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7 February 2018
Texas Woman Sentenced for Multi-State Identity Theft SpreeRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – Heidi Jones was sentenced to 45 months in prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release and $92,401.20 in restitution to 11 different victims.
Jones admitted to using multiple identities and to obtaining goods and services using counterfeit credit cards in California, Illinois and Missouri during 2017.
Jones, 33, of Arlington, TX, pled guilty in November to three felony counts of using a counterfeit access device and one count of aggravated identity theft. She appeared today for sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr.
The case was investigated by the Walnut Creek (California) Police Department, the Arnold Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Roy is prosecuting the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced for Scamming IndividualsRead the Press Release
St. Louis, MO – David E. Schultz was sentenced to 96 months in prison for wire fraud. Schultz was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $452,376.00.
David E. Schultz defrauded multiple victims by falsely stating that he could provide various legal remedies to them. He demanded victims provide him cash or assets, such as jewelry, gold, silver, and other items of value that could quickly be converted into cash in exchange for future services. Schultz demanded victims borrow money from their family members or open lines of credit in order to provide him with money in exchange for future services.
As part of his fraudulent scheme, Schultz developed a relationship with victim R.R. Victim R.R. was a St. Louis pharmacist whose pharmacology license was suspended in 2014. David E. Schultz falsely represented to Victim R.R. that he was a non-practicing attorney who worked closely with a Saint Louis area attorney. Schultz told R.R. that in exchange for payments, he would be able to obtain a “Letter of Exoneration” from the Missouri Board of Pharmacy and broker a lucrative lab-testing contract with the Missouri Department of Corrections. Victim R.R. paid David E. Schultz approximately $50,000 for services which were never provided and which David E. Schultz never intended to provide.
He also developed a relationship with victim E.B. Victim E.B. owned and operated a health care products distribution firm and was convicted of health care fraud in 2015. David E. Schultz falsely represented to Victim E.B. that he was a non-practicing attorney who worked closely with a Saint Louis area attorney. David E. Schultz represented to Victim E.B. that in exchange for payments, he would be able to have E.B.’s conviction overturned. In July 2016, David E. Schultz presented to Victim E.B. two fraudulent and forged documents falsely representing that E.B.’s conviction was overturned. Victim E.B. paid David E. Schultz approximately $81,000 for services which were never provided.
Schultz also developed a relationship with Victim D.G. Victim D.G. was convicted of health care fraud in 2014. David E. Schultz falsely represented to Victim D.G. that in exchange for payments, he would have D.G.’s conviction “expunged” and falsely represented that he was in close contact with the Federal District Court Judge who sentenced Victim D.G. Victim D.G. paid David E. Schultz approximately $17,000 for services which were never provided.
Schultz also developed a relationship with Victim O.G. Victim O.G. was the sister of Victim D.G. David E. Schultz falsely represented to Victim O.G. that he was working with attorneys to secure her brother’s release from prison. David E. Schultz also falsely represented to Victim O.G. that upon Victim D.G’s release from prison, he intended to open several Dollar Stores with Victim D.G. David E. Schultz represented to Victim O.G. that in exchange for payments, he would pay attorneys to have her brother released from prison and pay for hotel and meal expenses for Dollar Store executives that he hosted. Victim O.G. paid David E. Schultz approximately $22,000 for services which were never provided.
Schultz developed a relationship with Victim R.J. Victim R.J. was a former cardiologist convicted of health care fraud in 2002 and 2009. David E. Schultz falsely represented to Victim R.J. that he was working with attorneys to reinstate Victim R.J.’s medical license. David E. Schultz falsely represented to Victim R.J. that in exchange for payments, he would pay his personal attorney, V.A., to secure “immunity” for Victim R.J. Additionally, David E. Schultz falsely represented that he would pay attorneys to testify for R.J. during the medical license reinstatement process; hire private investigators; and make court-ordered restitution payments on R.J.’s behalf. Victim R.J. paid David E. Schultz approximately $162,000 for services which were never provided.
Furthermore, Schultz developed a romantic relationship with Victim S.M. David E. Schultz falsely represented to Victim S.M. that he was a “hard money lender” and was a wealthy real estate investor. David E. Schultz promised to marry Victim S.M. and provide her with a lifetime of financial security. David E. Schultz represented to Victim S.M. that he needed to borrow money from her only until he received several large cash payments from his overseas accounts. Victim S.M. drained her own saving and retirement accounts, borrowed money from her parents, borrowed money from her siblings and opened credit accounts to generate money for David E. Schultz. In total, Victim S.M. paid David E. Schultz approximately $120,000.
Schultz, 50, of St. Louis County, pled guilty in November to two felony counts of wire fraud. He appeared today for sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie White.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Dianna Collins is prosecuting the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Edrick McCary (25, Sarasota) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2017.
According to court documents, McCary and two of his associates traveled to a Walmart parking lot to rob a person who was scheduled to arrive with drugs that had been paid for in advance. Police, acting on information, arrived in the parking lot and approached McCary and his associates’ car. Police found three firearms in the car, including a Glock 9mm handgun and a Ruger 9mm handgun with a high-capacity magazine. McCary had previously been convicted twice in Florida for possession of cocaine. As a result of his convictions, he 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 Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
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.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to 10 Years Imprisonment for Series of Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
In San Antonio today, a federal judge sentenced 31–year-old David Lee Sartin to 121 months in federal prison for his role in five bank robberies and one attempted bank robbery during the summer of 2016, announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio.
In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Xavier Rodriguez ordered that Sartin pay $26,204 restitution and be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing his prison term.
According to the factual basis filed in this case, Sartin was responsible for robberies that occurred at: Comerica Bank in Helotes, TX, on July 21, 2016; Southwest Research Center Federal Credit Union in San Antonio on July 22, 2016; Chase Bank in San Antonio and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union in Bulverde, TX, on July 29, 2016; Generations Federal Credit Union in San Antonio (*attempted) and Amegy Bank of Texas in San Antonio on August 8, 2016. During all of the robberies, Sartin wore an olive green/tan suit, a baseball hat, sunglasses and a unique silicone “old man” mask.
FBI agents arrested Sartin as he arrived at his residence following the Amegy Bank of Texas robbery on August 8, 2016. At the time of Sartin’s arrest, agents recovered the money stolen from Amegy Bank along with the demand note used and the clothing and mask worn by the defendant during the robbery.
On January 30, 2017, Sartin’s roommate and co-defendant, Jason Lynn Hathorn, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for assisting Sartin in carrying out the bank robberies.
FBI agents investigated this case together with San Antonio, Helotes and Bulverde Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Wannarka prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.
Salvadoran Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Re-entryRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Juan David Monzon Tejada, age 29, and a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced today to time served (80 days in jail) for illegally re-entering the United States.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Thomas E. Feeley, Director of the Buffalo Field Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
As part of his guilty plea, Monzon Tejada admitted that he was removed from the United States to his native El Salvador on September 22, 2015. On November 19, 2017, an ICE Officer arrested Monzon Tejada in Glenville, New York.
Monzon Tejada was remanded to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security for removal proceedings.
This case was investigated by ICE-ERO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.
Removed Alien Charged with Illegally Re-entering United StatesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - An illegal alien found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry after deportation, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The one-count indictment, returned on February 6, named Juan Garcia-Cabrera, age 37, of Mexico, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Juan Garcia-Cabrera, an illegal alien, was formally removed from the United States by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 6, 2007. Juan Garcia-Cabrera was found to be illegally present in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 11, 2018.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of two years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney James R. Wilson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Pittsburgh sub-office conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Registered Sex Offender Detained on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A registered sex offender serving lifetime federal supervised release, having been convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography in 2011, and sentenced to 84 months in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release, was ordered detained in federal custody today, less than 5 months after completing his term of incarceration on a criminal complaint charging him with possession child pornography.
Robert L. MacGregor, 55, of Providence, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children ( RI ICAC) task force earlier today, following an investigation that determined that MacGregor was allegedly in possession of approximately 100 images of child pornography.
According to court documents, during a routine home visit on January 24, 2018, a United States Probation Officer allegedly observed inappropriate materials on MacGregor’s cell phone. A subsequent forensic examination of the phone by members of the RI ICAC task force allegedly revealed approximately 100 images of child pornography.
MacGregor’s arrest and detention are announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Michael S. Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI for New England; and Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police.
Possession of child pornography in this matter (2nd offense) is punishable by statutory penalties of a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of 20 years of incarceration; lifetime supervised release; and a fine of up to $250,000.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
MacGregor was ordered detained by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
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Red Oak Man Sentenced to 170 Months on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Noah Ray Evans, 35, of Red Oak, Texas, was sentenced this week before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 170 months in federal prison on a federal child pornography charge, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Evans pleaded guilty to one count of transportation and shipping child pornography in October 2017.
According to the plea agreement factual resume filed in the case, on January 29, 2017, Evans used his computer to send files of a prepubescent minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood leverages federal, state and local resources to better investigate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children. Project Safe Childhood also prioritizes identifying and rescuing victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”
Homeland Secutiry Investigations and Ozark, Arkansas Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Read prosecuted.
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Rabobank NA Pleads Guilty, Agrees to Pay over $360 MillionRead the Press Release
Rabobank National Association (Rabobank), a Roseville, California subsidiary of the Netherlands-based Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A., appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill L. Burkhardt and pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy charge for impairing, impeding and obstructing its primary regulator, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the OCC) by concealing deficiencies in its anti-money laundering (AML) program and for obstructing the OCC’s examination of Rabobank. Rabobank will forfeit $368,701,259 as a result of allowing illicit funds to be processed through the bank without adequate Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) or AML review.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman for the Southern District of California, Special Agent in Charge Dave Shaw of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego and Special Agent in Charge R. Damon Rowe of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
At today’s hearing, Rabobank pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to corruptly obstruct an examination of a financial institution. In pleading guilty, Rabobank admitted to conspiring with several former executives to defraud the United States by unlawfully impeding the OCC’s ability to regulate the bank, and to obstruct an examination by the OCC of its operations throughout California, including its Calexico and Tecate bank branches. Rabobank admitted that its deficient AML program allowed hundreds of millions of dollars in untraceable cash, sourced from Mexico and elsewhere, to be deposited into its rural bank branches in Imperial County, and transferred via wire transfers, checks, and cash transactions, without proper notification to federal regulators as required by law. Knowing these failures, during the OCC’s 2012 examination of Rabobank’s BSA/AML compliance program, Rabobank executives actively sought to hide and minimize the deficiencies in its AML program in an effort to deceive the regulators as to its true state in hopes of avoiding regulatory sanctions that had previously been imposed on Rabobank in 2006 and 2008 for nearly identical failures.
Rabobank’s guilty plea comes less than two months after a former Rabobank vice president, George Martin, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States for his role in aiding and abetting Rabobank’s failure to maintain an AML program that met BSA requirements. Martin admitted his conduct in federal court in San Diego on Dec. 14, 2017. As part of its guilty plea, Rabobank agreed to cooperate with the United States’ continuing investigation.
“When Rabobank learned that substantial numbers of its customers’ transactions were indicative of international narcotics trafficking, organized crime, and money laundering activities, it chose to look the other way and to cover up deficiencies in its anti-money laundering program,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “Worse still, Rabobank took steps to obstruct an examination by its regulator into those same deficiencies. The integrity of our financial system depends on prompt reporting by banks and other financial institutions of suspicious, potentially criminal transactions, and on these entities’ truthfulness and transparency with their regulators. Rabobank’s guilty plea today and forfeiture of more than $360 million is a warning to financial institutions that there are significant consequences for banks that engage in obstructive conduct in an effort to hide their anti-money laundering program failures from their regulators.”
“Rabobank had an obligation to shine light on suspected drug traffickers, money launderers and organized crime,” said U.S. Attorney Braverman. “Instead, this bank deliberately allowed hundreds of millions of dollars of suspicious cash transactions and wire transfers to flow through its branches and took measures to hide this activity from regulators. We will vigorously protect the integrity of the banking system, and we will not allow the financial institutions in our communities to play any role in facilitating international money laundering or financing transnational criminal organizations.”
“It is the responsibility of Homeland Security Investigations to monitor and investigate activity which exploits the global infrastructure, to include financial systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Shaw. “This complex investigation revealed, and Rabobank admits, that Rabobank was aware of the extreme risk that it was processing hundreds of millions of dollars related to transnational crime and international money laundering – activity which plagues the Southwest Border. This plea and significant forfeiture send a strong message to financial institutions that this activity will not be tolerated.”
“Today, Rabobank is being held accountable for its illegal actions involving the movement of more than $360 million through the U.S. financial system on behalf of high risk customers,” said Special Agent in Charge Rowe. “In today’s environment of increasingly sophisticated financial markets, it’s critical that global institutions follow U.S. law and abide by our anti-money laundering regulations. The IRS is proud to share its world-renowned financial investigative expertise in this and other complex financial investigations.”
The BSA requires financial institutions to implement and maintain an AML compliance program reasonably designed, among other things: (i) to detect suspicious activity indicative of money laundering and other crimes and (ii) to assure and monitor compliance with the BSA’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including to report to the U.S. Department of the Treasury any suspicious transactions (through the filing “suspicious activity reports” or “SARs”) indicative of a possible violation of the law. In its plea agreement, Rabobank admitted knowing that between 2009 and 2012 its BSA/AML program failed in significant ways. Some of these BSA/AML program failures resulted from policies and procedures at Rabobank that precluded and suppressed investigations into suspicious transactions that occurred at its branches, by its accountholders, or by individuals conducting transactions on behalf of its accountholders that had various indications of being involved in, derived from, or promoting illegal conduct.
According to court documents, Rabobank received regular alerts of transactions by “High-Risk” customers, or through accounts deemed to be “High-Risk,” and that had been the subject of prior SARs filed by Rabobank. These High-Risk customers and accounts included those controlled and managed by Mexican businesses, nonresident aliens, and U.S.-based accountholders who transacted hundreds of millions of dollars in untraceable cash, sourced from Mexico and elsewhere, into and through Rabobank accounts.
According to court documents, Rabobank also created and implemented policies and procedures to prevent adequate investigations into these suspicious transactions, customers, and accounts. Among those policies and procedures was Rabobank’s “Verified List” – a policy that effectively resulted in Rabobank executing an end-run the BSA/AML and SAR requirements. In particular, Rabobank instructed its employees that if a customer was on the “Verified List,” no further review of that customer’s transactions was necessary -- even if the transactions generated an internal alert, or the customer’s activity had changed dramatically from when it was “verified.” Rabobank’s BSA/AML staff were further instructed to aggressively increase the number of bank accounts on the Verified List, as evidenced by the fact that in 2009, Rabobank had less than 10 “verified” customers, but by 2012, as a result of its defective BSA/AML policies and procedures, it had more than 1,000 “verified” customers.
Additionally, Rabobank admitted failing to monitor and conduct adequate investigations into these transactions and submit SARs to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), as required by the BSA. Rabobank’s border branches, including those located in Calexico and Tecate in Imperial County, California, were heavily dependent on cash deposits from Mexico. Rabobank knew that millions of dollars in cash deposits at these branches were likely tied to illicit conduct. In particular, the Calexico branch, located about two blocks from the U.S.-Mexico border, was the “highest performing” branch in the Imperial Valley region due to the cash deposits from Mexico. Throughout the relevant time period, Rabobank continued this practice of soliciting cash-intensive customers from Mexico and elsewhere, all the while employing the foregoing inadequate BSA/AML policies and procedures to address the obvious, known “High Risks” associated with these accounts, transactions, and transactors.
When the OCC began conducting its periodic examination of Rabobank in 2012, Rabobank, acting through three of its executives, agreed to, among other things, knowingly obstruct the OCC’s examination. Rabobank responded to the OCC’s February 2013 initial report of examination with false and misleading information about the state of Rabobank’s BSA/AML program. Rabobank also made false and misleading statements to the OCC regarding the existence of reports developed by a third-party consultant, which detailed the deficiencies and resulting ineffectiveness of Rabobank’s BSA/AML program.
To further conceal the inadequate nature of its BSA/AML program and to avoid “others contradicting our findings” and statements to the OCC, Rabobank demoted or terminated two RNA employees who were raising questions about the adequacy of Rabobank’s BSA/AML program.
The investigation was conducted by HSI, IRS-CI, and the Financial Investigations and Border Crimes Task Force (the FIBC), a multiagency Task Force based in San Diego and Imperial Counties, and funded by the Treasury Executive Office of Asset Forfeiture (TEOAF). The investigation occurred in parallel with regulatory investigations by the OCC, Office of General Counsel, and FinCEN, Enforcement Division. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kevin G. Mosley and Maria Vento of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel C. Silva, Mark W. Pletcher and David J. Rawls from the Southern District of California.
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Pittsford Man Sentenced in Million Dollar Food Stamp Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Irving Feldman, 62, of Pittsford, NY, who was convicted of food stamp fraud, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and ordered to pay $729,630 in restitution by Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who handled the case, stated that the defendant owned Upstate Fish, Inc., at 826 Joseph Avenue in Rochester, NY. Feldman was authorized to accept and redeem food stamps as the owner of Upstate Fish, Inc. Food stamp benefits are issued by the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) and are distributed to recipients through the use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (“EBT”) cards. When purchasing certain eligible food items, the beneficiary provides the EBT card through an EBT terminal at the authorized retailer. This electronic transfer of benefits is initiated at the retailer’s terminal by deducting benefits from the beneficiary’s account and crediting the amount through an electronic transfer directly from the United States Treasury Department to the retailer’s designated bank account. A retailer is prohibited from exchanging cash for food stamps.
Between January 2010 and October 2015, the defendant illegally purchased food stamp benefits for less than half their full value for cash from eligible beneficiaries. Feldman engaged in approximately $1,227,063 of illegitimate transactions.
In addition, the defendant directed beneficiaries to purchase fish at other fish stores using their EBT card. The beneficiaries would then bring the fish to the defendant at Upstate Fish, Inc. and Feldman would provide cash to the beneficiaries in amounts less than the cost to purchase the fish. The loss amount from this additional scheme was approximately $202,620.
“The schemes concocted by defendant—real-life fish stories—resulted not only in nutrition assistance being withheld from low-income individuals but also led to significant sums of money being fraudulently diverted from the needy to defendant,” noted U.S. Attorney Kennedy. “I’d like to commend our federal, state, and local partners for their excellent cooperation and assistance in helping us to catch this defendant and successfully prosecute him in federal court.”
“This corner fish market was a front for the owner’s brazen seven-figure criminal scheme in which he took advantage of society’s most financially vulnerable, as well as our critical welfare system, for his own personal greed,” said New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott. “I will continue to work closely with my law enforcement partners to put a stop to corrupt business owners illegally profiting from vital government programs.”
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins; the Rochester Police Department, Economic Crimes Division, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli; the Monroe County Department of Social Services, under the direction of Corinda Crossdale; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; and the New York State, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott.Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Gun with an Obliterated Serial NumberRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging a resident of Pittsburgh with violations of federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count superseding indictment, returned on February 6, named Nazim Burton, age 41, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the superseding indictment, on June 24, 2017, Burton illegally possessed a firearm with an altered or obliterated serial number. Burton has previously been convicted of a felony, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
For possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, the law provides for a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years up to a maximum of life in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pine Ridge Man Charged in ShootingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Lester Waters Jr. was charged on January 29, 2018. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on February 2, 2018, and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Waters shooting two men near Pine Ridge on January 25, 2018. The charge is merely an accusation and Waters is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Pubic Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins is prosecuting the case.
Waters was detained pending further hearing. A trial date has not been set.
Oregon Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Trafficking MarijuanaRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN G. KOUKOURAS, 40, of Eugene, Oregon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking marijuana. Judge Arterton also ordered KOUKOURAS to pay a $4,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2017, KOUKOURAS and William Reyes, of Stamford, utilized a residence located at 40 Guernsey Hill Road in Lagrangeville, New York, to grow, process and distribute marijuana. On July 26, 2017, investigators executed a federal search warrant at the Lagrangeville residence and seized approximately 140 marijuana plants and equipment used to grow, process and distribute marijuana.
On September 14, 2017, KOUKOURAS was arrested at 720 Brookside Drive in Eugene. On that date, investigators searched the residence and seized approximately 50 marijuana plants and equipment used to grow and process marijuana.
The investigation also revealed that Reyes was being supplied with large quantities of marijuana by Gustavo Garcia, of Queens, New York. In July 2017, Garcia delivered approximately 40 pounds of marijuana to Reyes in exchange for approximately $80,000.
On November 15, 2017, KOUKOURAS pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
Judge Arterton ordered KOUKOURAS to report to prison on March 13, 2018. He is released on a $25,000 bond.
Reyes and Garcia have pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Stamford Police Department and New York State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Sarala V. Nagala.
Norwich Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMAEL ARTIS, also known as “Rah,” 36, of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 106 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for gun and drug offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 15, 2016, a court-authorized search of ARTIS’ Norwich apartment revealed approximately 50 grams of heroin, a quantity of cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.
The investigation revealed that between July 2015 and March 2016, ARTIS obtained four handguns by trading heroin for each firearm.
ARTIS has been detained since his arrest on March 15, 2016. On October 4, 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
ARTIS’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm, narcotics, robbery and larceny offenses.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Safe Streets Task Force, and the Town of Groton, Norwich and Waterford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Northside Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of federal firearm violations, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.
The two-count indictment, returned on February 6, named Ambrose J. Sample, II, age 37, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, on or about June 17, 2017, Ambrose J. Sample, II, a convicted felon, was in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence at each count of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Shanicka L. Kennedy is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Norfolk Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud in Metal Building Construction ScamRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Robert C. Stuart announced that Bradley S. Leffers, 47, formerly of McCook, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, to 2 years in prison by United States Senior District Judge Richard G. Kopf, for wire fraud. Leffers was also ordered to pay $712,066.64 in restitution and serve 3 years on supervised release.
In 2013 and early 2014, Bradley Leffers, doing business as Rocklin Steel, placed ads in magazines and on the radio, targeted at farmers and ranchers, offering to construct metal buildings. The typical pattern was for a customer to contact Leffers in response to an ad. Leffers would then personally visit the customer and enter into a contract to erect a building, accepting a down payment at the time the contract was signed. Frequently Leffers would contact the customer once or twice more within the first 30 days and explain the need for more money, and would receive more money. The explanations given varied from the need to pay the foundation sub-contractor, the need to pay more up front for ‘extras’ desired for the building, the switch from one materials supplier to another, etc. The payments by the customers were deposited into Leffers’ bank account, resulting in interstate wire transmissions. The customers are primarily in northeast Nebraska, with a couple in Kansas.
Leffers did build some buildings, but there are individuals from whom Leffers took money but never acquired any materials nor did he begin any construction. These victims confirmed they entered into contracts with Leffers for the construction of buildings on their property and made substantial payments while never receiving anything in return. With some victims, Leffers did place an order for materials with a supplier, but he never sent the supplier any money so no materials were supplied. For other victims Leffers never ordered any materials nor did he send any money to any supplier.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Non-Indian Sex Offender from Vanderwagon Sentenced for Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping of Navajo ChildrenRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – William Detwiler, 68, a non-Indian who resides in Vanderwagon, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 150 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on child sexual abuse and kidnapping charges. Detwiler will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division and New Mexico State Police Chief Pete N. Kassetas.
Detwiler, who has a prior conviction for criminal sexual contact with a minor, was arrested on May 31, 2016, on a four-count indictment, charging him with two counts of aggravated child sexual assault and two counts of kidnapping. According to the indictment, Detwiler kidnapped an Indian child under the age of 16 years and sexually abused the victim on two occasions between Nov. 2013 and June 2014. Detwiler was charged with committing the four crimes on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.
On Aug. 11, 2016, Detwiler pled guilty to a felony information charging him with abusive sexual contact and kidnapping. In entering the guilty plea, Detwiler admitted that in Nov. 2013, he engaged in sexual contact with the victim and acknowledged that the victim was under the age of 16 years. Detwiler further admitted that on a date between Aug. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2014, he kidnapped a different Indian child under the age of 16 years.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the New Mexico State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Marshall and Novaline D. Wilson 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 is being prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates under this initiative.
New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking PCP in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Taylor Overton Foster, 28, of White Plains, N.Y., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on a phencyclidine (PCP) trafficking offense.
The DEA arrested Foster on Feb. 8, 2017, after seizing seized approximately 508.9 grams (1.12 pounds) of PCP from him during an interdiction investigation at the Amtrak Train Station in Albuquerque. Thereafter Foster was charged by criminal complaint with possessing PCP with intent to distribute on Feb. 8, 2017, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Foster subsequently was indicted on Feb. 28, 2017, on the same charge.
On July 14, 2017, Foster pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of PCP with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Foster admitted transporting PCP to Albuquerque on the Amtrak train on Feb. 8, 2017. Foster further admitted that a DEA agent discovered the PCP in a leaking bottle inside Foster’s backpack.
This case was investigated by the DEA Albuquerque District Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez prosecuted the case.
New York Doctor Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Dr. Syed Imran Ahmed, a licensed medical doctor who practiced at hospitals in Brooklyn and on Long Island, was sentenced by United States Chief Judge Dora L. Irizarry of the Eastern District of New York to 13 years’ imprisonment for submitting millions of dollars in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. The Court also ordered Dr. Ahmed to pay $7,266,008.95 in restitution, to forfeit $7,266,008.95, and to pay a $20,000 fine. Dr. Ahmed was convicted by a federal jury after an 11-day trial of one count of health care fraud, three counts of making false statements related to health care matters, and two counts of money laundering.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John P. Cronan, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) Office of Investigations, New York Region, announced the sentence.
“Dr. Syed Ahmed treated Medicare like a personal piggy bank, stealing over $7.2 million by making fraudulent claims for medical procedures he never performed,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Dr. Ahmed will now pay the price for violating the trust that Medicare places in doctors. His 13-year prison sentence and the heavy payments imposed should send a powerful message of deterrence to other medical professionals who would seek to defraud vital taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare for personal enrichment. This Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will remain vigilant in rooting out health care fraud.”
“Medicare is a crucial program for many of the most vulnerable people in our society – American seniors and those with disabilities,” stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “In this case, Syed Ahmed put his own greed ahead of the trust we put in our medical professionals, draining over $7 million in precious funding from our Medicare program. His conviction and the sentence imposed in this case demonstrate the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to protecting public funds and the integrity of our health care system.”
“Health care fraud is often billed as a victimless crime, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “Someone is always left to foot the bill. Insurers, the insured, and others are the ones who pay the price. Those who employ these schemes will most certainly be brought to justice, as we’ve proven here today.”
“The fraud scheme that Dr. Ahmed engaged in was motivated by pure greed,” stated HHS OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Lampert. “HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue all those who seek to unlawfully enrich themselves by victimizing participants of the Medicare program.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Dr. Ahmed, a surgeon who practiced at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, Franklin Hospital in Valley Stream, and Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, New York, billed the Medicare program for incision-and-drainage and wound debridement procedures that he did not perform. Dr. Ahmed wrote out lists of phony surgeries and sent the lists to his billing company in Michigan, with instructions that the procedures be billed to Medicare. Dr. Ahmed also directed that the surgeries be billed as though they had taken place in an operating room in order to increase the payout for the fraudulent scheme. The evidence introduced at trial showed that Medicare paid over $7 million to Dr. Ahmed for his fraudulent claims.The FBI and HHS OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney F. Turner Buford, formerly a Fraud Section trial attorney, Senior Litigation Counsel Patricia Notopoulos of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorney Debra Jaroslawicz of the Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karin Orenstein of the Office’s Civil Division is responsible for the forfeiture of assets.
The Defendant:
Syed Imran Ahmed
Age: 51
Residence: Glen Head, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 14-CR-277 (DLI)
New York Doctor Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A New York surgeon who practiced at hospitals in Brooklyn and Long Island was sentenced today to 156 months in prison for his role in a scheme that involved the submission of millions of dollars in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue of the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Scott Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Office of Investigations made the announcement.
Syed Imran Ahmed M.D., 51, of Glen Head, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dora L. Irizarry of the Eastern District of New York, who also ordered Ahmed to pay $7,266,008.95 in restitution, to forfeit $7,266,008.95, and to pay a $20,000 fine. Ahmed was convicted in July 2016 after an 11-day trial of one count of health care fraud, three counts of making false statements related to health care matters and two counts of money laundering.
“Medicare is a crucial program for many of the most vulnerable people in our society – American seniors and those with disabilities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “In this case, Syed Ahmed put his own greed ahead of the trust we put in our medical professionals, draining over $7 million in precious funding from our Medicare program. His conviction and the sentence imposed in this case demonstrate the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to protecting public funds and the integrity of our health care system.”
“Dr. Syed Ahmed treated Medicare like a personal piggy bank, stealing over $7.2 million by making fraudulent claims for medical procedures he never performed,” stated U.S. Attorney Donoghue. “Dr. Ahmed will now pay the price for violating the trust that Medicare places in doctors. His 13-year prison sentence and the heavy payments imposed should send a powerful message of deterrence to other medical professionals who would seek to defraud vital taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare for personal enrichment. This Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will remain vigilant in rooting out health care fraud.”
“Health care fraud is often billed as a victimless crime, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney. “Someone is always left to foot the bill. Insurers, the insured, and others are the ones who pay the price. Those who employ these schemes will most certainly be brought to justice, as we’ve proven here today.”
“The fraud scheme that Dr. Ahmed engaged in was motivated by pure greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Lampert. “HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue all those who seek to unlawfully enrich themselves by victimizing participants of the Medicare program.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Ahmed, a surgeon who practiced at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, Franklin Hospital in Valley Stream, and Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, New York, billed the Medicare program for incision-and-drainage and wound debridement procedures that he did not perform. Ahmed wrote out lists of phony surgeries and sent the lists to his billing company in Michigan with instructions that they be billed to Medicare. Ahmed also directed that the surgeries be billed as though they had taken place in an operating room so as to increase the payout for the fraudulent scheme, the evidence showed.
The evidence introduced at trial showed that Medicare paid over $7 million to Ahmed for fraudulent claims.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Trial Attorney Debra Jaroslawicz of the Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney F. Turner Buford, formerly a Fraud Section trial attorney, and Senior Litigation Counsel Patricia Notopoulos of the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 3,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $12.5 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GABRIEL CARRETO-SANCHEZ, age 41, of New Orleans, has pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute One Kilogram or more of Cocaine, and one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute One Kilogram or more of Cocaine. The defendant faces a sentence of between five and forty years imprisonment.
CARRETO-SANCHEZ admitted that in April 2017, he traveled from New Orleans to Houston, Texas to receive approximately one kilogram of cocaine hydrochloride from a supplier. Subsequently, as he was returning to New Orleans, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) conducted a stop of his vehicle and seized the kilogram of cocaine hidden inside the vehicle.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.
Navajo Man from Red Mesa, Utah, Sentenced to Prison for Federal Involuntary Manslaughter Conviction in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Lelander Mays, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Red Mesa, Utah, was sentenced yesterday afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Mays was arrested in Dec. 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. According to the complaint, Mays killed a man when Mays crashed his vehicle on Dec. 6, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M. At the time of the crash, Mays was driving under the influence of alcohol and the victim, who was a passenger in Mays’ vehicle, was thrown from the vehicle.
Mays was subsequently indicted on Dec. 20, 2016, and charged with involuntary manslaughter. On June 7, 2017, Mays pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.
This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI, the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case.
Missoula Man Found Guilty of Sex Trafficking and Attempting to Coerce Minors into ProstitutionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A jury handed down guilty verdicts today in the sex-trafficking trial of Terrance Tyrell Edwards and Francine Joann Granados. The verdicts against Edwards were guilty on all charges, including three counts of Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, or Coercion; three counts of Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Prostitution; one count of Obstruction of a Sex Trafficking Investigation; one count of Transportation of a Person with Intent to Engage in
Criminal Sexual Activity; one count of Distribution of Marijuana to Person under 21 Years of
Age; and one count of Tampering with a Witness, Victim, or Informant. The jury found defendant Granados guilty of Tampering with a Witness, Victim, or Informant.
Beginning in March of 2016, shortly after he was released from prison on prostitution charges, Edwards began forcing his first female victim in this case to engage in commercial sex in Missoula, Montana. Edwards physically and emotionally abused her, and threatened her life and the lives of her family members. Edwards took all of the money from the commercial sex encounters. As time progressed, Edwards added other women, as many as five. He followed the same pattern of grooming and abuse each time. Some of the abuse was well-documented, such as when Edwards struck one victim in his car with such force that her blood splattered on the seat belt, which was later identified as the victim’s blood.
Edwards advertised his victims on Backpage.com. They traveled from place to place in Montana and Utah, conducting commercial sex transactions where Edwards received the lion’s share of the money.
In September of 2016, Edwards convinced three minor females from Fargo, North Dakota, ages 15, 16, and 17, to join his group. Edwards drove them to Billings, and on the way, he supplied the underage girls with marijuana. Edwards was arrested in Billings shortly after arriving with the minor girls from North Dakota.
After Edwards was arrested, he and Granados began trying to influence the testimony of the various victims. In recorded jail calls played for the jury, Edwards and Granados discussed how Granados would reach out to the victims in an effort to influence their testimony. Despite warnings from the FBI to have no contact with the victims, Granados persisted. In other recorded jail calls, Edwards reached out to victims himself to influence their testimony.
In response to the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme noted that today’s verdicts serve to emphasize comments from the Department of Justice last week, when the Attorney General stated:
“Bringing traffickers like this one to justice is one of the top priorities of the U.S. Department of Justice. We are using every tool at our disposal to eradicate human trafficking. We vigorously investigate and prosecute offenders. We fund training for local law enforcement officers in how to identify trafficking victims. We provide millions of dollars in grants to organizations that assist trafficking victims. And we take every opportunity to raise public awareness of the problem.”
Mr. Alme stated, “We are committed to bringing human traffickers like Edwards to justice I want to thank prosecutors Cyndee Peterson and Zeno Baucus, the FBI agents, and the victim/witness specialists and the staff of the FBI and our office for their good work in pushing this case through to a verdict. We will continue to do whatever we can to protect the vulnerable victims of these crimes, who in this case included three minor girls from North Dakota. I ask people from across Montana to help us spot these human trafficking crimes and report them to law enforcement.”
Mission Woman Sentenced for Misprision of a FelonyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, woman convicted of Misprision of a Felony was sentenced on February 5, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Wastewin Jonnie Waukechon, age 39, was sentenced to 9 months in custody, 1 year of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Waukechon was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 15, 2017, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, Distribution of a Controlled Substance, and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Waukechon pled guilty to Misprision of a Felony on November 13, 2017.
On February 8, 2017, Waukechon accompanied Richard Neiss from Rapid City to Eagle Butte, South Dakota, where Neiss intended to distribute methamphetamine. Waukechon was present and watched while Neiss sold 11.1 grams of methamphetamine to another individual in Eagle Butte. Waukechon, having knowledge of the methamphetamine distribution transaction, concealed that fact from federal law enforcement and did not otherwise report the incident to a judge or other person in civil authority.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Narcotics Division, and the Northern Plains Safe Trials Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney SaraBeth Donovan prosecuted the case.
Waukechon was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Minneapolis Woman Charged with Terrorism Offenses, Arson, and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced a three-count indictment charging TNUZA JAMAL HASSAN, 19, with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, arson, and making a false statement. HASSAN will make her initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge at a later date.
According to the indictment, on September 19, 2017, HASSAN, a former student at St. Catherine University (SCU) in St. Paul, Minnesota, attempted to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely, al-Qa’ida. On September 22, 2017, in an interview with FBI Agents, HASSAN was asked whether she authored and delivered a letter to two fellow students at SCU in March 2017. The letter sought to encourage fellow students to “join the jihad in fighting” and to “[j]oin Al Qaeda, Taliban, or Al Shabaab.” HASSAN knowingly made a false statement to FBI Agents when she stated (1) she did not write the letter, (2) she did not know who wrote the letter, and (3) did not know how the letter came to be delivered to her fellow students.
According to the indictment, on January 17, 2018, HASSAN started several fires on the campus of SCU, including in St. Mary Hall, which she maliciously damaged. The fires set by HASSAN caused the St. Paul Fire Department to respond to SCU.
HASSAN was charged in Ramsey County District Court with one count of first-degree arson and is currently in custody at the Ramsey County Jail.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter is prosecuting the case.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force, St. Paul Police Department, and arson investigators from the St. Paul Fire Department.
Defendant Information:
TNUZA JAMAL HASSAN, 19
Minneapolis, Minn.
Charges:
- Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (al-Qa’ida), 1 count
- False Statement, 1 count
- Arson, 1 count
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Minkler announces federal immigration charges against illegal alien involved in I-70 motor vehicle accidentRead the Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
Indianapolis United States Attorney Josh Minkler today announced federal charges against an illegal alien from Guatemala. Manuel Orrego-Zavala 37, was charged by a criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien.
“The defendant in this case allegedly re-entered the country illegally for the second time before he put the public safety of Indianapolis at risk and took the lives of two innocent men early Sunday morning,” said Minkler. “In April, Attorney General Sessions directed all federal prosecutors to prioritize charging aliens that illegally re-enter the country, especially if they are a risk to public safety or there is a criminal history present. Following the rule of law is the foundation of our American democracy, and my office is committed to fulfilling the Attorney General’s directive.”
According to the criminal complaint, Orrego-Zavala was encountered by law enforcement in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 4, 2018, when he was arrested after being involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident on Interstate 70. At the time of his arrest, Orrego-Zavala provided law enforcement authorities with the alias, “Alex G. Cabrera,” but Homeland Security agents soon learned—through cooperation and information sharing with the Indianapolis Metro Police Department—his true identity was Manuel Orrego-Zavala, a citizen of Guatemala.
The complaint further states Orrego-Zavala was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) in October 2006, and removed from the United States to Guatemala in January 2007. At that time, Orrego-Zavala was prohibited from returning to the United States for 10 years. In March 2009, he was arrested by ICE ERO and in May 2009, removed to Guatemala and prohibited from returning for 20 years.
Orrego-Zavala will remain in custody while the case is investigated by the Indiana State Police and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. The immigration charges will remain pending until the conclusion of all state matters.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in federal court.
According to Assistant United States Attorney William McCoskey who is prosecuting this case for the government, Orrego-Zavala faces up to 10 years of imprisonment if convicted.
In October 2017, United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced a Strategic Plan designed to shape and strengthen the District’s response to its most significant public safety challenges. This prosecution demonstrates the office’s firm commitment to utilize and partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute illegal immigration cases. See United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana Strategic Plan Section 1.8
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Michigan Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone and a Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky., - Two Detroit men have been sentenced to federal prison for drug and firearm offenses. U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves formally sentenced each, on Friday, February 2, 2018.
Marcella Lorenzo Dunbar, 37, was sentenced to 105 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Gerald Jones, 31, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.
Dunbar and Jones previously admitted that they had traveled from Detroit to Winchester in late 2016, and began selling oxycodone to local users. Dunbar also admitted renting a house in Winchester so that he and Jones could sell oxycodone. When arrested, Dunbar and Gerald Jones were found in possession of 1,550 oxycodone pills for sale, a firearm, and $4,750 in drug proceeds. Dunbar also admitted that he had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Dunbar and Jones pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2017.
Under federal law, Dunbar and Jones must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences; and, upon release, they will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for 5 years and 3 years, respectfully.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Klinger, Field Office Director, Department of Homeland Security, Detroit; Richard Sanders, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Clark County Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr., jointly announced the sentences.
These cases were prosecuted 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 Department of Homeland Security, Kentucky State Police, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Roger W. West represented the United States.
Mexican Meth Smuggler Ordered to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 41-year old resident of Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, has been ordered to prison for a conspiracy to import more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Sergio Aguilar-Hernandez pleaded guilty Aug. 31, 2017.
Today, visiting U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle ordered him to prison for 90 months. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following the sentence.
On June 15, 2017, Aguilar-Hernandez arrived at the Columbia bridge driving a tractor trailer. Inside the vehicle was a box of aloe vera drinks that were found to contain approximately 10.26 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine.
Aguilar-Hernandez had entered the country two days prior with the same box of aloe vera drinks, but was unable to locate his contact in Laredo. He then continued to Stafford to deliver a legitimate load, picked up a new one in Victoria and returned to Mexico.
Aguilar-Hernandez entered again on June 15 in a second attempt to meet his contact, but was apprehended at the bridge prior to delivering the methamphetamine.
Aguilar-Hernandez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno prosecuted the case.
Man Indicted for Falsely Pretending to be a General Officer in the U.S. ArmyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned an indictment charging CHRISTIAN GERALD DESGROUX, age 57, of Raleigh, with pretending to be a United States Army Lieutenant General engaged in transporting a person for a classified briefing and under such guise having asserted authority to land a helicopter at Statistical Analysis Systems (SAS) headquarters, located in Cary, North Carolina – all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 912.
If convicted of this charge DESGROUX would face maximum penalties of 3 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Kellhofer and Eleanor Morales are prosecuting the case for the government.
Livingston Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – Rian Lee Kvernes, a 28-year-old resident of Livingston, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison followed by 4 years supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in October. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters handed down the sentence.
Kvernes and his associates possessed and sold methamphetamine in early 2016. They also traded stolen firearms for methamphetamine. Specifically, he and an associate traded 10 to 15 stolen long guns for an ounce of methamphetamine in Butte. During the investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and found 12 additional stolen firearms. They also found methamphetamine, drug distribution supplies, and a short-barreled shotgun behind his bedroom door.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Godfrey and Paulette Stewart and investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force 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 sentencing is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
Latvian National Pleads Guilty to “Scareware” Hacking Scheme That Targeted Minneapolis Star Tribune WebsiteRead the Press Release
A Latvian man pleaded guilty yesterday for participating in a lucrative “scareware” hacking scheme that targeted visitors to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s website. Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker of the District of Minnesota; and Special Agent in Charge Richard T. Thornton of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.
“With this guilty plea, Mr. Sahurovs has taken responsibility for perpetrating a malicious cyber-fraud scheme on visitors of the Minneapolis Star Tribune website,” said U.S. Attorney Greg Brooker. “This Office along with our partners at the FBI are committed to pursuing and prosecuting cyber criminals who use sophisticated schemes such as this to victimize internet users.”
Richard Thornton, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI's Minneapolis Division, added that, “this particular scheme was dangerous on several levels, especially the use of a website belonging to a media institution. In this case, there were thousands of victims who lost millions of dollars, but the use of the media internet site is concerning because it has the potential to undermine the public's access to information, a pillar of American democracy. The FBI is committed to identifying these and other cyber criminals, and, with the help of our domestic and foreign partners, will work tirelessly to catch them no matter where they hide.”
PETERIS SAHUROVS aka “Piotrek” aka “Sagade,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud before District Judge Ann D. Montgomery of the District of Minnesota. SAHUROVS was arrested on a District of Minnesota indictment in Latvia in June of 2011, but was released by a Latvian court and later fled. In November of 2016, SAHUROVS was located in Poland and apprehended by Polish law enforcement and extradited to the United States in June of 2017. SAHUROVS was at one time the FBI’s fifth most wanted cybercriminal and a reward of up to $50,000 had been offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction. He will be sentenced on June 6.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea, from at least May 2009 to June 2011, SAHUROVS operated a “bullet-proof” web hosting service in Latvia, through which he leased server space to customers seeking to carry out criminal schemes without being identified or taken offline. The defendant knew that his customers were using his servers to perpetrate criminal schemes, including the transmission of malware, fake anti-virus software, spam, and botnets to unwitting victims, and he received notices from internet governance entities (such as Spamhaus) that his servers were hosting malicious activity. Nonetheless, he was familiar with these criminal schemes, took steps to protect them from being discovered or disrupted, and hosted them on his servers for financial gain.
SAHUROVS admitted that from in or about February 2010 to in or about September 2010, he registered domain names, provided bullet-proof hosting services, and gave technical support to a “scareware” scheme targeting visitors to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s website. On February 19, 2010, the Minneapolis Star Tribune began hosting an online advertisement, purporting to be for Best Western hotels, on its website, startribune.com. Two days later, however, the advertisement began causing the computers of visitors to the website to be infected with malware. This malware, also known as “scareware,” caused visitors to experience slow system performance, unwanted pop-ups and total system failure. Website visitors also received a fake “Windows Security Alert” pop-up informing them that their computer had been infected with a virus and another pop-up that falsely represented that they needed to purchase the “Antivirus Soft” computer program to fix their security issues, at a price of $49.95.
Website visitors who clicked the “Antivirus Soft” window were presented with an online order form to purchase a purported security program called “Antivirus Soft.” Users who purchased “Antivirus Soft” would receive a file download that “unfroze” their computers and stopped the pop-ups and security notifications. However, the defendant admitted, the file was not a real anti-virus product and did not perform legitimate computer security functions, and merely caused malware that members of the conspiracy had previously installed to cease operating. Meanwhile, the defendant admitted, victim users who did not choose to purchase “Antivirus Soft” became immediately inundated with so many pop-ups containing fraudulent “security alerts,” that all information, data, and files on their computers were rendered inaccessible. Members of the conspiracy defrauded victims out of substantial amounts of money as a result of the scheme. The defendant admitted that as a result of his participation, he made between 150,000 and 250,000 U.S. dollars.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, as well as the Polish National Police, the National Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ministry of Justice provided substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Rank of the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Aaron R. Cooper of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case. The Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in this matter.
Defendant Information:
PETERIS SAHUROVS, 28
Rezekne, Latvia
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 1 count
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Las Cruces Man Sentenced to 140 Months in Prison for Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Joshua Nestle, 26, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 140 months in prison for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking charges. Nestle will be on supervised release for four years after completing his prison sentence.
Nestle and co-defendant Joclyn Telles, 35, also of Las Cruces, were arrested in Feb. 2017, and were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The complaint also charged Nestle with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to the criminal complaint, the defendants committed the crimes on June 29, 2016, in Dona Ana County, N.M. Law enforcement officers arrested Nestle and Telles on outstanding arrest warrants following a traffic stop, and during a search incident to the arrests, found approximately 2.6 ounces of methamphetamine and a firearm in the vehicle.
On June 7, 2017, Nestle pled guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Nestle admitted that on June 29, 2016, he conspired with others to violate the federal drug trafficking laws. He also admitted possessing the 2.6 ounces of methamphetamine found in his vehicle and acknowledged that he intended to distribute the drugs to others. Nestle further admitted that on March 9, 2017, he possessed a controlled substance while he was incarcerated at the Dona Ana County Detention Center.
Telles was indicted on June 21, 2017, and charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. She entered a guilty plea to the indictment on July 18, 2017, without the benefit of a plea agreement. At sentencing, Telles faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. She remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Saltman of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.
Laredo Couple Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A man and woman from Laredo have been ordered to prison following their convictions of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Roberto Rodriguez, 30, and his girlfriend Maria Del Carmen Sarabia, 33, pleaded guilty July 6 and Sept. 7, 2017, respectively.
Today, visiting U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle found Rodriguez to be a leader, organizer or supervisor and ordered him to serve 121 months in prison, while Sarabia received a 70-month-term of imprisonment. They will serve three and two years of supervised release following their sentences, respectively.
On Jan. 12, 2017, police officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Rodriguez was driving. Sarabia was riding as a passenger. Inside the vehicle were methamphetamine crystals scattered on and around the driver’s seat after a failed attempt to toss the package out of the window. Rodriguez was taken into custody. Following his arrest, authorities also searched their apartment which resulted in the discovery of a bag of methamphetamine which was packaged for distribution.
Authorities later reviewed calls between Rodriguez and Sarabia which revealed discussions of distributing additional methamphetamine still hidden at their apartment. A subsequent search of the apartment resulted in the recovery of additional narcotics. Sarabia was then taken into custody and also charged in the conspiracy.
Law enforcement eventually recovered a total of 228 grams of methamphetamine between Jan. 12 and Jan. 19, 2017.
The couple have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department and the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno prosecuted the case.
Kanawha County woman pleads guilty to federal opioid crimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Kanawha County woman pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Patricia Anne Carnes, 51, of Elkview, entered her guilty plea to obtaining hydrocodone and oxycodone by fraud. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the Charleston Police Department for the investigation.
Carnes admitted that she fraudulently ordered prescription pads from a printing company in order to obtain counterfeit prescriptions with the name and DEA registration number of a Charleston area doctor. Between October 2016 and early April 2017, she wrote and filled approximately 11 forged prescriptions of oxycodone and hydrocodone for herself. She further admitted that she used this fraudulent scheme to obtain over 650 pain pills.
Carnes faces up to four years in federal prison when she is sentenced on May 9, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua C. Hanks is responsible for the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber.
This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Jasper School District Employee Pleads Guilty to $145,000 Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an employee of the Jasper R-5 School District pleaded guilty in federal court today to embezzling more than $145,000 from the district.
Karla Justice, also known as Karla Jessee, 55, of Columbus, Kan., waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to a federal information that charges her with one count of wire fraud and one count of credit card fraud.
Justice was employed as the head bookkeeper, payroll secretary, superintendent secretary, and board secretary for the Jasper R-5 School District from 2009 until her resignation on Sept. 22, 2016. Justice’s positions with the school district gave her unrestricted access to the account and payroll systems for the school district, as well as the district’s petty cash checkbook and signatory authority for this account. Justice essentially had unlimited access to every aspect of the account and human resources functions for the district.
By pleading guilty today, Justice admitted that she embezzled a total of $145,726 from the school district from September 2013 to September 2016.
Justice admitted that she paid herself $80,858 in additional payroll above and beyond the amount allowed under her employment contract. As a result of the fraudulently received payroll, Justice also received an additional $6,731 in employer retirement contributions and $6,530 in Social Security and Medicare contributions that she would not have received otherwise.
The investigation also discovered numerous transactions involving the petty cash account, including checks and E-checks that totaled $13,929 in transactions that were conducted by Justice to pay for personal expenses that were unrelated to the activities of the district, and were not authorized by the district.
Justice also opened and used a Home Depot credit card in the name of the district, without authority or the approval of any district official. Justice used the fraudulently opened Home Depot credit card to conduct several personal purchases between Jan. 6 and Sept. 1, 2016, totaling $2,133.
The investigation revealed numerous checks that had been written on the operating account for the district. Justice did not have authority to write checks to this account but she did have access to the signature stamps for school officials, who did have signatory authority over this account. Several district employees informed investigators that Justice repeatedly asked them to cash checks for her. School officials told investigators that each of the checks discovered during the investigation were fraudulently created and Justice’s request that other employees cash these checks and give her the money was done to bypass safety measures created to prevent employees from directly cashing checks made out to themselves.
According to today’s plea agreement, school officials began analyzing the district’s budget when the district experienced financial difficulties. During this analysis, officials noted irregularities in payroll payments, unexplained credit card payments, and missing monies from the petty cash account. When asked to reconcile the irregularities, Justice immediately wrote out a letter of resignation.
Under federal statutes, Justice is subject to a sentence of up to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Hurricane felon pleads guilty to federal gun chargeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Hurricane man pleaded guilty today to a federal gun crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Brandon Pistore, 34, entered his guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the St. Albans Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On April 19, 2017, an officer with the St. Albans Police Department stopped a vehicle Pistore was driving and discovered a gun. The officer seized the firearm, a Davis Industries, Model P380 pistol. Pistore later admitted that it was his gun. He was prohibited from possessing any firearm under federal law because of a 2006 federal drug conviction for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.
“Being a felon with a gun in my district is not a good idea,” said U.S. Attorney Stuart. “If we catch you – and we will – we will prosecute you six days a week and twice on Sunday.”
Pistore faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 9, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Meredith George Thomas is in charge of the prosecution. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the plea hearing.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in the United States by networking with existing local programs targeting gun crime.
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Freeport Man Sent to Prison for Three Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 22-year-old Freeport man has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions of distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Miguel Jimenez Jr. pleaded guilty Jan. 25, 2017.
Today, U.S. District Judge George Hanks handed Jimenez 240 and 120 months for the distribution and possession charges as well as 240 months for the receipt of child pornography. The sentences will run concurrently. Additional information was also presented today, including that besides the victims in the images and videos, Jimenez had contact with four minor females from whom he sought graphic nude images. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hanks noted his obligation to protect the public and the victims. Jiminez will also be on supervised release for rest of his life following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
Jimenez came to the attention of authorities after they believed he was uploading and storing child pornography into a virtual storage account. A search warrant was executed at his residence, at which time law enforcement located and seized various computers and cellular phones. Forensic analysis of the phones, computers and virtual storage accounts revealed 658 child pornography images and 634 child pornography videos. The images and videos included minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexual activity, toddlers, instances of sadism, masochism, bondage involving the penetration of the minor, as well as masturbation and the lewd and lascivious display of the children’s genitals.
Jimenez admitted he possessed, received and distributed numerous images of child pornography. Jimenez chatted with unidentified users who shared his sexual interest in children. Further, Jimenez used several different on-line applications to chat with underage girls all over the country. He had an online relationship with one minor female whom he had threatened by saying she had to continue the relationship or he would send naked pictures of her to her friends.
The forensic analysis results indicated that Jimenez searched the Internet using the phrase, “how much trouble can you be in for sending naked photos of ex.”
Jimenez has been detained since his arrest on May 5, 2016, at which time U.S. Magistrate John R. Froeschner found him to be a flight risk and danger to the community. Jimenez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Galveston Division, conducted the investigation.
This case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Fort McDermitt Man Charged for Double Murder on Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A Fort McDermitt, Nevada, resident was charged today in federal court for allegedly murdering two individuals on the Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson of the District of Nevada.
Stoney Prior, 40, a member of the Fort McDermitt Shoshone Paiute Tribe, was charged in a criminal complaint with two-counts of first-degree murder in Indian Country. A preliminary hearing is scheduled before U.S. District Magistrate Judge William G. Cobb on February 22, 2018.
According to allegations contained in the complaint, on January 31, 2018, Prior shot and killed two individuals in a residence. The first victim was shot in the head and neck with a shotgun and the second victim was shot in the arm, body, and head. Both victims were members of the Fort McDermitt Shoshone Paiute Tribe.
If convicted, the mandatory minimum sentence is life in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs with assistance from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon M. Bryant is prosecuting the case.
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Former Southwest Airlines Baggage Handler Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Violating Airport Security Requirements, Drug Smuggling, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Former Southwest Airlines baggage handler Kenneth Wayne Fleming, Jr. was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for entering an airport area in violation of security requirements, conspiring to distribute marijuana, and conspiring to launder money, announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Michael T. Batdorf, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Phyllis J. Hamilton, Chief U.S. District Judge.
Fleming, 35, of Oakland, pleaded guilty on October 25, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, marijuana; one count of entering an airport area in violation of security requirements; and one count of conspiracy to launder money. In his plea agreement, Fleming admitted that in 2013 and 2014 he was a baggage handler for Southwest Airlines at the Oakland International Airport. He acknowledged he used his access as a baggage handler to smuggle marijuana into the airport and distributed that marijuana to outbound passengers in violation of airport security requirements. Specifically, Fleming admitted that on four occasions he delivered unscreened baggage to outbound passengers who already cleared the TSA security checkpoint. The baggage contained a total of 16 kilograms of marijuana. As part of his plea agreement, Fleming further admitted he abused a position of public and private trust. Specifically, Fleming admitted he used his access to the secured areas of the airport granted to him as an employee of Southwest Airlines to commit and conceal his crimes. Fleming also admitted that he conspired with others to launder $51,400 in drug trafficking proceeds through his bank account.
On September 25, 2017, Fleming was charged in a superseding information with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846; one count of entering an airport area in violation of security requirements, in violation of 49 U.S.C. §§ 46314(a) and 46314(b)(2); and one count of conspiracy to launder money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Pursuant to this plea agreement, Fleming pleaded guilty to all the charges.
In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Hamilton sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. During this period of supervised release, Fleming will be barred from seeking or obtaining employment with any commercial air carrier or airport. The Court also ordered Fleming to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $51,400. Fleming will begin serving the sentence on April 2, 2018.
Fleming’s sentence brings to 10 the number of defendants sentenced as part of the scheme to violate airport security and distribute marijuana. The other nine defendants sentenced include the following:
Defendant
Age, Residence
Charges
Status
Michael Herb Videau
30, of Oakland
Distribution and possession with intent to distribute, marijuana,
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Entering an airport area in violation of security requirements,
49 U.S.C. §§ 46314(a) and 46314(b)(2)
Sentenced on
November 9, 2016, to
15 months in prison and
3 years supervised release.
Major Alexander Session III
27, of Oakland
Distribution and possession with intent to distribute, marijuana,
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Entering an airport area in violation of security requirements,
49 U.S.C. §§ 46314(a) and 46314(b)(2)
Sentenced on
November 15, 2017, to
24 months in prison and
3 years supervised release.
Clyde Barry Jamerson
44, of Oakland
Entering an airport area in violation of security requirements,
49 U.S.C. §§ 46314(a) and 46314(b)(2)
Sentenced on
September 21, 2016, to
3 months in prison and
3 years supervised release.
Kameron Kordero Eldridge Davis
28, of Dublin, Calif.
Entering an airport area in violation of security requirements,
49 U.S.C. §§ 46314(a) and 46314(b)(2)
Sentenced on
June 29, 2016, to
6 months in prison and
3 years supervised release.
Ronnell Lamar Molton
39, of Oakland
Entering an airport area in violation of security requirements,
49 U.S.C. §§ 46314(a) and 46314(b)(2)
Sentenced on
August 10, 2016, to
3 months in prison and
3 years of supervised release.
Sophia Cherise West
46, of Castro Valley
Distribution and possession with intent to distribute, marijuana,
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Entering an airport area in violation of security requirements,
49 U.S.C. §§ 46314(a) and 46314(b)(2)
Sentenced on
June 1, 2016, to
12 months and one day in prison and 3 years supervised release.
Donald Ray Holland II
44, of Discovery Bay
Distribution and possession with intent to distribute, marijuana,
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Entering an airport area in violation of security requirements,
49 U.S.C. §§ 46314(a) and 46314(b)(2)
Sentenced on
November 16, 2016, to
27 months in prison and
3 years supervised release.
Brandon Jarred Davillier
29, of Slidell, Louisiana
Distribution and possession with intent to distribute, marijuana,
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Sentenced on
August 3, 2016, to
24 months in prison and
3 years supervised release.
Travon Jahmal Franzwa Baker
25, of Oakland
Distribution and possession with intent to distribute, marijuana,
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D)
Sentenced on
May 4, 2016, to
10 months in prison and
3 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth Hire is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Vanessa Quant. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the IRS-CI, and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. This case is the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Former Pharmaceutical Employee Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Role in Scheme to Obtain Medically Unnecessary Prescription Compounded MedicationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former pharmaceutical employee was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for filling medically unnecessary prescriptions for compounded medications for herself and her husband, causing losses of $956,885, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Julie Andresen, 40, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Andresen, a former employee of a New Jersey pharmaceutical company, admitted that from September 2014 through September 2015, she would receive payments from a marketing business identified in the information as “Company A” in return for filling and obtaining medically unnecessary prescription compounded medications for herself and her husband through the New Jersey pharmaceutical company’s prescription drug benefit plan.
Andresen approached a physician identified in the information as “Physician-1,” who was Andresen’s close friend, at social gatherings. Andresen would provide Physician-1 with preprinted prescription forms listing various compounded medications. Andresen requested that Physician-1 authorize certain compounded medications for her and her husband, such as scar creams and metabolic supplements. Physician-1 did authorize the prescriptions and multiple refills.
Andresen faxed prescriptions for the compounded scar creams and metabolic supplements authorized by Physician-1 to various compounding pharmacies designated by Company A that were located outside of New Jersey. The compounding pharmacies would fill and bill Andresen’s prescription drug benefit plan for the compounded prescriptions. The New Jersey pharmaceutical company’s prescription drug benefit plan reimbursed the compounding pharmacies anywhere between $13,572 and $43,689 for each compounded medication Andresen and her husband received.
The compounding pharmacies would then pay Company A an agreed upon percentage of the reimbursement amount. Company A would pay Andresen an agreed upon percentage of the amount Company A received from the compounding pharmacies. Andresen also requested multiple refills of her and her husband’s prescriptions, and received monetary payment for the refills as well. Altogether, Andresen received $161,378 from Company A for her role in the conspiracy. The New Jersey pharmaceutical company lost $956,885 from this scheme.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Andresen to three years of supervised release, ordered her to pay restitution of $956,885 and to forfeit $161,378.
On June 29, 2016, Stephanie Naar, 28, of St. Louis, Missouri, who had been an employee of the same New Jersey pharmaceutical company as Andresen, pleaded guilty before Judge Vazquez and admitted to accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for obtaining and filling her own medically unnecessary prescriptions for compounded medications.
On July 19, 2016, Peter Pappas, 45, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, another former employee of the same New Jersey pharmaceutical company as Andresen, also pleaded guilty before Judge Vazquez and admitted to accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for obtaining and filling his own medically unnecessary prescriptions for compounded medications. Pappas also admitted to recruiting others into this scheme to defraud.
Naar and Pappas are awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leigh-Alistair Barzey, with the ongoing investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Liu of the United States Attorney’s Office, Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
The New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office reorganized its health care fraud practice in 2010 and created a stand-alone Health Care and Government Fraud Unit to handle both criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions of health care fraud offenses. Since that time, the office has recovered more than $1.38 billion in health care fraud and government fraud settlements, judgments, fines, restitution and forfeiture under the False Claims Act, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and other statutes.
Former Geneseo Bank Executive Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – This morning, Paul Lindsey, 70, former vice president and trust officer at Farmers National Bank in Geneseo, Ill., admitted to embezzling nearly $500,000 from the bank. Appearing before U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow, Lindsey, of the 1000 block of Cherry Drive, Geneseo, waived indictment and entered a plea of guilty to an information that charged him with one count of bank embezzlement.
During his court appearance, and according to court documents, Lindsey admitted that from about September 2008 to July 2016, he embezzled at least $491,700.87 for his own personal use. Lindsey acknowledged that as the head of the bank’s trust department, he was able to transfer funds from customers’ accounts to his own self-directed IRA. Lindsey also conceded that at least one of the customers he targeted qualified as a “vulnerable victim,” as that term is used in the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigation was conducted by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the full cooperation of Farmers National Bank. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Knight.
Lindsey is currently on bond awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for June 7, 2018, before Judge Darrow.
At sentencing, Lindsey faces a maximum possible penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of up to five years. The defendant may also be ordered to make full restitution to the bank.
Former Bemidji Assistant Principal Sentenced to 300 Months in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Dozens of ChildrenRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker announced the sentencing of BRANDON MARK BJERKNES, 35, to 300 months in prison for sexually exploiting dozens of children. BJERKNES, who pleaded guilty on September 28, 2017, to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of production of child pornography, was sentenced on February 6, 2018, before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn.
“During his tenure as Assistant Principal of Bemidji Middle School, Brandon Bjerknes repeatedly victimized at least 55 vulnerable young girls and boys over the course of almost three years,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Munoz-Kaphing. “Today’s sentence ensures that this defendant is held accountable for his reprehensible crimes and our community, including the brave victims who shared their stories, will be safe from his predatory actions.”
“Preying on children is detestable. It is especially egregious when the predator is someone in a position of authority and trust,” said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. “Partnering with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, we will find these people and bring them to justice.”
The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office is extremely satisfied to see this case against Brandon Bjerknes concluded in the federal courts,” said Sheriff Phil Hodapp. “Mr. Bjerknes violated his high position of trust and authority over the children in our schools and our community, so it was exceptionally important for us to see this case brought to justice.”
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, since 2006, BJERKNES was employed by the Bemidji Area Schools and, beginning in 2014, served as the Assistant Principal of Bemidji Middle School until his resignation in April 2017. While holding the position of Assistant Principal, BJERKNES posed as a 13-15-year-old male named “Brett Larson,” and used various social media profiles on Facebook and Snapchat with “decoy photographs” to contact minor females and males in middle and high school. Using the alias profiles, BJERKNES directed the minor victims to send him sexually explicit photographs. BJERKNES also used the alias profiles to engage in sexually explicit conversations with the minor victims. Some of the minor victims BJERKNES contacted on social media were students at Bemidji Middle School.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on March 20, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at BJERKNES’ Bemidji residence. Officers seized a number of electronic devices including BJERKNES’ personal iPhone and work iPhone, multiple iPads, computers and external hard drives. The social media accounts and the electronic devices contained multiple sexually explicit photos and videos of multiple known minor victims. Law enforcement identified evidence that BJERKNES used the alias social media accounts to contact more than 50 minor victims.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Angela Munoz-Kaphing prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
BRANDON MARK BJERKNES, 35
Bemidji, Minn.
Convicted:
- Coercion and enticement of a minor, 1 count
- Production of child pornography, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 300 months in prison
- Lifetime of supervised release
- $8,789.93 in restitution thus far
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Five Members of Robeson County Drug Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced five members of a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) operating in Robson County, responsible for shipping and distributing large quantities of cocaine and marijuana within the Eastern District of North Carolina. The following sentences were handed down on today’s date:
MITCHELL RAY LOCKLEAR, 55, of Maxton, North Carolina was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
TIMMY LLOYD HUNT, 43, of Maxton, North Carolina was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
BRANDON DARRIS LOCKLEAR, 36, of Maxton, North Carolina was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
ARCHIE LYNN STRICKLAND, 41, of Fairmont, North Carolina was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
TORREY LOCKLEAR, 38, of Maxton, North Carolina was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
The defendants were named in an Indictment filed on April 11, 2017 charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and cocaine base (crack). Four additional defendants are pending sentencing in this case.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Additional assistance was provided by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina National Guard, and the United States Department of Agriculture. Assistant United States Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron is prosecuting the case for the government.
Federal Jury Finds Two Men Guilty of Armed Robberies and CarjackingsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad has announced that yesterday, a federal jury found Otis Hunter (age 24) and Deshawn Evans (age 21) guilty of all charged counts. Otis Hunter was found guilty of conspiracy, three business robberies, two carjackings, and five counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Deshawn Evans was found guilty of conspiracy, a business robbery, a carjacking, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The evidence presented at trial showed that between November 17, 2016, and December 4, 2016, the defendants were part of a robbery crew that committed five business robberies and two carjackings, all at gunpoint. Most of the crimes occurred on the southside of Milwaukee. The evidence established that the defendants brandished handguns, robbed employees and customers, and, on two occasions, pistol-whipped their victims.
Sentencing for both defendants has been scheduled for April 27, 2018, before United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller. At sentencing, Mr. Hunter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 107 years in prison and Mr. Evans faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 32 years in prison for their convictions on the counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Mr. Hunter’s and Evans’ co-defendants, Kelly Scott, Anthony Lindsey, and Dominique Rollins, have pled guilty to their involvement in some of the robberies and are awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret B. Honrath and Rebecca L. Taibleson.
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For additional information contact:
Public Information Officer Dean Puschnig, 414-297-1700
Federal Jury Finds Bay Area Methamphetamine Traffickers GuiltyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal jury found Donnie Phillips, 64, of Concord, and Gordon Miller, 60, of Clayton, guilty today of multiple methamphetamine-trafficking counts, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
After a five-day trial, Phillips and Miller were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Phillips was also found guilty of eight counts of distribution and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Miller was found guilty of two counts of distribution and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to trial evidence, between June 2014 and February 2015, Phillips and Miller supplied methamphetamine to co-defendant Phyliss Mosher, 51, of Vallejo, who supplied it to an undercover agent. The drug deals took place in the counties of Solano, Contra Costa, Yolo, Shasta, and San Joaquin. On January 25, 2018, Mosher was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the methamphetamine conspiracy on May 9, 2017.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the Vallejo Police Department, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Jill Thomas are prosecuting the case.
Phillips and Miller are scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2018, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Federal Jury Convicts Wilson Man of Felon in Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, MAURICE MONTRAE PARKS, a Wilson, NC resident, was convicted in a three-day jury trial before Senior United States District Judge W. Earl Britt. The jury found PARKS guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
The evidence at trial showed that shortly after midnight on September 5 2015, Parks was seen banging on the door of a residence in Wilson, NC while holding a firearm. After a neighbor called 911, Officers of Wilson PD arrived, and Parks fled the scene in his car. During the brief chase, Parks took several turns along residential streets and cut through the lawn of a vacant home that sat at the corner of an intersection. A pursuing officer observed Parks’ vehicle stop briefly beside that vacant home. Parks drove back to the street where he had been seen with the gun and jumped and ran from his car. Police apprehended Parks on the driveway of the house whose resident had placed the 911 call. Officers returned to the vacant home that Parks had driven around and found a Ruger Mini 14 rifle lying in the grass. The firearm was near fresh tire marks in the yard and in the area where Parks had momentarily stopped his car.
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 investigation of this case was conducted by the Wilson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys Jake D. Pugh and John Stuart Bruce represented the government in this case.
Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney R. Trent Shores announced today the results of the February 2018 Federal Grand Jury.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Jeremy Batey. Attempted Enticement of a Minor. Batey, 43, of Tahlequah, is charged with using a cell phone to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, he faces the maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigating agencies.
Donald Loyd Birdsong. Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Possession of Child Pornography. Birdsong, 39, of Eucha, is charged with enticing and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, and possessing graphic image files and video files of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted, he faces a statutory mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison or the maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the sexual exploitation of a child charge, and a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of child pornography charge. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are the investigating agencies.
Jackey Blevins. Embezzlement and Concealment of Government Property. Blevins, 54, of Broken Arrow, is charged with intentionally embezzling over $40,000 in Social Security income. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, he would forfeit any property derived from proceeds traceable to the offense. The Social Security Administration is the investigating agency.
Rolonda Gail Blevins. Embezzlement and Concealment of Government Property. Blevins, 49, of Broken Arrow, is charged with intentionally embezzling over $17,000 in Social Security income. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, she would forfeit any property derived from proceeds traceable to the offense. The Social Security Administration is the investigating agency.
Lonnell Deon Fortenberry. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Fortenberry, 53, of Broken Arrow, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after prior felony convictions. If convicted, he faces the statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison or a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, he would forfeit any firearms and ammunition involved in the offense. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigating agencies.
Trevor Daniel Larochelle. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. Larochelle, 31, of Bella Vista, Arkansas, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition after prior felony convictions. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Choteau Police Department are the investigating agencies.
Lucas Monroe Lawson. Felon in Possession of Firearm. Lawson, 37, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm after prior felony convictions. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife are the investigating agencies.
Kevin Dewayne Leffler. Felon in Possession of Firearm; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm With an Obliterated Serial Number; Possession of a Stolen Firearm; and Felon in Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. Leffler, 38, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing an unregistered stolen firearm with an altered and obliterated serial number after prior felony convictions, while possessing and intending to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, he faces the statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison or a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of firearm charge; a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison or a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime charge; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine charge; a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number charge; a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of a stolen firearm and felon in possession of an unregistered firearm charges. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigating agencies.
Anthony Steven Price. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Price, 24, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition after prior felony convictions. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bartlesville Police Department are the investigating agencies.
Gabriel Ascencion Ramos-Venegas. Reentry of Removed Alien. Ramos-Venegas, 28, of Glenpool, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in December 2013 from San Ysidro, California. If convicted, he faces the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigating agency.
Billy Vance Reed. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute. Reed, 47, of Dewey, is charged with knowingly and intentionally possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The Bartlesville Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are the investigating agencies.
Elias Rodriguez-Cabrera. Reentry of Removed Alien. Rodriguez-Cabrera, 39, of Tulsa, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in July 2003 from Otay Mesa, California. If convicted, he faces the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigating agency.
Erik Sanchez-Olguin. Reentry of Removed Alien. Sanchez-Olguin, 31, of Tulsa, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in May 2011 from Del Rio, Texas. If convicted, he faces the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigating agencies.
Byron Thomas Tinsley. Embezzlement and Concealment of Government Property. Tinsley, 56, of Barnsdall, is charged with intentionally embezzling over $19,000 in Social Security income. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, he would forfeit any property derived from proceeds traceable to the offense. The Social Security Administration is the investigating agency.
Federal Charges Filed Against Man Who Allegedly Posted Online Threats of Violence at Women’s Reproductive ClinicsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An Indiana man is facing federal charges for allegedly threatening to commit violence at women’s reproductive health services clinics in Chicago and northwest Indiana.
LUKE DANIEL WIERSMA, 33, of Dyer, Ind., is charged with transmitting threats to injure and using threats of force to intimidate or interfere with reproductive health services.
Wiersma posted online threats of violence on at least seven occasions in October and November of last year, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Wiersma submitted the threats through the clinics’ websites, the complaint states. The clinic in Chicago provides reproductive health services, while the clinic in Hammond, Ind., provides counseling services related to women’s reproductive health.
Wiersma was arrested on Tuesday. A detention hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2018, at 1:00 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sidney I. Schenkier in Chicago.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Indianapolis, Ind., Office of the FBI and the Dyer, Ind., Police Department provided valuable assistance.
In one of the threats transmitted to the Chicago clinic on Oct. 29, 2017, Wiersma allegedly stated, “I will do anything and everything to stop the unmitigated murders of fetuses. I will do anything to stop the atrocities committed by your clinic every minute of every day at your clinic. You are all pieces of [expletive] and I will kill to stop these atrocities. I will blow you up if I have to, burn the clinic down. I will do whatever is necessary I swear to God I will. After that you are in God’s hands and He will do His thing.”
Transmitting a threat to injure is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison, while using threats of force to intimidate or interfere with reproductive health services is punishable by up to one year in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abigail Peluso and Georgia Alexakis.
Fayetteville man sentenced on federal child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Lloyd Christopher Young has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for receipt and possession of child pornography. Most of the images were of children between five to twelve years old, but Young collected pictures of infants as well.
“The defendant downloaded and viewed disgusting videos and pictures of young children being sexually abused,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “His conduct helped further the sexual exploitation of children and cause irreparable harm to these young victims, all for his personal pleasure.”
“Each time Young viewed the unconscionable images of innocent young children, they were re-victimized,” said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We strive every day to protect our children and will continue to use every law enforcement resource available to identify and prosecute individuals who exploit them in such a manner.”
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2015, the FBI discovered that Young was accessing an underground child pornography website. They then executed a search warrant at Young’s home in Fayetteville, Georgia, and seized Young’s computer and USB drive, which contained over 950 videos and images of child pornography. The majority of the children depicted in these images were between five to twelve years old. Some of the images, however, were of infants. When interviewed by law enforcement, Young admitted that he had specifically searched for and downloaded child pornography.
Lloyd Christopher Young, 32, of Fayetteville, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., to 10 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender as a condition of his supervised release. Young was found guilty by a jury on November 7, 2017.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolee Porter prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Dominican National Sentenced for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for stealing the identity of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico.
Jhonny Emilio Pimentel Aybar, 35, a Dominican national who previously resided in Everett, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 25 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Pimentel Aybar will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In November 2017, Pimentel Aybar pleaded guilty to three counts of misuse of a Social Security number and three counts of aggravated identity theft.
From at least August 2012 to August 2014, Aybar used a stolen identity to register as a Level 3 sex offender with the Everett Police Department. Aybar has been required to register as a Level 3 offender since his 2008 conviction in Essex County Superior Court for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Anne Paruti of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.