s motionless body. Paramedics were summoned and Trent was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Corrections officers throughout the country carry out their duties in a responsible manner on a daily basis,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Attacks like this one dishonor those responsible corrections officers and is a violation of civil rights, and the Department of Justice will prosecute such misconduct.”
“There is no place in law enforcement or corrections for this shocking and illegal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. “The actions of those convicted dishonor the work done and sacrifices made by the overwhelming majority of law enforcement and corrections officers. All persons, including pretrial detainees and inmates, should be free of this sort of abuse. Our Office is committed to prosecuting these cases and ensuring that all persons are treated fairly under the law.”
Autopsy results presented at trial showed that Trent died from internal bleeding caused by a displaced pelvic fracture, and from blunt force trauma to his head, torso, and extremities.
According to evidence presented at pretrial hearings for Hickman and at an unrelated jury trial of another KRRJ supervisory deputy jailer, Kevin Asher, Hickman and Asher assaulted another pre-trial detainee at the same jail in 2012. On Oct. 19, 2017, Asher was sentenced to 108 months imprisonment for his involvement in that unrelated inmate assault.
The Kentucky River Regional Jail houses pre-trial detainees from Perry and Knott Counties. As a supervisory deputy jailer, Hickman was responsible for the custody, care, safety and control of the inmates at the jail.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins of the United States Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government.
Former Police Officer Sentenced for Attempting to Support ISISRead the Press Release
Nicholas Young, 38, of Fairfax, Virginia, and a former police officer, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and obstruction of justice.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Young was formerly employed as a police officer with the Metro Transit Police Department. In late July 2016, Young attempted to provide material support and resources to ISIS by purchasing and sending gift card codes that he believed would allow ISIS recruiters to securely communicate with potential ISIS recruits.
Between Dec. 3, 2015, and Dec. 5, 2015, Young attempted to obstruct and impede an official proceeding. Specifically, Young believed an associate of his, who was actually an FBI confidential human source (CHS), had successfully joined ISIS in late 2014. During an FBI interview, Young was told the FBI was investigating the attempt of his associate (the CHS) to join ISIS. Nevertheless, in an attempt to thwart the prosecution of the CHS and himself, Young attempted to deceive investigators as to the destination and purpose of the CHS’s travel.
Additionally, in November 2014, Young attempted to obstruct, influence and impede an official proceeding of the Grand Jury by sending a text message to the CHS’s cell phone in order to make it falsely appear to the FBI that Young believed that the CHS had left the United States to go on vacation in Turkey. In actuality, Young believed the CHS had gone to Turkey and then to Syria in order to join and fight for ISIS.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and John T. Gibbs, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Turgeon of the Eastern District of Virginia; and Trial Attorney David P. Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Former Police Officer Sentenced for Attempting to Support ISISRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former police officer was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and obstruction of justice.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Nicholas Young, 38, of Fairfax, was formerly employed as a police officer with the Metro Transit Police Department. In late July 2016, Young attempted to provide material support and resources to ISIS by purchasing and sending gift card codes that he believed would allow ISIS recruiters to securely communicate with potential ISIS recruits.
Between Dec. 3, 2015, and Dec. 5, 2015, Young attempted to obstruct and impede an official proceeding. Specifically, Young believed an associate of his, who was actually an FBI confidential human source (CHS), had successfully joined ISIS in late 2014. During an FBI interview, Young was told the FBI was investigating the attempt of his associate (the CHS) to join ISIS. Nevertheless, in an attempt to thwart the prosecution of the CHS and himself, Young attempted to deceive investigators as to the destination and purpose of the CHS’s travel.
Additionally, in November 2014, Young attempted to obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding of the Grand Jury by sending a text message to the CHS’s cell phone in order to make it falsely appear to the FBI that Young believed that CHS had left the United States to go on vacation in Turkey. In actuality, Young believed the CHS had gone to Turkey and then to Syria in order to join and fight for ISIS.
In addition to the prison sentence, the Court ordered Young to serve 15 years of supervised release, to begin immediately after he is released from prison.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, 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 Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and John T. Gibbs, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Turgeon, and Trial Attorney David P. Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism 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-265.
Former Opa Locka City Commissioner Sentenced for Role in Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
Former City of Opa Locka Commissioner Luis Santiago was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Kathleen M. Williams, for his participation in a two-year long bribery and extortion under color of official right conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 666(a)(1)(B), and 1951(a).
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
Santiago was sentenced to a term of 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Santiago’s sentence also included restitution and an order of forfeiture, along with the imposition of a $100 special assessment. Santiago was the fourth person to date convicted and sentenced as part of the ongoing federal investigation into Opa Locka municipal corruption being led by the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force and the United States Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Santiago previously pled guilty to an Information and admitted to conspiring with former Opa Locka City Manager David Chiverton, former Opa Locka Assistant Public Works Director Gregory Harris, and others to use their official positions and authority with the City of Opa Locka to solicit, demand, and obtain thousands of dollars in illegal cash payments from businesses and individuals in exchange for taking official actions to assist and benefit those businesses and individuals in their dealings with the City of Opa Locka.
In exchange for the illegal payments Santiago and an associate would obtain from these businesses and individuals, City of Opa Locka officials and employees, including Chiverton and Harris, would be directed and pressured to assist them by issuing occupational licenses; waiving, removing, and settling code enforcement matters and liens; initiating, restoring and continuing water service; and assisting with zoning issues. Santiago would sometimes pay Chiverton for this assistance, and on occasion would tell the businesses and individuals to pay Chiverton directly in exchange for these official actions.
Chiverton and Harris previously pled guilty to the same corruption conspiracy charge, as did Demetrius Corleon Taylor, a non-employee who also helped collect money from Opa Locka businesses in exchange for official actions by city employees.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI Miami Area Corruption Task Force and IRS-CI. This case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Edward Stamm and Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Johnson.
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.
Former Narcotics Agent Charged with Conspiring to Launder Stolen Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Timothy B. Riley, age 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with conspiring to launder stolen drug proceeds. Riley was formerly employed as a Narcotics Agent with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigations from 2008 to 2014 and was assigned to the Mobile Street Crimes Unit from 2013 until September 2014, which operated out of Lemoyne, Pennsylvania.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Riley was charged in a one-count information alleging that between June 25, 2014 and September 14, 2014, Riley conspired with others to launder stolen drug proceeds. The information alleges that on June 25, 2014, Riley was notified by an unindicted coconspirator about a large amount of cash from a coast-to-coast marijuana trafficking organization that he was transporting in a rental truck in Pennsylvania. Riley and other members of the Mobile Street Crimes Unit met the unindicted coconspirator at a truck stop in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and seized approximately $1,770,650 in cash located in the rental truck.
After the seizure, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, joined by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, conducted a full investigation, revealing that more than $800,000 was stolen by the driver of the truck aided by at least one other unindicted coconspirator, prior to the seizure. The charges filed today allege that after the seizure, Riley received three cash payments from the unindicted coconspirators, totaling $48,000. Riley then deposited and conducted other financial transactions with that money, knowing it was stolen proceeds of drug trafficking.
“It is always a sad day for law enforcement when a person sworn to uphold the law is charged with violating it,” said United States Attorney Freed. “It is vital that members of law enforcement be held to account for illegal conduct. Working with our partners in federal, state and local law enforcement we will continue to attack the scourge of illegal drugs in every way we can, including going after the ill-gotten gains that result from drug dealing. I want to thank our law enforcement colleagues for their hard work in this case, and emphasize the true partnership that we enjoy with Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro and his office, whose cooperation was vital in this investigation. This incident, which took place under a prior Attorney General, is in no way reflective of the hard working men and women in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.”
“Law enforcement officers know better than anyone: crime doesn’t pay,” said Michael Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “This defendant allegedly violated his sworn oath for financial gain – at the cost of his integrity, his career, and potentially, his freedom.”
“Offenders, no matter who they are, who choose to abuse the public trust will be held accountable,” said Ed Wirth, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “The filing of today’s information underscores the commitment of IRS Criminal Investigation to work in a collaborative effort to promote honest and ethical government.”
“I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its work on this case. My office assisted fully with this investigation, and we will continue doing so,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “This individual’s employment with the Office of Attorney General ended in 2014, under the previous administration. Since I was sworn in as Attorney General in January of 2017, I have made restoring integrity to this office a top priority, and we are succeeding.”
The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with the full cooperation of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy is prosecuting the case.
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 20 years of 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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Former Mortgage Broker Sentenced to 14 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Alfer Rodenburg, 65, of Houston, Texas was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen for conspiracy to commit bank fraud announced, U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II.
Rodenburg was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment followed by 24 months on home detention. Rodenburg was also ordered to pay $1,004,991.64 in restitution.
Rodenburg previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud financial institutions for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme. Rodenburg, acting as a mortgage broker, conspired to obtain first and second mortgages on approximately 14 residential properties in the span of approximately 30 days by failing to inform lenders about his co-defendant’s true and complete liabilities. This conspiracy resulted in over $1,400,000 in loans being funded over the course of the conspiracy. Rodenburg and his co-defendant prepared fraudulent loan applications in connection with the purchase of the properties. The applications contained false statements and representations relating to the co-defendant liabilities, thereby preventing lenders from being able to accurately assess the borrower’s qualifications to borrow money.
Judge Van Bokkelen ordered Rodenburg to report to the Bureau of Prisons on April 6, 2018. The co-defendant, Walter Woldt, will also be sentenced by Judge Van Bokkelen at the United States Federal Court House in Hammond Indiana on April 6, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.
This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane L. Berkowitz.
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Former MTA Manager Sentenced to 46 Months’ Imprisonment for Soliciting and Accepting Bribes from Construction ContractorsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Talib Lokhandwala, a former Construction Project Administrator with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 46 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty in October 2017 to having solicited and received bribes from two contractors working on two New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) projects. The Court also imposed a fine of $20,000.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Douglas Shoemaker, Special Agent-In-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), and Barry L. Kluger, Inspector General, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, announced the sentence.
According to court filings and facts presented at the sentencing, from March 2009 through May 2015, Lokhandwala, who was employed in various positions charged with overseeing MTA construction projects, solicited and received bribes totaling $152,420 from two contractors performing construction projects on NYCTA subway lines. Lokhandwala concealed his receipt of the bribe payments by having the contractors issue checks to shell bank accounts he controlled. In exchange for the bribes, Lokhandwala promised to steer future work to the contractors and to expedite bureaucratic paperwork for their benefit. Lokhandwala threatened to bar the contractors from future projects if they did not continue to pay him.
“Motivated by greed, Lokhandwala abused his position of trust by soliciting and accepting bribes from contractors performing work on NYCTA projects,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The public has the right to expect that contractors performing work on their behalf are selected on merit, not their willingness to line the pockets of government employees with bribe payments. Our Office is committed to ensuring that public officials who accept bribes are held accountable.” Mr. Donoghue expressed his appreciation to the United States Department of Transportation and to the MTA Inspector General for their assistance during the investigation.
“This sentencing demonstrates that those entrusted with the stewardship of taxpayer dollars and oversight of transportation infrastructure projects will be held accountable for maintaining the highest level of integrity,” said DOT OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Shoemaker. “Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts in preventing, detecting and prosecuting fraud involving DOT programs and funds.”
“I thank the United States Attorney’s Office for having moved aggressively and effectively to prosecute these criminal acts that undermine the integrity of the public contracting process,” stated MTA Inspector General Kluger. “I will continue to refer such misconduct to my law enforcement partners for vigorous investigation and prosecution. I also want to remind those who do business with the MTA of their obligations, to both the MTA and the public, to report any solicitations or requested bribes.”
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Warren is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
TALIB LOKHANDWALA
Age: 64
Residence: Fair Lawn, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-517 (DLI)
Former Iraqi Subcontractor Sentenced for Kickbacks ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Romanian citizen was sentenced today to three years in prison for his role in a government contract kickback scheme that caused a loss of more than $3.4 million to the U.S. Department of State.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Emil Popsecu, 49, conspired to violate the Anti-Kickback Act related to the lease of real property in Iraq in 2011.
According to evidence adduced and presented at trial, a United States government contractor headquartered in Virginia and performing services for the U.S. Department of State in Iraq in 2011, was searching for real property to lease. A conspiracy formed between Wesley Aaron Struble, 49, a United States citizen living in Batangas, Phillipines, and Jose Rivera, 57, of Potomac, Maryland, both of whom were working as government contractors in Iraq. Struble approached an Iraqi company and its associates and, along with Rivera, agreed to accept kickbacks in exchange for help in causing the U.S. Department of State contractor to lease property that the Iraqi company controlled.
Emil Popescu was recruited into the conspiracy and hired as the Director of Operations for the Iraqi company to negotiate the lease. After a lease was signed between the U.S. Department of State contractor and the Iraqi company, Popescu withdrew cash from a bank account he opened in Baghdad in his name and made kickback payments directly to Struble and Rivera. Popescu also facilitated other kickback payments by withdrawing money from the bank account and giving it to the Iraqi company knowing that kickback payments were owed to Struble and Rivera.
Prior to Popescu’s trial, Struble and Rivera each pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy and were sentenced to four years and three years in prison, respectively.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Steve A. Linick, the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian D. Harrison and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen 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. 1:17-cr-44 and 1:17-cr-052.
Former Forest Service Employee and Firefighter Sentenced for Making False Statements in an Arson InvestigationRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Paul Leland Johnson, 28, of San Jose, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for two counts of making false statements to investigators, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
On May 23, 2017, a jury found that Johnson made false statements that were material in a U.S. Forest Service investigation of a fire that burned Johnson’s Forest Service truck. Johnson, a former Forest Service recreation employee, had checked out his duty truck in February 2012 and driven to a remote location in the Eldorado National Forest. While it was at that location, the Forest Service truck burned in a vehicle fire that spread to the surrounding wild land. Following the fire, Johnson made several statements to law enforcement and arson investigators about his actions in relationship to the fire. At trial, evidence proved beyond a reasonable doubt that some of Johnson’s statements to investigators were willfully false.
This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath and Michael D. Anderson prosecuted the case.
Former Connecticut Resident Sentenced to Prison for Role in Hartford Soccer Stadium Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MITCHELL ANDERSON, 53, of Bradenton, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to six months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a fraud scheme involving the redevelopment of Hartford’s Dillon Stadium and a plan to bring a professional soccer team to the city. ANDERSON formerly resided in Avon, Connecticut.
According to court documents and the evidence introduced during the trial ANDERSON’s co-defendant, James C. Duckett, Jr., in September 2014, the City of Hartford entered into a professional services agreement with ANDERSON and his company, Premier Sports Management Group (“PSMG”), to secure a professional soccer team and to develop a new, 9,000-seat facility at the Dillon Stadium location. Under the terms of the agreement, PSMG was entitled to receive $775,000 for serving as the project manager for the $12 million plan. In February 2015, ANDERSON joined with Duckett who agreed to be the majority owner of the professional soccer team. Duckett and ANDERSON represented to various city officials that PSMG and Duckett’s Black Diamond Consulting Group had merged for purposes of completing the Dillon Stadium project and securing the professional soccer team. Duckett represented that he was a former professional football player in the NFL and that Black Diamond was involved in a casino project and sports-related projects in Las Vegas and Atlanta.
Beginning in approximately March 2015, ANDERSON submitted invoices to the city for reimbursement to PSMG subcontractors working on the project. However, rather than pay the total amounts owed to PSMG’s subcontractors, Duckett and ANDERSON directed more than $1 million that PSMG received from the city to themselves, PSMG, Black Diamond, and other entities not related to the Dillon Stadium project. Duckett and ANDERSON also secured invoices from subcontractors who had not performed work for the project, which Duckett and ANDERSON caused to be submitted to the city as if the work had been performed. Duckett and ANDERSON then illegally used the proceeds of the fraud in a series of bank transactions to pay individuals and companies for expenses unrelated to the Dillon Stadium.
The investigation revealed that Duckett used funds that the city provided to PSMG to purchase a Range Rover that cost approximately $120,000, to pay unrelated attorneys’ fees and a $20,000 “finder’s fee” to an individual, and for other personal expenses including luxury clothing and jewelry items.
ANDERSON has agreed to make restitution of more than $1.1 million to the City of Hartford and two subcontractors of the Dillon Stadium project.
ANDERSON and Duckett were arrested on June 23, 2016. On February 6, 2017, ANDERSON pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of conducting illegal monetary transactions.
ANDERSON, who is released on a $100,000 bond, was ordered to report to prison on April 8, 2018.
On July 6, 2017, a jury found Duckett guilty of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering offenses stemming from the scheme. On December 6, Judge Underhill sentenced him to 36 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Connecticut Public Corruption Task Force, notably the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The Task Force also includes members from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Hartford Police Department assisted the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Karwan and Douglas Morabito.
Citizens are encouraged to report corruption to the Connecticut Public Corruption Task Force by calling 203-238-0505.
Former Business Executive Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Engaging in Contract Kickbacks and Phony Billing SchemesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John T. Fitzgerald, a former vice president of the Washington, D.C. office of an investment banking firm, was sentenced today to two years in prison on federal charges stemming from a scheme in which he accepted kickbacks for construction management contracts he steered to another firm, as well as other fraudulent activities.
The announcement was made by Alessio Evangelista, Acting U.S. Attorney in this case, Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Kimberly Lappin, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
Fitzgerald, 48, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in December 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to charges of wire fraud and tax evasion. He was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following his prison term, Fitzgerald will be placed on three years of supervised release. During that time, he will be required to perform 500 hours of community service. Additionally, the judge ordered Fitzgerald to pay $713,806 in restitution, representing his share of proceeds from the scheme, and an identical amount in a forfeiture money judgement. He also has agreed to pay $114,411 in taxes to the IRS.
A co-defendant, Bryan D. Wright, 55, of Laytonsville, Md., pled guilty in February 2016 to one count of conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He is to be sentenced on April 10, 2018.
In his guilty plea, Fitzgerald acknowledged that he began work at the investment banking firm in 2008 and oversaw its real estate development activities and investments. His responsibilities included oversight of a commercial development project in Hanover, Md., known as the Station Ridge development project. The investment banking firm was the managing investor-owner of the project, which ultimately included three buildings for use as offices by various tenants.
In or around mid-2011, Fitzgerald admitted, he began to invoice the general contractor on Station Ridge through a company Fitzgerald owned and thereby obtained roughly $41,000 for himself on the project.
Later in 2011, Fitzgerald installed Wright as construction manager on Station Ridge, and the two agreed to an invoicing and kickback scheme that lasted into 2013. Wright was president of P&E Services, LLC. Between 2011 and 2013, through their scheme, Wright and Fitzgerald took $769,000 from the investment banking firm employing Fitzgerald and another $417,000 from the general contracting company (which was reimbursed by the investment banking firm). Wright, through P&E and other companies, paid Fitzgerald nearly $600,000 in proceeds from the Station Ridge project, roughly half of the total amount that P&E Services obtained.
In a related scheme involving purported projects on the Bridgewater office building in Fairfax, Va., which was another development project of the investment banking firm, Wright and Fitzgerald submitted invoices for work that was not completed, and obtained additional money from Fitzgerald’s employer. Once again, Fitzgerald and Wright split the proceeds between them, with Fitzgerald receiving approximately $70,000.
In his guilty plea, Fitzgerald admitted that the total loss to his employer as a result of his conduct on these projects was over $1.3 million, and his share of the illegal proceeds was $713,806. The tax charges stem from Fitzgerald’s failure to report the income in calendar years 2012 and 2013.
In announcing the sentence, Acting U.S. Attorney Evangelista, Assistant Director in Charge Vale, and Special Agent in Charge Lappin commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Last, Paralegal Specialists Tasha Harris, Aisha Keys, and C. Rosalind Pressley; Legal Assistants Angela Lawrence and John Lowell, and Litigation Technology Specialist Ron Royal. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marston, Kendra D. Briggs, and Zia Faruqui, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Florence Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, KY. — James Allen Eapmon, 31, of Florence, Ky., was sentenced to life in prison today, by United States District Judge David Bunning, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Eapmon led a conspiracy responsible for distributing between 1.5 and 4.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, between January 1, 2016 and October 4, 2016. The Defendant led the group, regularly distributed crystal methamphetamine, and supplied it to other members of the conspiracy for distribution. Three other individuals, Chance Haley, Matthew Clem, and Charles “Bub” Eapmon, have also been convicted in connection with this investigation. Eapmon has five prior felony convictions, including previous convictions for burglary and drug trafficking.
Under federal law, Eapmon will not be eligible for parole.
“The Defendant’s criminal conduct, both past and current, has resulted in a very significant penalty,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The Defendant’s sentence should serve as a warning to career criminals who sell drugs in our communities – your criminal actions may result in you permanently forfeiting your liberty.”
United States Attorney Duncan and Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, jointly announced the sentence.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Tony Bracke represented the United States.
Five-Time Convicted Felon Found Guilty After Confronting Detectives While Concealing A Stolen PistolRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Gregory Greer (35) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Greer was indicted on September 21, 2017.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on August 17, 2017, members of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office vice squad were conducting an undercover operation at the Hometown Inn and Suites in the Southpoint area of Jacksonville. As the officers were making a prostitution arrest inside a hotel room, Greer knocked on the door. A detective answered the doored and asked Greer how he could be helped, but Greer continued to gesture toward the prostitution arrestee, attempting to get her attention. Greer provided his Georgia identification card to assisting officers, one of whom observed Greer making repeated hand movements toward his right side. The officers instructed Greer to sit on the floor of the hotel hallway, and he complied.
After repeatedly warning Greer not to make movements toward his right side with his hand, and advising Greer that he was going to pat down him for safety reasons, Greer said “ok,” stood up, and immediately began running for the hotel stairwell. As officers gave chase down the stairs, through the hotel parking lot, and through the back lots of several businesses, a detective heard a sound consistent with a metal gun being dropped in the stairwell. Another responding officer ran towards the stairwell and found a discarded .45 caliber pistol. Following a brief pursuit, Greer was arrested and officers located an empty nylon pistol holster on his right hip. The rightful owner of the pistol testified that it had been stolen from his home in 2015.
At the time of the incident, Greer had five prior felony convictions, including aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer, distribution of PCP, escape, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a controlled substance. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Five Federal Inmates Charged with Possession of A WeaponRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that five federal inmates were indicted separately yesterday by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Ernie Joseph Sandoval, age 31, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (USP Lewisburg), was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison. Sandoval was found in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of plastic, commonly referred to as a “shank,” during a search conducted on August 17, 2017.
Jose Capriata, age 25, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood, White Deer, Pennsylvania (FCI Allenwood), was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon and a controlled substance. On September 17, 2017, Capriata was found in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of plastic and a synthetic cannabinoid, MAB-CHMINACA.
Lenelle Gray, age 37, an inmate at FCI Allenwood, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison. Gray was in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of metal during a search conducted on September 24, 2017.
Jorge Lopez-Cruz, age 47, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Allenwood, Pennsylvania (USP Allenwood), was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison. Lopez-Cruz was found in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of metal during a search conducted on September 21, 2017.
Michael Moore, age 23, an inmate at USP Allenwood, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a weapon in prison. Moore was found in possession of a homemade sharpened piece of plastic during a search conducted on September 9, 2017.
The charges stem from an investigation by officers at the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan VanFleet is prosecuting the cases.
Indictments 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 defendants are facing a maximum of five years of incarceration and a $250,000 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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Fairmont man arrested on firearm chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dustin Lynn Garrison, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was arrested this week after being indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Elkins on February 21, 2018, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Garrison, age 26, was indicted on two counts of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Garrison, having previously been convicted of two felonies in the Circuit Court of Marion County, is accused of illegally possessing a .308 semi-automatic pistol and a .22 caliber revolver in September and December 2017 in Marion County, West Virginia.
Garrison faces up to 10 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives and the Fairmont Police Department investigated. The United State Marshal Service arrested Garrison.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Erin Nealy Cox is Administered Oath of Office as United States Attorney for the Northern District of TexasRead the Press Release
At an investiture ceremony held this afternoon, Chief Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas administered the Oath of Office for United States Attorney to Erin Nealy Cox.
Today’s formal ceremony, over which Chief Judge Lynn presided, was attended by hundreds of family members, friends and colleagues, as well as federal, state, and local dignitaries. Guest speakers included Chief Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn and Judge Jane J. Boyle of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and Rachel Brand, former Associate Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice. Remarks were also given by U.S. Senator John Cornyn and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. The invocation was given by Father Arthur Unachukwu and the benediction was given by Cate Cox, the daughter of U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox.
Other honored guests attending included former White House Counsel Harriet Miers, Chancellor Kent Hance, as well as, former United States Attorneys Paul Coggins, John Parker, Jim Jacks, Richard Roper, Richard Stephens, Jim Rolfe, and Matthew Orwig.
United States Attorney Nealy Cox was nominated by President Donald Trump on September 22, 2017 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 9, 2017.
Ms. Nealy Cox, a Mississippi native, most recently worked as a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Co. in the cybersecurity and risk practice. She also served on the Board of Directors of Sally Beauty Holdings, a large retailer on the NYSE. From 1999 to 2008, Ms. Nealy Cox served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Texas, where she prosecuted cyber crimes, white collar crimes, and general crimes. In 2004 and 2005, she served at Main Justice as chief of staff and senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Policy. From 2008 to 2016, Ms. Nealy Cox was a member of the executive leadership team at Stroz Friedberg, a cybersecurity and investigations consulting firm. Ms. Nealy Cox ultimately lead the firm’s global incident response business, the unit responsible for assisting and supporting private sector corporations investigate complex computer intrusions. Ms. Nealy Cox clerked for the Honorable Henry A. Politz, when he served as Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Honorable Barefoot Sanders, United States District Judge in the Northern District of Texas.
As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Nealy Cox is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the Northern District of Texas, which includes Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock and Amarillo. She oversees a staff of 215 employees, including 100 attorneys and a similar number of non-attorney support personnel.
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Elder Fraud Cases Are a Priority Nationally and Locally for the Justice DepartmentRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that as part of the Elder Fraud Initiative launched by the Department of Justice, he has appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward as the Elder Fraud Coordinator for the District of Alaska.
The District of Alaska has prosecuted several defendants targeting aging and vulnerable victims including most recently United States v. Floyd Jay Mann prosecuted by AUSA Steward. Mann was sentenced in December to 10 years in prison for defrauding more than 15 victims in Dillingham, Alaska. Mann’s first victim in that case was an elderly man dying of cancer. Mann convinced the elderly victim that he was due to receive a multi-million dollar lawsuit settlement from a pharmaceutical company. Mann falsely told the victim he needed help paying court costs and medical bills before the settlement would be released. Mann led the elderly victim to believe he would share millions of dollars of his settlement if the elderly victim helped him cover costs. The elderly victim gave his life savings and monthly social security payments to help Mann. The elderly victim died of cancer waiting for the payout promised. Mann moved on to the elderly victim’s friends and family in Dillingham targeting them with the same scheme. Mann obtained almost $3 million from his fraudulent scheme. Several victims lost homes and retirement savings.
As part of the Elder Fraud Initiative, AUSA Steward has coordinated with the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspectors, the State of Alaska Office of Elder Fraud and Assistance, and Senior Corps to identify cases appropriate for prosecution and to coordinate outreach to vulnerable groups.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced yesterday that he has made combatting Elder Fraud a priority for the Department of Justice. Attorney General Sessions was joined in the announcement yesterday 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. “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.”
With this Initiative, the Justice Department is targeting schemes such as the following:
- “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.
- “Advance Fee Schemes,” which promise big payouts in the future if victims provide financial assistance up front.
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.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftc.gov/media/71474 or at 4877-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.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on February 21, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Timothy Bear Eagle, age 33, was sentenced to 60 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bear Eagle was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 17, 2017. He pled guilty on December 1, 2017.
The conviction stems from an incident on September 7, 2017, when Bear Eagle was arrested by a police officer with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, for being intoxicated at an elderly person’s home. Bear Eagle was transported and booked into the CRST Adult Detention Facility, within the Walter Miner Law Enforcement Detention Center in Eagle Butte.
Initially, Bear Eagle was compliant. He sat down and was taking off his shoes, when he heard over the law enforcement scanner that his girlfriend had also been arrested and was being brought in. Bear Eagle got angry, stood up, and threw his shoes to the floor. A correctional officer went to grab onto Bear Eagle and Bear Eagle went towards him in a threatening manner, swung his right arm, and struck the correctional officer with a closed fist on the left side of his face, next to his left ear. The blow broke the correctional officer’s jaw. Bear Eagle was immediately taken to the floor by other officers and handcuffed.
The correctional officer was taken to the Indian Health Services Emergency Room. He was then transported to Rapid City where his jaw was wired shut.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller prosecuted the case.
Bear Eagle was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, and Impeding a Federal Officer.
Jasyn Curley, age 22, was indicted on February 14, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on February 21, 2018, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 8 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on November 17, 2017, Curley forcibly assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, intimidated, and interfered with an officer with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, while the officer was in the performance of his official duties and said conduct involved physical contact with the officer.
The charge is merely an accusation and Curley is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
Curley was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Dyno-Nobel, Inc. Pleads Guilty for Failing to Notify Federal Authorities of Anhydrous Discharges Near St. HelensRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – On Friday, February 23, 2018, Dyno Nobel, Inc., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon to one count of violating section 103(b) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), following a series of large-scale ammonia discharges from a urea-manufacturing plant outside St. Helens, Oregon, in July and August 2015. The offense is a class-E felony, carrying a maximum fine of $500,000 and up to five years’ probation.
“Many of the nation’s environmental laws exist specifically to minimize the dangers essential industries pose to surrounding communities,” noted Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, “and this criminal conviction will serve as an important reminder that the EPA and the United States Attorney’s Office will work together to ensure that violations of those laws do not go unpunished.”
“Not only did this defendant release over six tons of anhydrous ammonia, impacting the neighboring community, they impeded response actions by failing to report the release,” said Jeanne Proctor, EPA’s special agent in charge of the Criminal Investigation Division in Seattle. “EPA will not tolerate this blatant disregard for public safety.”
According to Dyno Nobel’s plea agreement with the government, the company’s St. Helens plant discharged more than six tons of anhydrous ammonia vapor—a hazardous substance—into the air over the course of a three-day period starting on July 30, 2015. A subsequent investigation revealed that several failed attempts to restart the urea plant had caused a series of massive discharges from the facility, triggering numerous complaints of foul odors, eye irritation, and difficulty breathing from citizens of nearby Columbia City, Oregon.
Although Dyno Nobel personnel knew that excessive ammonia emissions were occurring, no effort was made to alert the authorities at the National Response Center until August 7, 2015—more than a week after the first discharge. Federal law requires such reports to be made “immediately.”
Dyno Nobel, Inc. is a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of IPL Group. The company entered its guilty plea at Friday’s hearing through Senior Vice President and Secretary Jeff Droubay. The parties’ plea agreement proposes a stipulated criminal sentence of two years’ probation, requiring remedial steps to better measure and detect future emissions, and a $250,000 criminal fine. Ultimately, however, the Court may reject the parties’ stipulation and impose a different sentence.
This case was investigated by EPA Criminal Investigations; it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan W. Bounds and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla Gebel Perrin.
District Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Convenience Store in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Skinner, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to seven years in prison for an armed robbery he carried out at a convenience store in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu announced.
Skinner pled guilty to the armed robbery charge in December 2017 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Juliet McKenna. Following his prison term, Skinner will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 26, 2016, shortly after 5 a.m., Skinner entered a 7-Eleven store in the 900 block of Bladensburg Road NE and got a cup of coffee. He then went to the cash register, pulled up his shirt, and brandished what appeared to the store employee to be a black handgun from his waistband. The item was later determined to be a screwdriver. Skinner ordered the employee to open the cash register and the employee complied. Skinner leaned over the counter and took approximately $60 before fleeing.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) quickly responded to the scene and officers saw a cup of coffee on the counter; witnesses confirmed that the robber had this cup in his possession before fleeing the store. Additionally, surveillance footage of the robbery showed that the assailant was wearing a T-shirt that stated “Challenge Accepted” and a black bucket hat.
The coffee cup was submitted for DNA examination. The resulting DNA profile was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a web of state and national databases containing DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scenes that is used as an investigative tool. It revealed a match for Skinner. Additionally, Skinner was arrested a few weeks after the 7-Eleven robbery in Prince George’s County, Md. A search of the vehicle he was using led to the recovery of various items, including multiple screwdrivers, the “Challenge Accepted” T-shirt, and the black bucket hat.
Skinner earlier pled guilty to four other armed robberies in Prince George’s County and was sentenced to 40 years in prison for those crimes. The sentence in the District of Columbia case will run concurrently with the one he is now serving in Maryland.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences and the Prince George’s County, Md. Police Department. Finally, she acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivien Cockburn, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Prison for Setting House Fire That Killed 4-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerome C. Lewis, 51, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today to 32 years in prison on charges of first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances, second-degree murder, and first-degree cruelty to children in a house fire that led to the death of a four-year-old child, Samauri Michelle Jenkins.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu , Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Thomas L. Chittum III, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Gregory M. Dean, Chief of the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (DCFEMS).
Lewis was found guilty of the charges on Oct. 25, 2017, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was sentenced by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
At today's sentencing, the government requested restitution for the estate of Samauri Jenkins or the imposition of a fine based on the defendant receiving a payout from an insurance company for the damage to his home and personal property. Judge Lee set a follow-up hearing for June 15, 2018 to consider the government’s request for orders of restitution and/or fines. In advance of that hearing, Judge Lee granted the government’s request to freeze Lewis’s assets.
According to the government’s evidence, Lewis owned a home in the 2600 block of 33rd Street SE. In late 2011, Lewis began renting the first and second floors to relatives while he lived in the basement. In early 2013, his relationship with his tenant-relatives had become strained and he was experiencing a financial crisis. On Feb.17, 2013, in the early hours of the morning, he set fire to his mattress located in his basement living area, causing a fire that spread throughout the basement and to the first floor of the home.
Everyone was able to escape the home, with the exception of four-year-old Samauri Jenkins. She was rescued from a second floor bedroom by the District of Columbia Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. She was taken to a hospital with burns and smoke inhalation, but died from her injuries two days later.
Lewis was arrested on the morning of the fire and has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, Special Agent in Charge Chittum, and Chief Dean commended the work of the D.C. Arson Task Force, which is comprised of members from MPD, the Washington Field Division of the ATF, and DCFEMS. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Sharon Newman; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Gilbert; Legal Secretary Dawn White; Intelligence Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator David Foster; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Supervisory Administrative Services Specialist Tina Wall, and Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas.
Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley C. Nielsen and Michelle D. Jackson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Fatally Shooting Man on Anacostia River TrailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Wandell G. Roy, 42, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for killing a man in July 2017 on the Anacostia River Trail in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Roy pled guilty in November 2017, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to the charge of second degree murder. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judith Bartnoff. Upon completion of his prison term, Roy will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 26, 2017, at approximately 8:30 a.m., the victim, Victor Williams, was walking his two puppies, heading south on the Anacostia River Trail from the East Capitol Bridge. Roy, riding a red bike, was also on the trail some distance behind Mr. Williams. Roy then discarded his bike on the side of the trail, came within approximately 20 feet behind Mr. Williams, and shot at Mr. Williams at least four times. After Mr. Williams’s body immediately dropped to the ground, Roy walked up to his body and shot him at close range at least two more times. Roy then stole Mr. Williams’s iPhone 7 off of his person and fled the area.
The autopsy revealed that Mr. Williams, 37, died of a gunshot wound to the midline of his back and another gunshot wound to the left side of his face. On the scene, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) found that one of the puppies was also killed by a gunshot wound to the chest, and the other puppy was found alive.
Due to the quick thinking and cooperation of eyewitnesses, as well as the detective work of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch, Roy was identified as the shooter and arrested on Aug. 17, 2017. He has been in custody ever since. The investigation revealed no connection between Mr. Williams and Roy.
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. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Firearms Examination Unit of the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Diana Lim, Paralegal Specialist Debra Joyner, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jin Park, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Felony Assault on Deputy U.S. MarshalRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Nowlin, 23, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a federal charge stemming from a courthouse incident last year in which he assaulted a Deputy United States Marshal, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Michael Hughes, U.S. Marshal for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Nowlin pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal law enforcement officer. He remains held pending his sentencing on May 16, 2018 by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan.
According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 6, 2017, Nowlin was appearing before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for violating terms of his probation in an earlier assault case. Two deputy U.S. marshals were assigned to the courtroom. Judge Raffinan revoked Nowlin’s probation and ordered that he be remanded to the custody of the deputy marshals. Nowlin became loud and belligerent while in the courtroom, and started to walk towards the cellblock before Judge Raffinan finished her ruling.
One of the deputy marshals instructed Nowlin to wait until Judge Raffinan concluded her ruling before leaving the courtroom and going to the cell block. Then, once Judge Raffinan concluded the hearing, the two deputy marshals escorted Nowlin to the cellblock behind the courtroom. Nowlin continued to be belligerent while in the cellblock and resisted efforts by the deputy marshals to search him for weapons or contraband.
As he continued to resist, Nowlin spun around and threw a punch at one of the deputy marshals. A struggle ensued, with Nowlin continuing to punch the deputy marshal in the face and head area. Other deputy marshals responded and Nowlin was subdued. The deputy marshal who was struck by Nowlin was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Liu and Marshal Hughes commended the work of those who handled the matter from the U.S. Marshals Service. They expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Jeannette Litz and Teesha Tobias and Legal Assistant Peter Gaboton. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole, who prosecuted the case.
Des Moines Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
David Marken Aikoriegie admitted to stealing firearms from area gun retailers
Des Moines, Iowa – On February 22, 2018, David Marken Aikoriegie, of Des Moines, appeared in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Celeste F. Bremer and pleaded guilty to charges related to a series of gun store burglaries in the Des Moines area, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum.
Aikoriegie pleaded guilty to three counts of stealing a firearm from a federal firearm licensee and one count of unlawful possession, receipt, and sale of a stolen firearm. Aikoriegie admitted he stole three firearms from JLM Gun Shoppe in Urbandale on November 16, 2017; ten firearms from Rangemasters in Clive on December 2, 2017; and eleven firearms from Rangemasters on December 14, 2017. He also admitted to selling one of those stolen firearms to another person on December 16, 2017. A sentencing date has not been scheduled at this time.
This investigation was conducted by the Clive Police Department; United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Des Moines Police Department; and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Department of Justice Announces Mary Daly as Opioid CoordinatorRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced Mary Daly will serve as the Director of Opioid Enforcement and Prevention Efforts in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, a new position created on December 20, 2017.
“In the midst of the deadliest drug crisis in American history, we need to prosecute drug crimes aggressively and use our resources wisely,” Attorney General Sessions said. “That’s why today I am happy to announce that Mary Daly will help the Department of Justice coordinate our anti-opioid efforts. Mary is a talented and experienced prosecutor and she will help us act as effectively as possible in this time of crisis. I am confident in her leadership and I want to welcome her to Main Justice.”
Ms. Daly previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York and the Eastern District of Virginia, where she supervised the Narcotics unit and was the opioid coordinator. Over her 13-year career as a federal prosecutor, Ms. Daly focused on the prosecution of transnational drug trafficking organizations.
In her role as Director of Opioid Enforcement and Prevention Efforts, Ms. Daly will be responsible for assisting the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and Department components in formulating and implementing Department initiatives, policies, grants, and programs relating to opioids, and coordinating these efforts with law enforcement.Convicted Felon Sentenced to 147 Months in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Savario Beshawn Champion, 29, of Pensacola, was sentenced this week to 147 months in prison after pleading guilty on December 5, 2017, to carjacking, possessing a firearm during a violent crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In July 2017, two men from Georgia were carjacked by Mr. Champion at gunpoint at a local hotel in Escambia County. Mr. Champion approached the two men pointing a black 9 millimeter pistol at the vehicle owner. He told the men to get out of the BMW and to give him their money and phones. The men got out of the vehicle, ran to the hotel, and called the police.
Later that morning, a Pensacola Police Department officer arrested Mr. Champion in Pensacola. At the time of the arrest, Mr. Champion was in possession of the stolen vehicle and a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Pensacola Police Department; and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
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 United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Carroll County Public School Teacher Indicted for Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Kenneth Brian Fischer, age 39, of Westminster, Maryland yesterday for using a facility of interstate commerce to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.
The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Gordon B. Johnson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Sheriff James T. DeWees of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr. of the Fairfax County, Virginia Police; and the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney’s Office.
According to the single count indictment, between August 31, 2017 and September 5, 2017, Fischer used electronic mail and text messaging to attempt to coerce a minor to meet him for sex. Fischer faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum of life.
Fischer was previously arrested in Westminster, Maryland on related charges and has been in custody since September 13, 2017. His initial appearance in federal court is not yet scheduled. The case has been assigned to the Honorable Richard D. Bennett.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "resources" tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended the FBI, MSP, the Carroll County Sherriff’s Office, the Fairfax County Police, and the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ayn M. Ducao who is prosecuting the case.
California Man Sentenced for Role in Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Los Angeles man was sentenced today, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for his involvement in a large drug trafficking organization. Nestor Barron, age 26, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Barron previously admitted that, in July 2017, he conspired with Fernando Lara Salas and Jorge Macias Pedroza to distribute between five and fifteen kilograms of cocaine, in Fayette County. Barron was found at the residence of Fernando Lara Salas on July 19, 2017, when members of the Lexington Police Department’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant at the residence. Barron was found in a bedroom with a duffel bag that contained six kilograms of cocaine and $105,375 in U.S. currency. Barron admitted that he had obtained the six kilograms of cocaine and intended to distribute it. Barron agreed to forfeit his interest in the currency seized.
After a two-day jury trial in January 2018, Barron’s co-defendants, Fernando Lara Salas and Jorge Macias Pedroza, were convicted of multiple drug trafficking offenses, including conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and distribution of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine and tramadol, as well as firearms and immigration offenses. They are both scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Reeves on May 4, 2018.
“I commend the cooperation among the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “These strong partnerships help remove dangerous drugs from our streets and keep our communities safe.” United States Attorney Duncan, Chris Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; and Ron Compton, Acting Chief of Police, Lexington-Fayette County Division of Police, jointly announced the sentence.
Under federal law, Barron must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.
California Man Indicted for Trafficking Heroin into Jefferson CountyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a California man for trafficking heroin into Jefferson County, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges ALEXANDRO PEDRO MONTES, 26, of Compton, Calif., with possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin on Nov. 30.
“Enforcing drug-trafficking laws and attacking the epidemic of opioid abuse in our country is a top priority of the Department of Justice and we continue working with federal, state and local law enforcement to bring the most serious available charges against drug dealers,” Town said.
The charge carries a prison sentence of five to 40 years and a maximum fine of $5 million.
DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Simpson is prosecuting.
An indictment carries only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 75 Years in Prison for Murder in Front of Bronx Daycare CenterRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RUBEN PIZZARO, a/k/a “Chulo,” was sentenced to 75 years in prison for murder, participating in a narcotics conspiracy, and firearms charges. PIZZARO was convicted on June 13, 2017, following a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods, who also imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “In November of 2015, Ruben Pizzaro murdered a rival drug dealer in broad daylight close to a nearby daycare center. Pizzaro’s actions are another example of the wanton violence that often accompanies the sale of drugs. Ruben Pizzaro will now serve 75 years in federal prison for his brazen crimes.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, evidence at trial, and statements made in court proceedings:
Between August 2015 and January 2016, PIZZARO was a member of a street gang that sold cocaine and crack cocaine in the vicinity of 180th Street and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, New York. PIZZARO and his crew of drug dealers were in competition with a neighboring drug crew on Hughes Avenue in the Bronx. That competition played out in several violent shootings in late 2015. For example, on at least three occasions in October and November 2015, PIZZARO and his drug crew fired at members of the Hughes Avenue drug crew. Individuals were shot during two of those three incidents, and the third occurred in the vicinity of a Bronx middle school.
On November 24, 2015, PIZZARO shot and killed rival drug dealer David Rivera in broad daylight in front of a daycare center in the vicinity of 175th Street and Crotona Avenue in the Bronx.
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In addition to the prison term, PIZZARO, 26, was sentenced to 4 years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department for their work on the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Crowley, Max Nicholas, and Robert Allen are in charge of the prosecution.
Billings Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – Raymond Thomas Tetzlaff, a 35-year-old resident of Billings, and Crystal Busby-Tetzlaff, a 36-year-old resident of Billings, were sentenced to prison today after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in November. Raymond Tetzlaff received 216 months in prison and 5 years of supervised released. Crystal Busby-Tetzlaff received 120 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters handed down the sentences.
The Tetzlaffs and their associates possessed and sold methamphetamine in 2016 and early 2017. Specifically, the Tetzlaffs were bringing pounds of methamphetamine into Billings for distribution. During the investigation, law enforcement executed search warrants at their residence and a storage unit. Over six pounds of pure methamphetamine and drug distribution supplies were seized. That converts to 21,744 individual dosage units of the drug which was seized before reaching drug users in Montana. Additionally, Raymond Tetzlaff was found in possession of two loaded firearms during his arrest at the residence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey and investigated by the Eastern Montana Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to identify those responsible for significant violent crime in Montana. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a recently reinvigorated Department of Justice program that has proven to be successful in reducing violent crime. Today’s sentencings are a part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
Bank Robber Sentenced for Peninsula RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for robbing two banks and a check cashing store.
According to court documents, Robert S. Carpenter, 30, committed a series of robberies in Hampton and Newport News over two weeks in the Fall of 2016. On Aug. 23, 2016, Carpenter robbed Approved Cash Advance on J. Clyde Morris Boulevard in Newport News, implying he had a firearm. A week later, on Sept. 1, 2016, Carpenter robbed the Virginia Educator’s Credit Union on Main Street in Newport News. On Sept. 6, 2016, armed with a gun, Carpenter robbed the Wells Fargo bank on Marketplace Drive in Hampton. Carpenter entered each location masked and demanded money, and ultimately stole more than $21,000. Hampton police located Carpenter after Wells Fargo tellers placed GPS trackers into the stolen money.
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, Michael C. Grinstead, Acting Chief of Newport News Police, and Anton A. Bell, Hampton Commonwealth’s Attorney 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-32.
Armed Career Criminal Who Sold Short-Barreled Rifle Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Troy Bennett (30, Orange County) to 25 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for failing to register the firearm, a short-barreled rifle, with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Due to his prior multiple felony convictions, he qualified for an increased penalty under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
A federal jury found Bennett guilty of the offenses on December 6, 2017.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on two occasions in August 2017, Bennett met with a confidential informant (CI) to sell firearms and drugs. During the first meeting, Bennett sold the CI crack cocaine and discussed his ability to obtain and sell a rifle to the CI. About a week later, during their second meeting, Bennett sold cocaine, a short-barreled rifle, and 28 rounds of ammunition to the CI. As a previously convicted felon, Bennett is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara M. Wick.
“ATF’s primary focus is protecting the public by reducing violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary. “ATF continues to aggressively pursue violent offenders and will continue to protect and serve communities with our law enforcement partners.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Arkansas Man Sentenced to Prison for Developing and Distributing Prolific MalwareRead the Press Release
An Arkansas man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for aiding and abetting computer intrusions by selling malicious software, or “malware,” to individuals who used the malware to steal sensitive information, surreptitiously activate webcams, and conduct other illegal intrusions.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick for the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement.
Taylor Huddleston, 27, of Hot Springs, Arkansas was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Judge O’Grady also ordered the defendant to serve two years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Huddleston pleaded guilty on July 25, 2017.
According to court documents, Huddleston developed, marketed, and distributed two products that were extremely popular with cybercriminals around the world. The first is the “NanoCore RAT,” a type of 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 webcam on the victim computers in order to spy on the victims. Huddleston’s NanoCore RAT was used to infect and attempt to infect tens of thousands of computers. Huddleston’s other product, “Net Seal,” was licensing software that he used to distribute malware for co-conspirators 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 to infect 16,000 computers. In his guilty plea, Huddleston admitted that he intended his products to be used maliciously.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Counsel Ryan K. Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Ambulance Provider and Hospital Agree to Pay $1,425,000 to Settle Ambulance Transportation ClaimsRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced today that North East Mobile Health Services (“North East”), of Scarborough, has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the U.S. in which it will pay $825,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the federal False Claims Act by providing medically unnecessary ambulance transportation. Maine Medical Center (“MMC”), of Portland, also agreed to pay $600,000 pursuant to a separate civil settlement.
North East’s settlement resolves allegations that it improperly billed Medicare for non-emergency ambulance transportation of patients discharged from MMC from 2007 onward. The government alleged that North East improperly billed Medicare for ambulance transports of patients it falsely claimed were either “bed-confined” or for whom such transport was otherwise medically necessary. The settlement also resolves allegations that North East knowingly retained Medicare overpayments.
MMC’s settlement resolves allegations that MMC personnel provided North East with statements containing incomplete or inaccurate information about the medical necessity of transporting patients by ambulance, which North East thereafter used to bill Medicare.
Both North East and MMC cooperated with the investigation. Federal authorities encourage health care providers to cooperate with investigations involving the possible submission of false claims to federal programs.
The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The civil action is docketed United States v. North East Mobile Health Services, 2:18-cv-00081-NT (D. Me.).
Alleged Serial Bank Robber Indicted for Five Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
ALLEGED SERIAL BANK ROBBER INDICTED FOR FIVE BANK ROBBERIES
Dandre R. Brown, 29, of Godfrey, Illinois, was indicted on February 21, 2018 on five counts of bank robbery and one count of transportation of stolen vehicle, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced today.
The indictment alleges Brown committed five bank robberies in southern Illinois between November 29, 2017 and January 10, 2018. On November 29, 2017, Brown allegedly robbed the U.S. Bank at 1520 Washington Avenue in Alton, Illinois. On December 20, 2017, Brown allegedly robbed the Reliance Bank at 2810 Godfrey Road, in Godfrey, Illinois. On December 22, 2017, Brown allegedly robbed the Regions Bank at 347 W. Main Street, in East Alton, Illinois. On January 2, 2018, Brown allegedly robbed the U.S. Bank at 1301 Edwardsville Road, in Wood River, Illinois. Finally, on January 10, 2018, Brown robbed 1st MidAmerica Credit Union at 1702 Troy Road, in Edwardsville, Illinois. A sixth count in the indictment alleges that on December 11, 2017, Brown transported a stolen vehicle from Missouri into Illinois.
If convicted of bank robbery, Brown faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. If convicted of all bank robbery counts, Brown could face discretionary, consecutive sentences totaling 100 years. If convicted of Transportation of Stolen Vehicle, Brown faces a prison sentence of up to ten years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release.
On January 23, 2018, Brown was apprehended by United States Marshals on a federal arrest warrant in Atlanta, Georgia.
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.
This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, Illinois State Police, Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the following police departments: Granite City, Alton, St. Louis County, Godfrey, East Alton, Wood River, and Edwardsville. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James G. Piper, Jr.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Alfonso Navarrete, 43, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty yesterday in federal court to child sexual abuse and child pornography charges under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The FBI arrested Navarrete on June 22, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with possessing child pornography on June 16, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. The FBI initiated an investigation into Navarrete in May 2017, after receiving information alleging that Navarrete allegedly sexually assaulted a minor in Ireland sometime between 2014 and 2015. During an interview of Navarrete on June 20, 2017, FBI Special Agents and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) detectives found a computer and thumb drive belonging to Navarrete that contained child pornography.
During yesterday’s change of plea hearing, Navarrete pled guilty to a three-count felony information charging him with engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, production of a visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In entering the guilty plea, Navarrete admitted that in June 2015, while temporarily living in Ireland, he engaged in illicit sexual conduct with a 12-year-old victim. Navarrete also admitted using a cellular phone to produce child pornography of a 14-year-old victim in May 2013, and transporting the images from Ohio to New Mexico sometime before his arrest in 2017. Finally, Navarrete admitted that from June 16, 2017 through June 20, 2017, he possessed approximately 730 images and seven videos of child pornography on a thumb drive.
At sentencing, Navarrete faces a maximum penalty of 30 years of imprisonment for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place; a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography; and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. Navarrete faces up to a lifetime of supervised release following any prison sentence imposed, and will be required to register as a sex offender. Navarrete remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the BCSO and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.
Alabama Men Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY. – Sergio Acosta, 28, and Jose Luis Luviano Lopez, 36, both of Montgomery, Alabama, were sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Danny C. Reeves for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Acosta was sentenced to 97 months imprisonment. Luis Luviano was sentenced to 87 months imprisonment.
Acosta and Luviano Lopez previously admitted to transporting nearly 1,000 grams of methamphetamine for distribution. The methamphetamine was found in the back seat of a pickup truck driven by Luviano Lopez, in which Acosta was a passenger, during a traffic stop conducted by the Kentucky State Police in Madison County on September 6, 2017. During the traffic stop, Acosta admitted there was a “kilo” in the truck. Acosta and Luviano Lopez pleaded guilty to the charges in November of 2017.
Under federal law, Acosta and Luviano Lopez must each serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Chris Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville, and Richard Sanders, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police, jointly made the announcement today after the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Tanner Bradley.
9 Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced the return of a 19-count indictment against 9 individuals for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and other offenses.
According to the Indictment, the following individuals were charged as follows:
- Teddia Caldwell a/k/a Teddy, 42, of Gary, Indiana
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Count 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17- Distribution of Crack Cocaine
- Count 6, 9-Distribution of Crack Cocaine and Heroin
- Count 10-Distribution of Heroin
- Count 11-Felon in Possession of A Firearm
- Count 12, 13-Possesion of A Firearm in Furtherance of A Drug Trafficking Crime
- Count 18-Murder of Akeem Oliver While Engaging in A Narcotics Conspiracy
- Count 19-Murder of Kevin Hood While Engaging in A Narcotics Conspiracy
- Victor Young a/k/a Vic, 44, of Calumet City, Illinois
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Count 6-Distribution of Crack Cocaine and Heroin
- Cornell Allen a/k/a Knuckles, 39, of Gary, Indiana
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Count 2- Distribution of Crack Cocaine
- Devonte Hodge, 26, of Gary Indiana
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Count 18-Murder of Akeem Oliver While Engaging in A Narcotics Conspiracy
- Devontae Martin, 24, of Gary, Indiana
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Count 19-Murder of Kevin Hood While Engaging in A Narcotics Conspiracy
- Terry Brown, 32, of Gary, Indiana
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Count 7, 8, 14-Distribution of Cocaine
- Count 15- Possession of A Firearm in Furtherance of A Drug Trafficking Crime
- Paronica Bonds, 34, of Gary, Indiana
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Demetrius Brinkley a/k/a Detroit, 31, of Gary, Indiana
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Taquan Clarke a/k/a Boonie, 24, of Gary, Indiana
- Count 1-Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
- Count 19-Murder of Kevin Hood While Engaging in A Narcotics Conspiracy
U.S. Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II said, “My office and the federal law enforcement agencies are committed to addressing the senseless violence that results from illegal drug trafficking. If you are distributing drugs or committing acts of violence in the Northern District of Indiana, expect federal agencies to be focused on you.”
Eight of the individuals named in the indictment have been arrested. Law enforcement is currently seeking the whereabouts of Demetrius Brinkley. If you have any information as to the whereabouts of the above individual please contact the ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the ATF/HIDTA Task Force and FBI/GRIT Task Force with the assistance of the Indiana State Police, the Lake County Sheriff’s Auto Detail and the Gary Police K-9. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas R. Mahoney and David J. Nozick.
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- Teddia Caldwell a/k/a Teddy, 42, of Gary, Indiana
22 February 2018
Windsor Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CRAIG FRANCIS, also known as Horus Durjaya Bey, 44, of Windsor, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to one count of filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2009, FRANCIS E-filed a 2008 federal income tax return that listed falsely inflated amounts of both interest income received and taxable income withheld by the government, and requested a fraudulent refund of $255,904. The Internal Revenue Service issued the refund before determining that the tax return was fraudulent, and that FRANCIS was actually entitled to a refund of only $4,073.
FRANCIS spent more than $220,000 within five weeks of receiving the fraudulent refund.
FRANCIS is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on May 17, 2018, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. FRANCIS has agreed that, as of today’s date, he owes restitution to the IRS of $380,448.06, which includes interest and penalties.
FRANCIS was arrested on June 7, 2017, in Kissimmee, Florida. He is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Kopel.
Wilburton Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Keith Ray Morgan, age 34, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Felon In Possession Of Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about August 9, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm, to wit: One (1) New England Firearms, Pardner Model, 12-guage shotgun, serial number NS356513, which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.The charges arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sherriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the District 16 Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.
Westmoreland County Woman Sentenced to Probation for Defrauding Victoria’s SecretRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Westmoreland County resident has been sentenced in federal court on her conviction of mail fraud, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Charlene D. Moff, 60, of New Derry, PA. Moff received a sentence of two years probation and was ordered to pay approximately $30,169.56 in restitution.
According to information presented to the court, from September 2013 to March 2016, Moff fraudulently ordered merchandise from Victoria’s Secret using her or her husband’s online account. After the items were delivered, she would call customer service and falsely represent one of the following: that she did not receive the shipment of merchandise, the shipment was missing certain items, or some of the merchandise was incorrect or damaged. She would then receive a credit to her account or a re-shipment of merchandise.
Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Moff.
Westmoreland County Man Sentenced for Selling Deadly Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Monessen, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 96 months in prison on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence yesterday on Jalen Cameron Madison, age 24.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from 2013 until October 26, 2016, Madison knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully conspired with persons, both known and unknown to the United States Attorney, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and heroin. In addition, Madison admitted that the drugs he sold caused the August 22, 2015 death of victim John Brooks Watkins.
Judge Conti called the defendant’s actions in selling heroin and fentanyl "playing with death" and ordered that Madison be supervised by federal Probation Officers for four years after his release from the 96-month period of imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt, a federal prosecutor in the Violent Crime section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Washington County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, and numerous local police departments including the Canonsburg Police Department, the Donora Police Department, the Monessen Police Department, and the Charleroi Police Department, as well as the Washington County Coroner’s Office, and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Madison.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Paris Clevont’e Lyes, age 22, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 21, 2017, guilty plea to possessing firearms and ammunition as an illegal drug user. At the guilty plea, Lyes admitted he possessed a Glock 9mm pistol, a Mossberg .22 caliber pistol, a Romarm Model Mini Draco 7.62x39mm pistol, and more than 800 rounds of ammunition.
Lyes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Lyes was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment and fined $5,000. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lyes 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 Emily K. Nydle and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 17-cr-2057.
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Vidalia man pleads guilty to cocaine distributionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Vidalia man pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Demond Fleming, 40, Vidalia, La., pleaded guilty before U.S District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents noticed Fleming parked in the middle of Concordia Park Drive in Vidalia on July 11, 2017. Agents searched his car and found 82.18 grams of cocaine, two hydrocodone pills and $4,751. They also discovered that he was on supervised release for a previous drug conviction.
Fleming faces 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of May 18, 2018.
The DEA and Louisiana State Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Vermont Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced that Joseph Norko, 50, of Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, pleaded guilty today to two counts of attempted online enticement and one count of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Norko’s charges were based on two online undercover investigations. One investigation was conducted by the Portsmouth Police Department and one was conducted by the Lebanon Police Department. In July of 2017, the defendant responded to an online advertisement posted by a Portsmouth police officer purporting to offer sex with a 12-year-old girl. In September of 2017, he responded to an online advertisement posted by a Lebanon police officer purporting to be a 15-year-old girl. The defendant then traveled from Vermont to New Hampshire in order to engage in sexual contact with the person he thought was 15 years old.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 1, 2018.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the children of the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “This case is yet another example of the dangers that lurk on the Internet. I am grateful to the law enforcement officers whose work led to the conviction of this Internet predator.”
“Online exploitation of children is one of the most disturbing crimes we investigate. It’s always very satisfying when our close coordination with our federal and state partners successfully brings the predators who engage in this behavior to justice,” said Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge, for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Boston.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Lebanon Police Department, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes members of several other police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgiana Konesky.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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United States Citizens and Illegal Aliens Sentenced for Involvement in Brevard Marriage Fraud RingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced three individuals for their involvement in a marriage fraud ring operating out of Brevard County. William Matthew Tex Price (31, Cocoa) was sentenced to two years in federal prison for marriage fraud to run concurrent to a two-year sentence for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Maria Rogacheva (28, Russia) was sentenced to 5 months’ imprisonment and Khagan Mushfig Oglu Nabili (24, Azerbaijan) was sentenced to time served.
According to court documents, in October 2015, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations worked with the Brevard County Clerk of the Court to investigate a significant surge in the number of aliens from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other former Soviet countries marrying U.S. citizens in Brevard County. This led to the arrest of Denis Yakovlev (40, Russia) and Meghan Toole (28, Cocoa) on July 13, 2016.
After his arrest, Yakovlev admitted to introducing approximately 100 individuals to each other over an 18-month period for the purpose of them entering into sham marriages for immigration benefits. Yakovlev claimed that his payment ranged from $1,000 to $2,000 per sham marriage, and that the American citizens were paid between $10,000 and $20,000 each.
Yakovlev “employed” Price, who recruited at least 20 U.S. citizens to participate in the scheme. In August 2015, Price recruited a U.S. citizen to enter into a sham marriage with Nabili. The citizen then filed an immigration petition on Nabili’s behalf in an attempt to obtain lawful status for him. The following month, Price recruited his ex-wife, Toole, to enter into a sham marriage with Bakhramovich Yadigarov (26, Uzbekistan). Toole filed an immigration petition on Yadigarov’s behalf in an attempt to gain lawful status for him.
Price also engaged in fraudulent marriages with Maria Rogacheva and Svetlana Vladimirovna Shakhramanyan (28, Azerbaijan). Rogacheva attempted to avoid prosecution by filing a lengthy petition falsely claiming to be a battered spouse based on her sham marriage to Price. She later admitted that she had not entered into the marriage in good faith, she had never lived with Price as husband and wife, and she had never been battered by Price.
“These criminals defrauded the government and undermined the integrity of our nation’s legal immigration system” said HSI Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This case should send a clear message that we will continue to target those who try to circumvent our nation’s immigration laws.”
Denis Yakovlev (40, Russia) and Meghan Toole (28, Cocoa) previously pleaded guilty for their involvement in this conspiracy. In November 2016, Yakovlev was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment for encouraging or inducing an alien to reside in the United States, and Toole was sentenced to 4 months’ imprisonment for marriage fraud.
April Coleen Moore (24, Satellite Beach) pleaded guilty on January 2, 2018, for her sham marriage to Valriy Tsoy (33, Kazakhstan). Her sentencing hearing is on March 23, 2018. Tsoy, Yadigarov, and Shakhramanyan are set for trial in May 2018.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina R. Downes who is on assignment from the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, ICE.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina Collects over $12 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2017, and $4.8 Million in Asset Forfeiture ActionsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announced today that his office collected over $12 million in criminal and civil actions in fiscal year 2017. Of this amount, $7,115,289.63 was collected in criminal actions and $5,008,219.81 was collected in civil actions.
The Eastern District of North Carolina also collaborated with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $581,492.70. Of this amount, $59,927.77 was collected in criminal actions and $521,564.93 was collected in civil actions.
Overall, the Justice Department collected just over $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in fiscal year 2017.
In the past fiscal year, the Eastern District of North Carolina has returned millions of dollars to crime victims. For example, in United States v. William Larry Rogers, over $695,000 was recovered in victim restitution. Additionally, in United States v. Ronald Doerrer, over $550,000.00 was recovered for victims of the defendant’s criminal conduct.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. For example, in United States v. James Taggart, $995,000.00 was recovered for the Health and Human Services’ Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.
“We will use every tool in our arsenal to aggressively collect victim restitution and criminal fines, and recover taxpayer dollars lost to fraud and owed to government agencies,” said Mr. Higdon. “We are proud of the men and women in our office who have worked so hard to ensure justice through their collection efforts. They are to be congratulated for their tremendously successful efforts.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to the victims of federal crimes. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $4,800,593.00 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2017. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. Mr. Higdon stated, “asset forfeiture serves an important law enforcement interest, and we will continue to aggressively forfeit instrumentalities and fruits of criminal conduct.”