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5 February 2018
Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Alvin Arely Potts II, age 38, of Durant, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Count Six Conspiracy To Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, punishable by not more than 30 years imprisonment, and up to a $1,000,000.00 fine, or both; and that Bobby Joecephus Medina, age 38, of Poteau, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Count Three Uttering A Counterfeit Security With Intent To Deceive, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 513(a) and 2, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, and up to a $250,000.00 fine, or both. A copy of the full indictment can be found online at /media/929731/dl?inline.
The Indictment alleges that from on or about May 23, 2017, through June 9, 2017, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, Alvin Arley Potts II, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, conspired to commit offenses against the United States, that is: To obtain money and property by means of materially false pretenses, representations and promises.
The Indictment further alleges that on or about November 29, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Defendant, Bobby Joecephus Medina, did knowingly possess and utter a counterfeited security, to-wit: counterfeit check number 2698 purported to be a genuine check of Chickasaw Nation, Division of Commerce, drawn on an account at First United Bank, Durant, Oklahoma, in the amount of $410.22, with the intent to deceive another.The charges arose from an investigation by the Durant Police Department, the District 19 District Attorney’s Office, the Chickasaw Nation Tribal Police, the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Melody Nelson will be prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “This investigation is the result of dedicated law enforcement professionals from local, state, tribal and federal jurisdictions working together to serve and protect our communities. This team effort by many different agencies is a wonderful example of the effectiveness of multi-jurisdictional efforts to investigate criminal activity.”
The Honorable Kimberly E. West, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the pleas and ordered the completion of presentence investigation reports for both defendants.
Tulare County Resident Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Tax and Investment FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Marie E. Sherrill, 57, of Porterville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to four years in prison for wire fraud and tax fraud, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. She was also ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution to the fraud victims and $255,900 to the IRS.
According to court documents, Sherrill was a registered tax return preparer operating a bookkeeping and tax preparation business in Porterville under the name Sherrill Financial Services. Between January 2011 and December 2014, Sherrill prepared false tax returns for her clients containing false deductions to maximize their tax refunds, which caused a loss to the IRS of approximately $255,900.
Sherrill also used the intimate financial knowledge she gained from the clients of her bookkeeping and tax preparation business to identify victims she could lure into an investment fraud scheme. She told victims of this scheme that their money would be put into “pooled investments” with the money of other investors to earn a high rate of return. The money was, in fact, never put into any investment, but was used instead to pay Sherrill’s personal expenses or to make lulling payments to earlier investors in order to make them believe their money was earning a profit. As a result of this scheme, the victims were defrauded of at least $1.3 million.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McKeon is prosecuting the case.
Town of Richmond Addresses ADA Compliance at Public MeetingsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Town of Richmond has undertaken steps to voluntarily address concerns regarding compliance with the American Disabilities Act by providing effective communications for individuals who are hard of hearing at public meetings, and by establishing policies and procedures for accommodation requests.
In August 2017, in response to a complaint, the U.S. Attorney’s Office opened an investigation into the Town of Richmond and identified concerns regarding policies and procedures for requests for reasonable accommodations and effective communication. Once it became aware of the concerns, the Town of Richmond cooperated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to develop a public notice to address policies and procedures for individuals with disabilities. The policy, adopted by the Town Council, is posted on the Town’s website and at all Town facilities. Additionally, the Town has installed a sound system with microphones and amplifiers that is now used at all public meetings.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy R. Romero in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is committed to investigating alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those interested in learning more about architectural barriers to access under the Americans with Disabilities Act may access www.ada.gov, visit the web site of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island at www.justice.gov/usao-ri/civil-rights-enforcement, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY). Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at www.ada.gov/filing_complaint.htm..
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Tony Torrez Sentenced to 101 Months for Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Tony Derrick Torrez, 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 101 months of incarceration for his conviction on drug trafficking and firearms charges. Torrez will be on supervised release for five years after completing his prison sentence. Torrez’ federal sentence will run consecutive to the 16-year sentence Torrez already is serving on a state conviction. During today’s sentencing hearing, Torrez also was ordered to forfeit to the United States $64,000.00 in drug proceeds, firearms and ammunition seized during the investigation of the federal case.
Torrez’s federal sentence was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney, Special Agent in Charge Karen I. Flowers of the El Paso Division of the DEA, Special Agent in Charge John J. Durastanti, Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief of Police Michael Geier of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).
“The federal law enforcement community responded to the tragic, senseless death of an innocent child by doing its part to ensure that Tony Torrez spent as much time as possible behind prison walls to contemplate the impact of his actions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney James D. Tierney. “Whether it was shooting into a moving vehicle, or selling drugs in our neighborhoods, Mr. Torrez’ actions endangered our kids, and the federal law enforcement community is working hand-in-hand with the Albuquerque Police Department to keep our kids safe.”
“The sentencing today of Tony Torrez sends a message to all who continually engage in violent criminal activity and the distribution of illegal drugs: we will work together with our federal and state and local counterparts to see that anyone involved in violence and this illicit trade will be brought to justice,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Karen I. Flowers.
“Today’s sentencing of Tony Torrez sends a loud and clear message to the worst of the worst offenders that too often plague our communities. Our goal is simple, to put violent, repeat offenders such as Torrez, behind bars for as long as possible, and keep them from interacting with the good people of New Mexico,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge John J. Durastanti. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target armed violent criminals who spread violence on the streets of Albuquerque, and in doing so we will make our community a safer place for all.”
“It is important for the community to know that offenders like Tony Torrez are being held accountable for their crimes,” said APD Chief Michael Geier. “Our partnership with federal law enforcement agencies is a critical tool in our effort to keep Albuquerque safe.”
Torrez was charged in a federal criminal complaint in Oct. 2015, with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and using and carrying firearms in relation to drug trafficking crimes. The criminal complaint charged Torrez with committing the crimes on Oct. 21 and 22, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Torrez subsequently was charged in a five-count indictment with possessing marijuana with intent to distribute; maintaining a place for the purpose of distributing controlled substances; possession of cocaine, testosterone and its esters; possession of firearms and ammunition by an illegal drug user; and possessing firearms and ammunition in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The indictment asserted that Torrez committed these five crimes on Oct. 21, 2015, in Bernalillo County.
According to court filings, the federal investigation into Torrez began on Oct. 21, 2015, when APD received a tip about a suspect who shot and killed a child during a road rage incident; the tipster provided a residential address for the suspect. Based on the tip, APD officers conducted surveillance at the residence where they observed a man, subsequently identified as Torrez, load items into a Toyota sedan. APD officers later conducted a traffic stop on the Toyota after a woman drove away from the residence in the Toyota. Shortly thereafter, APD officers conducted a traffic stop on a Lexus sedan that drove away from the residence and identified the driver as Torrez. APD sealed and towed the two vehicles to the APD Crime Lab.
On Oct. 21, 2015, APD executed a state search warrant at the aforementioned residence where they found shoeboxes containing U.S. currency, paraphernalia and other items consistent with the use of marijuana and a substance believed to be “wax,” a concentrated form of THC oil processed from the marijuana plant. Thereafter, the DEA executed a federal search warrant on Torrez’s residence and the two vehicles and seized items and paraphernalia used for distributing marijuana and possibly for the manufacturing THC “wax” and oil. From the vehicles, the officers seized a bag with U.S. currency, marijuana, firearms and ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, a small amount of suspected cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Court filings indicate that approximately $64,000.00 in cash was seized from Torrez’s residence and vehicles.
On April 27, 2017, Torrez pled guilty to all five counts of the indictment. In his plea agreement, Torrez admitted possessing marijuana in Oct. 2015 that he intended to distribute to others as well as illegal steroids for his personal use. Torrez also admitted possessing several firearms while he was using the illegal steroids to protect himself from the dangers of the drug trafficking business. Finally, Torrez admitted using his residence to store marijuana he sold.
Torrez previously pled guilty in Dec. 2016, to state court charges arising out of the murder of a child during the Oct. 21, 2015 road rage incident, and was sentenced to a 16-year term of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of the DEA and ATF and APD, with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Nicholas Ganjei prosecuted the case.
Three Inmates at Fort Dix Federal Prison Arrested for Distributing and Possessing Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Three men who are already serving prison sentences for child pornography were arrested today at the Federal Correctional Institution-Fort Dix (FCI-Fort Dix) and charged with using contraband cellphones and micro SD cards to distribute, possess, and view images and videos of child sexual abuse within the prison, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
William H. Noble, 52, of Lowell, Massachusetts, and Charles Wesley Bush, 38, of Knoxville, Tennessee, are charged by complaint with one count each of conspiracy to distribute child pornography, distributing child pornography, and possession of child pornography on federal property. Jacob S. Good, 31, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of child pornography on federal property and one count of accessing with intent to view child pornography on federal property.
All three defendants were arrested this morning and are scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court.
According to the complaints:
Noble allegedly transferred a micro SD card containing child pornography to a government informant at FCI-Fort Dix on April 19, 2017. The micro SD card included over a thousand images and videos, many of which depicted sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers. Noble allegedly made statements about downloading the child pornography himself and with the assistance of other inmates in the prison. Noble previously pleaded guilty in the District of Massachusetts to transportation and distribution of child pornography and is serving an 81-month sentence with a scheduled release date of March 8, 2018.
Bush jointly possessed the SD Card that was transferred by Noble on April 19, 2017, which he also allegedly used to download videos of children being sexually abused. Bush expected to be compensated as part of the transfer of the SD card to the government informant. Bush previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Tennessee to three counts of distribution of child pornography and possession of materials containing child pornography. He is serving a 151-month sentence with a scheduled release date of May 24, 2024.Good allegedly possessed and accessed child pornography while imprisoned at FCI-Fort Dix, which he downloaded from the “Dark Web” and stored on a micro SD card. Good allegedly told a government informant during a recorded conversation that he never intended to stop viewing child pornography. Good also described plans to take child pornography accumulated while in the prison home with him following his release. Good previously pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to distribution of child pornography. He is serving a 60-month sentence with a scheduled release date of Feb. 6, 2018.
Due to the defendants’ prior convictions, the counts of distributing child pornography and conspiring to distribute child pornography are each punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The counts of possessing and accessing child pornography on federal property each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
The charges and allegations in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charges against Good, Bush, and Noble stem from a long-term investigation by the FBI, which led to similar charges against five other FCI-Fort Dix inmates in April 2017. Charges against four of those inmates – Anthony C. Jeffries, Brian J. McKay, Christopher D. Roffler, and Jordan T. Allen – remain pending. A fifth inmate, Erik M. Smith, has since pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrests. He also thanked officials of the Bureau of Prisons and FCI-Fort Dix for their assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel J. Vidoni and Alyson M. Oswald of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
Defense counsel: Charles Bush: David Rudenstein Esq.
Jacob Good: David Simon Esq.
William Noble: Marty Isenberg Esq.Thackerville Woman Pleads Guilty to False Bank EntriesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tiffany Rhea Spears, age 30, of Thackerville, Oklahoma, pled guilty to False Entry In The Books of a Federally Insured Bank, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1005, punishable by not more than 30 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that from on or about January 6, 2017, until on or about June 5, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, defendant, with the intent to deceive an officer of Citizens Bank and Trust of Ardmore, Oklahoma, a bank whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, knowingly made false entries in the books, reports, or statements of Citizens Bank and Trust of Ardmore, Oklahoma. The defendant created false transaction documents showing customers advancing monies on their loans and withdrawing cash from their accounts, when in truth and in fact, as the defendant well knew, the advances and withdrawals from customer accounts were by, and for the benefit of, the defendant.The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Reserve Office of Inspector General.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Rob Wallace represented the United States.
Texas Judge Arrested and Charged with BriberyRead the Press Release
A Texas state district court judge has been arrested on allegations he accepted approximately $6,000 in cash bribes, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs of the FBI San Antonio Division.
Rodolfo “Rudy” Delgado, 64, of Edinburg, Texas, is currently the presiding judge for the 93rd District Court for the State of Texas and has jurisdiction over Texas criminal and civil cases located within Hidalgo County. He was charged in a criminal complaint with bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.
Authorities took Delgado into custody on Friday. He made his initial appearance earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker, at which time he was permitted release upon posting $100,000 bond.
The criminal complaint alleges Delgado accepted bribes from an attorney in exchange for favorable judicial consideration on criminal cases pending in his courtroom. Delgado allegedly accepted bribes on three separate occasions in exchange for Delgado agreeing to release three clients on bond with cases pending before his court. The first two bribes allegedly totaled approximately $520 in cash. The third bribe occurred in January 2018, at which time Delgado accepted approximately $5,500 in cash, according to the charges.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Trial Attorneys Peter Nothstein and Todd Gee of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie N. Searle and Robert Guerra of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sherman Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Violating Clean Air Act Related to Asbestos Removal at Former Pillsbury PlantRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough today ordered a Sherman, Ill., man, Joseph J. Chernis, IV, to serve 37 months in federal prison for failure to adequately remove and dispose of asbestos material, violations of the Clean Air Act, at the former Pillsbury Mills facility in Springfield. Following his prison term, Chernis, 35, was ordered to remain on supervised release for a period of three years. Chernis was ordered to self-report to prison when directed by the Bureau of Prisons.
Chernis pled guilty on April 7, 2017, to three counts of violating the Clean Air Act. Chernis admitted that he hired an untrained individual to illegally remove dry asbestos pipe insulation from the Pillsbury Mills facility. From October 2014 to August 2015, dry asbestos-containing insulation was cut and stripped from pipes inside four buildings at the facility, including the structure known as the Dryer building.
“The defendant’s illegal and reckless acts endangered the health of those performing the asbestos removal and others,” stated U.S. Attorney John E. Childress, “and caused the U.S. EPA to assume clean-up efforts at a cost of millions of dollars.”
“Asbestos can cause cancer and other serious respiratory diseases, so it is important that it be handled legally,” said Brad Ostendorf, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Illinois. “The defendant knew the rules regarding the legal removal of asbestos containing materials, but ignored them. In this way, he threatened not only the environment but the safety of his untrained workers and the general public. This case demonstrates that EPA and its partner agencies will not abide those who try to make money by breaking the law.”
Under provisions of the Clean Air Act, the EPA has promulgated rules, regulations and requirements to control the removal, handling and disposal of asbestos, a hazardous air pollutant. Any owner or operator of a renovation or demolition activity which involves removal of specified amounts of asbestos-containing material must comply with the EPA regulations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Crystal Correa and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Cha, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, represented the government in the prosecution. The charges were investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division.
Rio Rancho Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Cory G. Bates, 29, of Rio Rancho, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Bates, whose prior criminal history includes felony convictions for aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and cocaine trafficking, is being prosecuted under 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 criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
Bates was arrested in June 2016, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Jan. 9, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the indictment, Bates was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Bates pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Jan. 9, 2016, he possessed a firearm and ammunition despite his status as a convicted felon. At sentencing, Bates faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Bates remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe is prosecuting the case.
Registry of Motor Vehicles Clerk Sentenced for Role in Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles clerk was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for her role in a scheme to produce false identification documents.
Kimberly Jordan, 33, of Randolph, was sentenced to eight months in prison and two years of supervised release. In October 2017, Jordan and co-conspirators Evelyn Medina, 56; Annette Gracia, 37; David Brimage, 46; and Bivian Yohanny Brea, 41, all of Boston, agreed to plead guilty to one count of producing without lawful authority an identification document or a false identification document.
In December 2017, Angel Miguel Beltre Tejada, 32, a Dominican national illegally residing in Jamaica Plain, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. Tejada will also be subject to deportation upon completion of the sentence. In January 2018, Medina and Gracia were sentenced to 15 months in prison and one year and one day in prison, respectively.
In October 2015, law enforcement received an anonymous letter alleging that a corrupt RMV employee was providing Massachusetts identifications and driver’s licenses to individuals who were using false identifications. An investigation revealed that several Haymarket RMV clerks – Jordan, Medina, Gracia, and Brimage – were working with Brea and Tejada to fraudulently provide Massachusetts licenses and identification cards to illegal aliens for cash.
The scheme involved several steps. Tejada and Brea would obtain identification documents belonging to United States citizens in Puerto Rico and sell them to clients who were seeking legitimate identities in Massachusetts. These clients included illegal aliens, individuals who were previously deported, and an individual who admitted to previously facing drug charges. Tejada would receive several hundred dollars in cash each time he sold identification documents. Brea received up to $2,700 per identity for her role in the scheme, which included helping clients obtain the documents and facilitating their acquisition of Massachusetts identity documents.
Typically, Brea and the client brought the stolen identities to the Haymarket RMV, where Medina, Gracia, Jordan, and/or Brimage would accept hundreds of dollars in cash to illegally issue authentic RMV documents, including Massachusetts licenses and ID cards. The clerks also accepted bribes to use the RMV’s system to run queries, including Social Security number audits, to confirm that the identities the clients were stealing actually belonged to verifiable individuals.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. HSI’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the cases.
Red Lake Man Sentenced to 360 Months in Federal Prison for the Murder of Two IndividualsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the sentencing of JARED DANIEL JONES, 23, to 360 months in prison for the murder of two individuals, including one minor victim. JONES, who pleaded guilty to two counts of murder in the second degree, was sentenced on February 2, 2018, before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on October 15, 2014, within the exterior boundaries of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, JONES stabbed to death an unarmed juvenile victim with whom he had an ongoing gang dispute. JONES and his fellow gang members ambushed and stabbed the victim and left him on a trail to die.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on January 20, 2016, JONES and another individual drove the victim, identified as R.B., to a remote area of the Red Lake Indian Reservation. JONES and his accomplice assaulted R.B., stole his vehicle, and left him in the cold, without proper clothing or transportation, which resulted in R.B.’s death from exposure to hypothermic conditions.
The case was investigated by Red Lake Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Forensic Science Laboratory.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford B. Wardlaw prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
JARED DANIEL JONES, 23
Red Lake, Minn.
Convicted:
- Murder in the second degree, 2 counts
Sentenced:- 360 months, count 1
- 262 months, served concurrently, count 2
- Five years supervised release
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Pennsylvania Outfitter Pleads Guilty to Violating the Lacey Act in KansasRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Pennsylvania man who owns a company called Horseshoe Hill Outfitters pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Kansas to violating the Lacey Act, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.
Robert P. McConnell, 48, Slippery Rock, Penn., pleaded guilty to four counts of importing deer into Kansas in violation of the Lacey Act, which regulates the trade in wildlife, fish and plants that has been illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold. Horseshoe Hill Outfitters advertises what it calls “trophy North American big game hunting adventures” in Kansas, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Ontario.
In two counts, McConnell admitted importing deer that were not from an accredited heard, were not officially identified and did not have a certificate of veterinary inspection. In two other counts, he admitted importing domesticated deer.
Sentencing is set for May 21. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of five years on probation during which McConnell is prohibited from doing business in Kansas, and a fine of not less than $10,000.
McAllister commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough for their work on the case.
Pennsylvania Firearms Dealer Sentenced to 100 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced that Vahan Kelerchian, 58, of Richboro, Pennsylvania, doing business as Armament Services International “ASI”, was sentenced before Senior District Court Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen for his role in the acquisition of machineguns and restricted laser aiming sights.
Kelerchian was sentenced to 100 months imprisonment, ordered to pay a $100,000 fine and $28,200 in restitution along with serving 1 year of supervised release upon release from prison. Kelerchian was found guilty after a two-week trial that ended October 15, 2016. Kelerchian was taken into custody upon sentencing to begin serving his sentence.
According to evidence presented at trial, Kelerchian conspired with Joseph Kumstar and Ronald Slusser, now former Lake County Police Officers, to knowingly make false statements relating to the acquisition of firearms. Kumstar and Slusser, who have plead guilty, used their positions as sworn law enforcement officers in coordination with Kelerchian using his position as a Class 3 Federal Firearms Licensee to acquire approximately 71 fully automatic machineguns in the name of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department knowing that the Lake County Sheriff’s Department was not going to be the true owner of these weapons. Kelerchian, Kumstar and Slusser conspired to use law enforcement letter head to create letters which falsely represented that the machineguns were going to be used by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department to carry out its law enforcement responsibilities since machineguns manufactured after 1986 can only be acquired by law enforcement agencies and not individual officers. The machineguns were purchased for a cost of $1200 and $1600 and then when received by the Sheriff’s Department, transported offsite to be parted out. The barrels (also known as the “upper”) were split with the officers and some were sent back to Kelerchian. The “uppers” sold between $3000 and $3600 due to post-1986 parts not being available to the public because only law enforcement agencies or the military can acquire these weapons.
Kelerchian also used his company (Armament Services International “ASI”) to assist Kumstar and Slusser to acquire 74 restricted laser aiming sights again using law enforcement letterhead from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and the Lowell Police Department. These class 3b laser sights were restricted by the Food and Drug Administration. These lasers were designed, per a variance from FDA, to be used for law enforcement and military use only because they did not have the audible or manual safety locks as required for class 3b lasers. The laser aiming sights had a visible laser that could be seen in excess of 50 feet and an invisible laser that could be used for targeting with infrared goggles in excess of 1 mile. Kelerchian along with the officers used their positions to acquire these devices and sell them to the general public or keep the devices for themselves.
In addition to the charges above, Kelerchian was also found guilty of money laundering and false statements to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regarding false demonstration letters involving high powered belt-fed machine guns. Kelerchian was also charged with bribery but was acquitted of that charge.
United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II said, “ Mr. Kelerchian abused the authority entrusted to him for criminal purposes. The 8 years that he will spend in federal prison, which began today, should be a deterrent to others similarly situated that act for illegal purposes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively prosecute our nation’s firearm laws and seek meaningful sentences of offenders to both punish and deter this type of criminal behavior.
As reported previously, Joseph Kumstar was sentenced to 57 months; Edward Kabella was sentenced to 24 months; and Ronald Slusser was sentenced to 70 months for their involvement in this case.
This case is a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Services; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip C. Benson and Thomas M. McGrath.
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Passaic County, New Jersey Couple Charged in Food Stamps SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, couple was charged today for their respective roles in a food stamps fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Ibrahim Zughbi, 64, and his wife, Miriam Zughbi, 59, of Wayne, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ibrahim Zughbi is also charged with money laundering. Both appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Hammer in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2014 to the present, the defendants managed Jamaica Meat Market, a medium-size grocery store in Paterson, New Jersey, that was authorized to accept benefits provided by SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retail food stores approved for participation in SNAP may sell food in exchange for SNAP benefits. They may not exchange SNAP benefits for cash. While the Zughbis ran the store, another individual owns the store and is the person registered with SNAP. According to the complaint, Ibrahim and Miriam Zughbi exchanged more than $4 million in SNAP benefits for cash between 2014 and 2017.
Every SNAP recipient receives an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, similar to a debit card, with which to make purchases. Every retailer authorized to accept SNAP benefits has an EBT terminal. Food purchases are made by swiping the card at the terminal. After the customer enters a Personal Identification Number (PIN), the EBT terminal verifies the PIN, determines whether the customer’s account balance is sufficient to cover the proposed transaction and informs the retailer whether the transaction should be authorized or denied. The amount of the purchase is deducted electronically from the SNAP benefits reserved for the customer and the amount is credited to the retailer’s designated bank account. In addition to the high volume of SNAP benefits redemptions for Jamaica Meat Market indicating fraud, law enforcement agents verified the fraudulent exchange of SNAP benefits for cash through the use of a confidential source who, at the direction of law enforcement, engaged in 16 “purchases” at Jamaica Meat Market where one or both defendants exchanged money for SNAP benefits.
Ibrahim Zughbi had previously participated in SNAP when he was the owner of Neighborhood Supermarket, a grocery store that operated out of the same location as the Jamaica Meat Market. In March 2011, the USDA had permanently disqualified Ibrahim Zughbi from SNAP when Zughbi and the Neighborhood Supermarket were administratively charged with SNAP violations. Another individual took over the business, changed its name to Jamaica Meat Market, and certified in writing to the USDA that Ibrahim Zughbi would have nothing to do with the business or its participation in the program. Zughbi continued to run Jamaica Meat Market, and continued to exchange cash for SNAP benefits.
The complaint also charges Ibrahim Zughbi with money laundering. The bank account of Jamaica Meat Market, where the store receives SNAP payments, shows payments in excess of $471,000 to Ibrahim Zughbi and various family members not connected to the business, even though Ibrahim Zughbi is not permitted to associate with Jamaica Meat Market as a participant in SNAP.
Each of the counts with which the defendants are charged carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross pecuniary gain/loss. The count of money laundering with which Ibrahim Zughbi is charged carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. He also thanked the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Wayne Township Police Department and the Paterson Police Department for their roles in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The allegations and charges in the complaint are only accusations and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Oklahoma City Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jason Delaney Kiplinger, age 36, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2, punishable by not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000.00 fine, or both.
The Indictment alleged that on or about February 6, 2017, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.The charges arose from an investigation by the Sallisaw Police Department, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Honorable Steven P. Shreder, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Hammer represented the United States.
North Charleston Man Sentenced on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Sinclair Gibbs, age 31, of North Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, for one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel, of Charleston, sentenced Gibbs to 57 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on March 22, 2016, the North Charleston Police Department went to Gibbs’ residence to serve an arrest warrant on him. Inside Gibb’s residence, officers found a loaded .45 caliber handgun, along with cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana. Gibbs’ prior record includes multiple felony drug convictions
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the North Charleston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Bianchi of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.
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North Carolina Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Refund ClaimsRead the Press Release
A Wilson, North Carolina, tax return preparer pleaded guilty today to filing a false claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
According to documents and information provided to the court, in early 2015 Tawanda Denise Pitt, managed Integritax, a tax preparation business in Wilson, North Carolina. Pitt falsified taxpayer client returns by claiming false dependents and education credits and reporting fake businesses in order to seek refunds to which her clients were not entitled. Pitt also admitted that she trained other preparers to file fraudulent returns. She caused a tax loss between $550,000 and $1.5 million; the total tax loss resulting from false education credits alone exceeded $780,000.
U.S. District Court Judge Malcolm J. Howard scheduled sentencing for May 8. Pitt faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. In addition, Pitt agreed to pay $203,106 in restitution to the IRS.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Higdon thanked agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig and Trial Attorney Terri-Lei O’Malley of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
New Orleans Man Sentenced on Bank Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMES ALTON OLINDE, JR., age 47, of New Orleans, was sentenced yesterday after previously pleading guilty to a bank robbery.
U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced OLINDE to 175 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on August 11, 2016, a white male entered the Gulf Coast Bank and Trust located at 201 North Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans. The male was wearing a dark shirt, dark pants, and a dark hat with white writing on it. The male approached the teller counter and presented a demand note that contained words to the effect of “YOU'RE BEING ROBBED. I WANT THE MONEY.” The teller gave the male $3,187.00 in United States currency and he left the bank.
Later, agents received tips that identified the robber as OLINDE. OLINDE was also identified from a bank surveillance photograph that was published by local new media sources. A video recording from a surveillance camera that was positioned near the bank showed OLINDE park a Chevrolet Tahoe and retrieve a bicycle from the rear of the vehicle. OLINDE road the bicycle near and left it near the corner of David Drive and Canal Boulevard. A short time later, OLINDE ran back to the driver's side of the Tahoe. Later that day, agents received a tip that OLINDE was at a Mississippi casino. At approximately 10:00 p.m., agents located OLINDE’s Tahoe in the garage of the casino. Agents looked through the window of the Tahoe and saw the hat that OLINDE wore during the bank robbery. Agents located OLINDE at the casino and he was arrested.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Division Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nolan D. Paige was in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin OffensesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BASIN WELLS, age 30, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to both counts of the indictment charging him, respectively, in count 1 with conspiracy to possess heroin with the intent to distribute and in count 2 with with possession of heroin with intent to distribute.
WELLS faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a one million dollar fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 assessment fee for both counts.
WELLS was arrested by Louisiana State Police Troopers on February 8, 2016, Lundi Gras, in a parking lot in the French Quarter with three others: Lilbear George, Sidney Lebanks, and Kalique Hardin, all of whom possessed guns, heroin, and cash. Lilbear George is also under indictment for the December 18, 2013, murder of Loomis Armored US security guard Hector Trochez at the Chase bank at Carrollton and Claiborne Avenues.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. McMahon was in charge of the prosecution.
Nashville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sending Internet Threat Targeting Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
Robert Ellis Waddey, 23, of Nashville, Tennessee, was sentenced today to serve five months in prison for communicating a threat by interstate commerce, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee. Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw, Jr. also ordered that at the conclusion on the prison sentence, Waddey be placed on two years’ supervised release, the first six months of which will be spent in a halfway house. Chief Judge Crenshaw also fined Waddey $6,600.
“We will review every threat and act of violence against our law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Cochran. “If a federal nexus exists, we will aggressively pursue those responsible and bring the appropriate federal charges when warranted.”
Waddey was indicted in February 2017 and pleaded guilty in July 2017.
According to court documents, in September 2015, Waddey posted a photograph on Instagram which depicted a handgun pointed at a Tennessee State Trooper vehicle. The posting was captioned, “F*** them non attentive hoes” and a comment read, “Gona die lookin at his computer.” Photographs subsequently found on Waddey’s phone also depicted a uniformed police officer bleeding heavily from the head and captioned “only a dead cop is a good cop.” Another photograph depicts a uniformed police officer who appears to have been shot multiple times in the back and laying in the street, while yet another photograph depicts a screen shot of a video showing another uniformed police officer who appears to have been shot and laying on the ground bleeding. This photo is captioned, “ON TAPE: OFFICER SHOT IN THE HEAD D….”
Waddey admitted during his plea hearing that on September 13, 2015, while sitting in his vehicle at a traffic light in South Nashville, he took a photograph of a Glock pistol in his hand, positioned in such a way where the pistol would be viewed in the same frame as a police car on a traffic stop in the distance with the blue lights activated. Waddey posted with the photograph a slang threat to law enforcement. Various text messages sent by Waddey also conveyed threats toward law enforcement and indicate the pleasure he took in the number of targeted cop killings.
Waddey also admitted during the plea hearing that his subjective intent in making the communications was to threaten law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Brent Hannafan and Courtney L. Coker prosecuted the case.
Mission Man Sentenced for Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Stolen Firearm was sentenced on February 5, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Kevin Bordeaux, age 19, was sentenced to 13 months in custody, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bordeaux was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 15, 2017. He pled guilty on November 15, 2017.
The conviction stems from an incident between November 11-13, 2016, when 14 firearms, including a Henry Repeating Arms Mimi Bolt .22 rifle “Broden” rifle, were stolen from a home in Mission. Co-defendant Stephanie Bear Heels obtained the “Broden” rifle following the burglary. She and co-defendant Angelito Moran knew that the defendant and his brother, co-defendant Keith Bordeaux, were looking for guns to buy/trade for narcotics. Co-defendant Keith Bordeaux purchased the “Broden” rifle from Moran and Bear Heels for $50 worth of methamphetamine. The “Broden” rifle was recovered by law enforcement from Keith and Kevin Bordeaux’s home.
Defendant knew or had reason to know the “Broden” firearm was stolen and the possession of the firearms by any person other than the owner would be unlawful. Further, the Defendant was a prohibited person, being an unlawful user and addicted to a controlled substance, methamphetamine and marijuana, at the time of the incident.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Kevin Bordeaux was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Sentenced to 71-Months in Federal Prison for His Role in Conspiring in the Distribution of Almost 22 Kilograms of Cocaine and Funneling Drug Proceeds to MexicoRead the Press Release
Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that Ricardo Peral-Lopez, a 43-year old Mexican national, was sentenced Friday by United States Chief District Judge Michael J. Reagan to 71 months in federal prison for one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of money laundering conspiracy to run concurrently, three years of supervised release to follow the imprisonment, a $250 fine on each count, and a $100 special assessment fee for each count.
Facts revealed in open court at the sentencing and on the record revealed that Peral-Lopez facilitated in the distribution of almost 22 kilograms of cocaine, used his bank account and others’ to funnel drug proceeds back to Arizona and eventually to Mexico, personally drove drug proceeds across the border into Mexico, and paid for the insurance of a vehicle holding 6 kilograms of cocaine later transported from Arizona to Belleville, Illinois and South Carolina. At sentencing, Chief Judge Reagan commented that the offense involved a "substantial" amount of cocaine having a street value of over $600,000. In sentencing Peral-Lopez to 71-months of imprisonment on each count to run concurrently, three years of supervised release, a $500 fine and $200 in special assessment fees, Chief Judge Reagan indicated that this sentence reflects the seriousness of the
offense and deters others from committing similar crimes.
Evidence in support of this prosecution was obtained in an investigation conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations. Agencies participating in this case include the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, the Illinois State Police, and Fontana, California Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Monica A. Stump prosecuted this case.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces the Appointment of Senior Counsel to the US AttorneyRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, today announced the selection of Audrey Strauss as Senior Counsel to the US Attorney.
Ms. Strauss will return to the Office where she was an Assistant US Attorney for seven years, from 1976 to 1983, and tried more than twenty cases, eventually being promoted to the Chief of Appeals in the Criminal Division and later as Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Unit. Ms. Strauss also served on the staff for the Independent Counsel for the Iran Contra matter. Following her public service, Ms. Strauss practiced at the firms of Fried Frank Harris & Jacobson, where she was a Litigation Partner from 1990 to 2012, and Mudge Rose Guthrie & Alexander, where she became a partner in 1986. Most recently, Ms. Strauss served as Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for Alcoa Inc. Ms. Strauss earned her Juris Doctor degree at Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and a Kent Scholar. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Barnard College.
In making the appointment, Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “I’m delighted to announce that Audrey Strauss will be (re)-joining us today in her new role as Senior Counsel to the US Attorney. Audrey’s career has been notable for her commitment to the legal profession and the rule of law: she served as an Officer and Trustee of the Federal Bar Council, as a former President of the New York Council of Defense Lawyers, and as a board member of the Office of Appellate Defender. Most recently Audrey has served as a board member of the Innocence Project, a position she just left in order to come back to serve the Office. She has also served as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. It is an illustrious record of service, and I am so happy that she has decided to return to the Office.”
Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking a Minor by ForceRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C., man pleaded guilty today to forcibly sex trafficking a minor.
According to court documents, Justin Shayne Robinson, 26, lured the 16-year-old victim to a motel in northern Virginia. Once the minor victim arrived, Robinson directed photos to be taken of the minor, and created online advertisements for commercial sex acts with the minor. Robinson and his co-conspirator, Markus Jakeem Plummer, 27, of Woodbridge, then prostituted the minor over a period of roughly a week. Robinson and Plummer took all the proceeds of the minor’s commercial sex acts for their own benefit. Robinson and Plummer kept watch over the minor to ensure that she continued to see clients and was unable to escape. Robinson used violence to force the victim to continue working for him, including choking her, leaving medically documented bruising on her leg and neck.
Robinson pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, or coercion, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on April 27. Plummer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sex traffic a minor by force, fraud or coercion on January 12, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on April 13.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge, Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell is prosecuting the case.
The Fairfax County Police Department and Prince William County Police Department provided significant assistance during this investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-310.
Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Elderly in Magazine ScamRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arizona man pleaded guilty today to his role in a conspiracy that defrauded elderly victims, including several Virginia residents, out of nearly $500,000.
According to court documents, Raheem Oliver, 38, operated a magazine subscription renewal fraud scam that began when he or one of his associates contacted magazine subscribers and offered to renew their subscriptions over the phone. When a subscriber agreed, Oliver would double or triple-bill their accounts, without ever actually renewing their subscriptions as promised. Throughout this process, Oliver also identified victims who were particularly vulnerable to such a scam, primarily including elderly individuals. Oliver targeted those vulnerable victims with threatening phone calls, falsely representing that the victims needed to pay thousands of dollars at a time for purported renewal fees, past-due balances, fines, attorneys’ fees and other legal fees, and court costs. He threatened victims with legal action, often including arrest, if they did not make the payments as requested, and thereby convinced victims to mail checks and wire money to him and his associates in Arizona.
Oliver victimized approximately 250 individuals in total, including a 94-year-old resident of Alexandria and an 84-year-old resident of Painter who suffers from Alzheimer’s.
Oliver pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on June 22. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Tracy Doherty-McCormick, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Michael L. Brown, Alexandria Chief of Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Bateman is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-9.
Lancaster Man Charged with Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Jaritza Torres, 32, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was charged by Information with one count of theft of government funds, announced United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. According to the Information[1], the defendant received Social Security benefits intended for her minor child, after the child began living with another relative. The defendant is also alleged to have falsely reported to the Social Security Administration that her child remained in her care after the child had moved. The defendant’s alleged actions resulted in a loss to the government of approximately $26,885.
If convicted, the defendant faces a substantial period of incarceration, a 3‑year period of supervised release, restitution to the government of $26,885, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz.
[1] An Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Kenner Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement of Mail MatterRead the Press Release
YVONNE WILSON, age 37, of Kenner, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court yesterday before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to embezzlement of mail matter by a postal service employee, announced U. S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) received information regarding complaints of theft of mail. After further investigation, it was determined that YVONNE WILSON (WILSON), a U.S. Postal Service City Carrier Assistant, was the postal service employee who might have been involved in the thefts.
On July 14, 2016, a USPS-OIG agent prepared two decoy letters, one being a first class letter addressed to W.P. in Metairie, Louisiana, containing cash in the amount of $115.00, and another first class letter addressed to M.H. in Metairie, Louisiana, containing cash in the amount of $100.00. The agent placed them in the mail stream at the Metairie Main Post Office located at 3301 17th Street, Metairie, Louisiana. Both letters were to be handled and delivered by WILSON as the letters were on her assigned route. USPS-OIG agents maintained surveillance of WILSON as she serviced her assigned route. After they determined that WILSON had opened the decoy letters, the agents approached her, identified themselves, and explained why they had approached her. They also observed a plastic Wal-Mart bag in her postal vehicle containing the two open decoy letters. WILSON admitted that she had opened the decoy letters, took the cash from the letters, and placed the $215.00 cash in her wallet.
WILSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of $250,000.00 and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for June 21, 2018.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service- Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Loan AMimi@ Nguyen.
Kalamazoo-Area Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Brandon Jacob Cochran, 26, formerly from Portage, Michigan, pled guilty before the Hon. Ellen S. Carmody, U.S. Magistrate Judge, to producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. Cochran faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years of imprisonment, and he will be required to serve a term of supervised release after his prison term has been completed. Cochran will also be required to register as a sexual offender. U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff will sentence Cochran on a date to be scheduled by the Court.
Cochran admitted at the plea hearing that he used his cellphone to create pornographic images of a three-year-old child at a home in Kalamazoo County. The conduct occurred in July 2015. Cochran admitted that he photographed himself sexually abusing the young child. Law enforcement later learned of the conduct and searched Cochran’s cellphone. Cochran was arrested in November 2017, and he has remained in custody since that time. He will remain in jail pending sentencing.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
The Detroit and Cleveland Divisions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Portage Police Department, and Michigan State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Lewis prosecuted the case.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Wichita Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
A tax return preparer in the Wichita, Kansas, area prepares fraudulent tax returns for her customers, according to a new civil lawsuit filed by the Justice Department today. The suit, filed in federal court in Wichita, Kansas, asks the court to permanently bar Ma Guadalupe Valenzuela (a/k/a Maria Guadalupe Valenzuela a/k/a Lupe Valenzuela, individually and doing business as Servicio de Income Tax) from preparing federal tax returns for others. The government also asks the court to order Valenzuela to turn over the names of customers for whom she has prepared federal tax returns since 2012.
The complaint alleges that the defendant unlawfully understates her customers’ income tax liabilities and overstates these customers’ refunds. According to the complaint, Valenzuela unlawfully prepares federal tax returns that lowers her customers’ federal tax liabilities by claiming bogus child tax credits, improper dependency exemptions, and false filing statuses.
The IRS has a list of steps on their website that you can take now in anticipation of filing your 2017 federal income tax return. Return preparer fraud was one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2017 and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Wichita Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
A tax return preparer in the Wichita, Kansas, area prepares fraudulent tax returns for her customers, according to a new civil lawsuit filed by the Justice Department today. The suit, filed in federal court in Wichita, Kansas, asks the court to permanently bar Ma Guadalupe Valenzuela (a/k/a Maria Guadalupe Valenzuela a/k/a Lupe Valenzuela, individually and doing business as Servicio de Income Tax) from preparing federal tax returns for others. The government also asks the court to order Valenzuela to turn over the names of customers for whom she has prepared federal tax returns since 2012.
The complaint alleges that the defendant unlawfully understates her customers’ income tax liabilities and overstates these customers’ refunds. According to the complaint, Valenzuela unlawfully prepares federal tax returns that lowers her customers’ federal tax liabilities by claiming bogus child tax credits, improper dependency exemptions, and false filing statuses.
The IRS has a list of steps on their website that you can take now in anticipation of filing your 2017 federal income tax return. Return preparer fraud was one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2017 and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Inland Empire Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge of International Travel to Have Sexual Conduct with a Minor, which He FilmedRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A Murrieta man pleaded guilty this afternoon to a federal offense of traveling to Britain to engage in illegal sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.
Derek Lorenzo Longoria, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. When he pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal, Longoria admitted that he made a video recording of sexual contact he had with the girl.
In a plea agreement filed in this case, Longoria admitted traveling to the United Kingdom in September 2011, and again in January 2012, for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a girl he knew was under the age of 16. During the trip in early 2012, Longoria, who was 23 at the time, engaged in sexual activity with the girl and used his smartphone to video record the incident.
Longoria used the internet and telephone calls to communicate with the victim over a two-year period, during which he convinced the victim to take sexually explicit photos and videos of herself, which she then sent to Longoria. In his plea agreement, Longoria admitted that he knowingly possessed a child pornography video depicting another victim. Federal investigators discovered this child pornography when they searched Longoria’s residence in March 2015 after the victim contacted law enforcement authorities in Britain.
After Longoria pleaded guilty, Judge Bernal scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 7. The parties agreed in the plea agreement that a sentence of between seven years and 10 years in prison is appropriate, but the court is not obligated to follow that recommendation.
Once he is released from custody, Longoria will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph B. Widman, chief of the Riverside Branch Office, is litigating this case.
Huntington man sentenced to federal prison for heroin crimeRead the Press Release
Investigators utilized drug dog and undercover officer to seize heroin and catch defendant red-handed
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man who received a shipment of heroin in the mail in December 2016 was sentenced today to two and a half years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. David Lee Zirkle, 37, previously pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute heroin. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the West Virginia State Police Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
On December 9, 2016, officers were notified that a package suspected of containing controlled substances was scheduled for delivery to a residence on Collis Avenue in Huntington. A West Virginia State Police K-9 officer gave a positive indication that the package contained drugs. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and discovered approximately 30 grams of heroin. Investigators then removed the heroin, replaced it with another substance, and conducted a delivery of the package utilizing an undercover postal inspector. Zirkle accepted delivery and took possession of the package at the Collis Avenue residence. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at that residence, and upon entry, officers located Zirkle with contents of the package in his hand. Officers also seized digital scales and cash from the residence.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor handled the prosecution. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence.
This case was prosecuted as 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.
Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Use of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
NAHUM VERDE-ORTIZ, age 39, a citizen of Honduras pleaded guilty on February 1, 2018 to a one-count indictment for illegal use of a Social Security number, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
VERDE-ORTIZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, a fine of $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00. Additionally, VERDE-ORTIZ is subject to a period of supervised release after imprisonment of up to three years. Sentencing has been scheduled for March 29, 2018.
According to the indictment, on October 20, 2017, VERDE-ORTIZ used a social security number that did not belong to him to register for a safety training course that his employer required him to take before he could begin working for the company as a construction worker.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
Hamden Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Drug Distribution and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WAYNE BRADBURY, 33, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by six years of supervised release, for drug distribution and money laundering offenses.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 3, 2016, a 22-year-old male purchased 30 40-milligram oxycodone pills from Tahir Farid in exchange for $900. On January 5, 2016, after consuming some of those pills, as well as other substances, the victim was found unresponsive at a friend’s residence in Weston. He remains in a coma with no brain activity and, according to medical personnel, is in a “persistent vegetative state.”
The investigation revealed that, prior to the victim’s overdose, BRADBURY supplied oxycodone pills and marijuana to 19-year-old Ryan Looney who sold the oxycodone pills to Farid, who then distributed a portion of them to the 22-year-old victim. According to investigators, BRADBURY had been supplying Looney with drugs on credit and had Looney repay him by depositing cash into BRADBURY’s back account. BRADBURY then withdrew the cash at ATMs to pay his drug supplier.
On July 18, 2017, BRADBURY pleaded guilty to one count of distributing oxycodone and marijuana to an individual under 21 years of age, and one count of money laundering.
Judge Chatigny ordered BRADBURY to begin serving this federal sentence after he completes a state sentence for unrelated firearm offenses.
Farid and Looney, both of Hamden, each previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, oxycodone. On November 30, 2016, Farid was sentenced to six months of imprisonment. Looney awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, U.S. Marshals Service, Weston Police Department and Monroe Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Clark.
Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Hector Serrano-Cruz, 41, of Gulfport, Mississippi pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze.
An investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Biloxi, Mississippi led FBI agents to determine that Hector Serrano-Cruz was a source of supply for methamphetamine. On June 12, 2017, a confidential source identified Hector Serrano-Cruz as his source of supply for methamphetamine. When Serrano-Cruz contacted the confidential source in order to collect the proceeds of past methamphetamine sales and to determine whether an additional three pounds of methamphetamine was selling, they agreed to meet. Serrano-Cruz arrived at the meeting with the source and he was arrested at that time.
Serrano-Cruz will be sentenced on May 8, 2018 by Judge Guirola, and faces a maximum penalty of forty years in prison and a $5 million fine.
The case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie.
Fresno County Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Mail Carrier and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — James Gonzales-Gay, 35, of Sanger, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill to 12 years and six months in prison for assaulting a mail carrier with the intent to commit robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on September 15, 2017, a mail carrier delivering mail in the area of Maple and Huntington, in Fresno, felt someone jump onto the bumper of his mail delivery truck. Gonzales-Gay appeared at the driver’s door, pulled the mail carrier from the truck, and began driving it away. After Gonzales-Gay drove the mail truck a short distance, the carrier was able to catch up to the truck and disable it. Gonzales-Gay elbowed the mail carrier in the face while struggling over control of the vehicle. After taking the keys from the ignition, the carrier was able to escape. Gonzales-Gay was soon thereafter stopped by law enforcement officers, who found parts of a Taurus handgun on Gonzales-Gay’s person. Gonzales-Gay is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya prosecuted the case.
Four Suspects Arrested in West Tennessee on Federal Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Four West Tennessee residents have been indicted on conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine); distribution of and possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the indictment today.
The West Tennessee Drug Task Force from the 28th Judicial District and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conducted a 22-month investigation of the Calvin Cole Drug Trafficking Organization operating in Crockett and Madison counties. A federal grand jury in Jackson, Tennessee, returned the indictment on January 16, 2018, but the indictment remained under seal until the arrests on February 1, 2018. The indictment contained counts alleging violations of the federal Controlled Substances Act and money laundering statute.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "This indictment and takedown represents another great example of law enforcement working together to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and remove criminals from the Western District of Tennessee. We will not tolerate illegal drug activity disrupting the daily lives of citizens in our small communities, and we will hold accountable those offenders who distribute poison in our district. This is a high impact case that will improve public safety and the quality of life in our rural counties."
The suspects arrested during the operation were:
Calvin "Fathead" Cole, 43, Jackson, Tennessee
Tony "Bone" Douglas, 42, Jackson, Tennessee
Arvis "Shorty" Ball, 55, Alamo, Tennessee
Bob Terry, 65, Bells, Tennessee
Over 100 agents and officers from 15 agencies served 13 search warrants simultaneously. Multiple agencies assisted throughout the investigation, including the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department, TBI Aviation Unit, the 28th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics, the 26th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the West Tennessee Drug Task Force – 30th Judicial District and Interstate Interdiction Unit, Tennessee Department of Revenue, the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Gibson County SWAT, Humboldt SWAT, Milan P.D. SWAT, Jackson P.D. SWAT, Madison County SWAT, Jackson P.D. Aviation Unit, Jackson P.D. Gang Enforcement Unit, Jackson P.D. Street Crimes, Jackson P.D. Bomb Unit, Tennessee Army National Guard, and ROCIC. Humboldt General Hospital assisted as well.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth C. Boswell of the Western District of Tennessee is prosecuting this case on the government’s behalf.
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Former Supervisory United States Border Patrol Agent Found Guilty of Multiple Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Michael G. Wheat (619) 546-8437, Alessandra P. Serano (619) 546-8104, Jennifer E. McCollough (619) 546-8773
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 2, 2018
SAN DIEGO – Martin Rene Duran, a former supervisory United States Border Patrol Agent, was convicted by a federal jury today of seven counts of illegal transportation of firearms and one count of possession of a short-barreled rifle following a three-day trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, Duran purchased seven firearms in Arizona in 2011, 2013 and 2014. Duran made these purchases using an Arizona driver’s license with an address where he never lived and claimed Arizona residency even though he resided in California. At the time of the execution of a federal search warrant in October 2015, Duran was in possession of multiple firearms that were illegal in California and one short-barreled rifle.
Duran is scheduled to appear before Senior U.S. District Judge Marilyn L. Huff on April 30, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. for sentencing.
“Federal law enforcement officers are not above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Braverman. “All citizens are required to abide by the laws of the United States.”
“This decision affirms the efforts the Department of Homeland Security makes to hold its personnel to the highest standard and shows it will not tolerate malfeasance which tarnishes the hard work performed by employees on a daily basis,” said Jeffrey Gilgallon, Special Agent in Charge, ICE Office of Professional Responsibility.
“Bringing a case against another federal agent is never pleasant, but we hold public safety and a commitment to justice above all,” said Bill McMullan, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Los Angeles Field Division. “It is ATF’s mission to quell firearm trafficking and when we see those engaged in illegal firearms activity we act on it.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 15cr2817-H
Martin Rene Duran Age: 48 Chula Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(a)(3) – Illegal Transportation of Firearms: Maximum Penalties: 5 years’ incarceration, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release.
Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5861 and 5871 – Possession of Unregistered Firearm: Maximum Penalties: 10 years’ incarceration, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release.
AGENCIES
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Office of Professional Responsibility
Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General
U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Office of Professional Responsibility
Former Silicon Valley CEO Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Employees of Tech Company Start-UpRead the Press Release
The founder and chief executive officer of a now-defunct Silicon Valley technology company start-up known publicly as WrkRiot pleaded guilty today for defrauding several of his company’s former employees by luring them to join his company based on false and misleading statements about his educational, professional and financial background, and by enticing them to continue working for his company through forged documents purportedly reflecting salary payments that were never made.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett of the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office made the announcement.
Isaac Choi aka Yi Suk Choi, Yisuk Choi, Yi Suk Chae and Isaac Chae (Choi), 36, most recently of Orange County and previously of Santa Clara, California, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila of the Northern District of California. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 24 before Judge Davila.
As part of his guilty plea, Choi admitted that while attempting to recruit potential employees, he made false and misleading statements about various topics, including his educational and professional history, and the amount of his wealth. Choi admitted in his plea that, in truth, he never attended any business school, that he was never employed in any capacity by any financial institution, and that he exaggerated his wealth. He further admitted that in August 2016, while at WrkRiot’s office in Santa Clara, he emailed several of his employees fake wire transfer confirmation documents purporting to reflect their salary payments for the purpose of convincing his employees to continue working for his privately failing company.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s San Jose Resident Agency. Trial Attorney Cory E. Jacobs of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Schenk of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
Former Silicon Valley CEO Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Employees of Tech Company Start-UpRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The founder and chief executive officer of a now-defunct Silicon Valley technology company start-up pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Alex G. Tse, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. The Honorable Edward J. Davila, United States District Judge, accepted the guilty plea of Isaac Choi, aka Yi Suk Choi, Yisuk Choi, Yi Suk Chae, and Isaac Chae (Choi) this afternoon.
According to the plea agreement, Choi, 36, most recently of Orange County and previously of Santa Clara, Calif., was founder and chief executive officer of a company known publicly as WrkRiot. As part of his guilty plea, Choi admitted that while attempting to recruit potential employees, he made false and misleading statements about various topics, including his educational and professional history, and the amount of his wealth. Choi admitted in his plea that, in truth, he never attended any business school, that he was never employed in any capacity by any financial institution, and that he exaggerated his wealth. He further admitted that in August 2016, while at WrkRiot’s office in Santa Clara, he emailed several of his employees fake wire transfer confirmation documents purporting to reflect their salary payments for the purpose of convincing his employees to continue working for his privately failing company.
On June 1, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Choi charging him with five counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Pursuant to today’s plea agreement, Choi pleaded guilty to one count and the remaining charges will be dismissed.
Choi faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Judge Davila also may order an additional period of supervised release. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Judge Davila scheduled Choi’s sentencing for May 24, 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Schenk and Trial Attorney Cory E. Jacobs of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. This case was investigated by the FBI’s San Jose Resident Agency.
Former Camden County Deputy Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a former Camden County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy has been indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges.
Leonard Jerome Wilson, 39, formerly of Camdenton, Mo., was charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo., on Dec. 21, 2017. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Wilson’s arrest and initial court appearance in South Carolina. Wilson remains in federal custody and will be transported to the Western District of Missouri to face charges.
Wilson was employed as a Camden County sheriff’s deputy at the time of the alleged offenses.
The federal indictment alleges that Wilson received child pornography between April 26, 2015, and July 17, 2017. Wilson is also charged with possessing child pornography on July 17, 2017.
Garrison cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former CFO of Insurance Brokerage Company Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison and Agreed to Pay $674,093 in Restitution for Embezzlement and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Money supported a family owned business, personal expenses and gambling activity
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The former Chief Financial Officer of Market Finders Insurance Corporation was sentenced today in United States District Court, by Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr., to 37 months in prison and agreed to pay $674,093 in restitution, for committing tax evasion and embezzlement announced United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman.
Sylvia Rebecca Smith, 63, of Louisville, was charged by criminal Information with one count of wire fraud for devising an embezzlement scheme to obtain money from her employer, Market Finders Insurance Corporation (“Market Finders”) and then diverting those funds to PBS Insurance Underwriting Corporation, and two counts of failing to report embezzled funds as income on her tax returns. At the time, Smith was the bookkeeper for PBS Insurance and her husband was the sole owner.
Smith admitted in a plea agreement, that from July of 2013 through April of 2015, while employed as CFO of Market Finders, she generated fraudulent loan checks from her employer and diverted it into the bank account of PBS.
Specifically, during the relevant time period, the defendant devised a scheme to embezzle funds from Market Finders and Market Finders Insurance Premium Budget Corp. (“Market Finders Premium Budget”), a subsidiary of Market Finders, by creating fraudulent insurance financing contracts between Market Finders Premium Budget and existing insurance clients of PBS Insurance without the knowledge of those existing clients. Smith admitted to manipulating the records so that her theft of funds would not be detected by her employer.
Smith admitted that she and her husband used a portion of the fraudulent loan proceeds to fund her husband’s business and to pay for personal expenses for herself and her husband and to pay for gambling activity.
Further, Smith used a portion of the proceeds to make payments on the previous loans she had falsely created from Market Finders Premium Budget. When the scheme was discovered by Market Finders and brought to an end, Smith had not repaid approximately $674,093.
Additionally, Smith admitted to failing to report approximately $258,504 in embezzled funds as income for tax year 2013 and omitted approximately $514,696 in embezzled funds as income for tax year 2014 on Form 1040 of the U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Zimdahl and is being investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Federal Way Resident Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sex Offenses, Production and Distribution of Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
A 38-year-old Federal Way, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for five federal felonies involving the sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. STEVEN MARC RIGTRUP was arrested in April 2017, and pleaded guilty in November 2017 to enticement of a minor, two counts of distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography and production of child pornography. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart asked him, “Where is there some acknowledgement that you have destroyed peoples’ lives? ...You must be removed from society for the protection of our community.”
According to records filed in the case, in February 2014, RIGTRUP molested a 15-year-old girl he met after placing an ad on Craigslist. RIGTRUP photographed his molestation of the teen and the photos were sent to another sex offender in southern California. In November 2014, RIGTRUP was arrested and prosecuted in King County Superior Court for soliciting sex via the internet with someone he thought was a teen-ager. In fact, the person he was trying to entice was an undercover officer. RIGTRUP was sentenced to a year in prison, but quickly became involved in child exploitation offenses again following his release. Law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited children that images of child sexual abuse had been uploaded from an email account associated with RIGTRUP. When law enforcement searched RIGTRUP’s residence and electronic devices in February 2017, they discovered more than 588 images and four videos of children being raped and molested.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marie Dalton.
Fayetteville Woman Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, before United States Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Swank, DAQUANJRA TASHA WHITE, 28, of Fayetteville, pled guilty to one count of Sex Trafficking of Children.
During the defendant’s guilty plea hearing, the Government summarized the evidence supporting the defendant’s guilty plea. Throughout the fall of 2015 into 2016, WHITE met the minor on Facebook, struck up conversations about WHITE’s escorting services, and convinced the minor to meet with her. When the minor got together with WHITE, she took pictures of her(in various stages of undress), posted those pictures on Backpage, took the victim or arranged for her transport to various hotels, arranged for her to have sex for money with men, and took portions of the monies collected. WHITE told the minor what to charge and what to do, even stating the girl worked for her.
At sentencing, the defendant faces not more than life in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fayetteville Police Department conducted the investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Fairbanks Sex Offender Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fairbanks, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Tommy Hanson, 54, of Fairbanks, was sentenced on Friday, Feb 2, 2018, to serve 20 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for the receipt of child pornography. In November 2017, a federal jury found Hanson guilty after a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline.
According to evidence presented at trial, in 2007, Hanson pled guilty to the possession of child pornography and had been sentenced to eight years in prison. In that case, Hanson admitted to the use of newsgroup binaries to receive thousands of images of depicting child sexual exploitation, and then backing those images up to CD-ROMS.
Following his release from prison in 2012, Hanson was subjected to a term of supervised release. As a condition of his release, Hanson was not to possess computers without the approval of the probation office, and if found in possession of any computers, the devices were subject to search.
United States Probation Officers searched Hanson’s home in North Pole, Alaska, on Oct. 12, 2016. During the search, the probation officers found Hanson in possession of an unauthorized computer and an external hard drive. A forensic search of the computer and hard drive by the FBI revealed thousands of images of child pornography that Hanson had downloaded between 2012 and 2016 using internet newsgroups, after his release in the prior case. The FBI discovered additional forensic evidence linking Hanson to the computer and external hard drive, such as chat logs. In the chat logs, Hanson told a friend that he was not allowed to have the computer but that he was not concerned about being searched by the “feds” given the remote location of his home.
The United States Probation Office and the FBI conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Alexander and Kyle Reardon prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice ongoing Project Safe Child (PSC) initiative. In May 2006, DOJ launched PSC, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices, PSC combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, identify and rescue victims and to educate the public about safe Internet use, thereby reducing the risk that children might fall prey to online sexual predators. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or call the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
Essex County, New Jersey, Man Gets 42 Months in Prison for Selling Fake Driver’s Licenses Online, Filing Bogus Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for selling fake driver’s licenses through an online shop and filing fraudulent tax returns using stolen identity information, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Alexis Scott Carthens, 40, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with authentication features and one count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims. Judge Linares imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From October 2012 through August 2014, Ricardo Rosario, 35, of Jersey City, New Jersey, with the assistance of Carthens and Abraham Corcino, 36, of Jersey City, sold fake driver’s licenses over the Internet. In connection with their illegal operation, the defendants ran a website that was available at “fakeidstore.co” and “fakedlstore.com.”
A number of the fake driver’s licenses sold by Rosario and other conspirators were used by criminal actors in connection with “cash out” schemes where stolen credit card information, usually obtained through hacking or ATM skimming operations, was encoded on to counterfeit credit cards and used to steal cash from victims’ accounts.
The website sold fake New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin driver’s licenses, and the website boasted that the licenses had “scannable barcodes” and “real” holographic overlays. The price for each fake driver’s license was approximately $150, but the website offered bulk pricing for orders of 10 or more.
The website allowed its users to pay by bitcoin, a cryptographic-based digital currency, or MoneyPak, a type of prepaid payment card that could be purchased at retail stores. The “FAQ” section of the website indicated that orders would be received approximately one to two days after payment was received and described the website’s policy with respect to returns: “No Refunds. No snitching.”
Rosario created and ran the website. Corcino and Carthens assisted Rosario by creating and mailing the fake driver’s licenses purchased through the website. Corcino also maintained an Instagram account to promote the website.
At his plea hearing, Carthens admitted that his role was to create the driver’s licenses and to mail them to the website’s customers. Carthens also admitted that he believed that some of the website’s clients were using the fake driver’s licenses to commit credit card fraud.
Carthens also admitted to his involvement in a separate scheme, spanning from December 2012 through November 2013, to use information stolen from a medical lab to file false and fraudulent tax returns. Carthens admitted working with at least one other conspirator, who assisted Carthens by providing him with email addresses and physical addresses to receive the fraudulently claimed tax refund money.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Linares sentenced Carthens to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $121,922.32.
Rosario and Corcino have both pleaded guilty to related charges. Rosario was sentenced to 63 months in prison. Corcino was given three years of probation.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark; inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Ruth M. Mendonca; and special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zach Intrater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Ward, deputy chief of the asset forfeiture program.
Defense counsel: Wanda M. Akin Esq., Newark
El Departamento de Justicia Busca Dar por Terminadas las Operaciones de una Preparadora de Declaraciones de Impuestos Sobre la Renta de WichitaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Una preparadora de declaraciones de la renta del área de Wichita, Kansas, prepara declaraciones de impuestos fraudulentas para sus clientes, según un nuevo litigio civil presentado hoy por el Departamento de Justicia. El litigio, presentado ante un tribunal federal de Wichita, Kansas, pide al tribunal prohibir permanentemente a Ma. Guadalupe Valenzuela (alias Maria Guadalupe Valenzuela, alias Lupe Valenzuela, individualmente y como empresa de Servicio de Impuestos sobre la Renta) preparar declaraciones de impuestos federales para otros. El gobierno también pide al tribunal que ordene a Valenzuela entregar los nombres de los clientes para los que ha preparado declaraciones de impuestos federales desde 2012.
La denuncia alega que la acusada subestima ilegalmente las responsabilidades fiscales de sus clientes y sobrestima sus reintegros. Según la denuncia, Valenzuela prepara ilegalmente declaraciones de impuestos federales que subestiman las responsabilidades fiscales federales de sus clientes al demandar créditos tributarios incorrectos por niños, exenciones de dependencia indebidas y estados civiles falsos a efectos impositivos.
El IRS dispone de una lista de medidas en su sitio web que usted puede tomar ahora en anticipación a su declaración de impuestos federales de 2017. Los fraudes de los preparadores de declaraciones de impuestos son una de las Doce estafas tributarias más comunes de 2017 del IRS y los contribuyentes que estén buscando un preparador de declaraciones de impuestos deben actuar con cautela. El IRS da algunos consejos en su sitio web para escoger a un preparador de declaraciones de impuestos y ha inaugurado un directorio gratuito de preparadores de declaraciones de impuestos federales.
En la última década, la División de Impuestos ha dictado medidas cautelares contra cientos de preparadores de declaraciones de impuestos inescrupulosos. La información sobre estos casos está disponible en el sitio web del Departamento de Justicia. En esta página figura una lista, por orden alfabético, de las personas a las que se ha prohibido preparar declaraciones tributarias y promover estrategias fiscales. Si cree que una de las personas o las empresas a las que se ha impuesto esta prohibición puede estar violando una orden judicial, sírvase ponerse en contacto con la División de Impuestos indicando los detalles.
Detroit man pleads guilty to illegally possessing pain pillsRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man caught with oxycodone in September 2017 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Curtis Holcomb, 39, entered his guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute oxycodone. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the West Virginia State Police Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
“Any Detroit drug dealer who comes to Huntington to push pain pills is in for a rude awakening,” said U.S. Attorney Stuart. “We will keep working with our law enforcement partners to make sure these out-of-state criminals get the message – they’re not welcome and we’re taking back our streets.”
On September 15, 2017, agents with the DEA and the West Virginia State Police Violent Crime and Drug Task Force used a confidential informant to arrange a purchase of 500 oxycodone pills from Holcomb. On his way to meet the informant, a trooper with the West Virginia State Police conducted a traffic stop on Holcomb’s vehicle on Artisan Avenue in Huntington. Troopers searched Holcomb and recovered 454 thirty mg oxycodone pills in his sock. As part of the plea agreement, Holcomb admitted to all the drug trafficking activity charged in the indictment.
Holcomb faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on May 7, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie S. Taylor are handling the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
This drug prosecution 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.
Convicted Felon with Possession of a Weapon Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOSHUA JOHNSON, age 37, has pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Sections 922(g)(1). The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in the Bureau of Prisons, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
JOHNSON was arrested by personnel of the New Orleans Police Department on July 9, 2015, and charged with illegally carrying a weapon and possession of a firearm or weapon by a convicted felon. During an investigatory stop pat down, Officer Gray discovered a firearm in JOHNSON’S waistband. JOHNSON was subsequently arrested. JOHNSON admitted to possessing the firearm for protection, and advised he had been robbed and held for hours at gunpoint in March, 2015. Therefore, the firearm which JOHNSON possessed on July 9, 2015 had to travel in and affect interstate and foreign commerce.
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 U.S. Attorney wishes to thank the hard work of the NOPD and ATF in investigating the matter. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Privitera.
Citizen of Mexico Pleads Guilty to Heroin Trafficking and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on February 2, ONEL ARANA-GERVACIO, also known as “Arana Ricardo Leon Cepeda,” 44, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to heroin trafficking and immigration offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 21, 2016, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama conducted a motor vehicle stop of a car hauler that was carrying a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu. A search of the Malibu, which was registered to ARANA, revealed that it contained a hidden compartment (“trap”), which is commonly used to conceal and transport illegal contraband, including narcotics, firearms and currency. Law enforcement officials obtained court authorization to install tracking devices on the vehicle and, between October 2016 and January 2017, HSI agents observed it at various locations in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
On January 17, 2017, agents located the vehicle at 1091 Maple Avenue in Hartford. On January 20, surveillance officers observed activity on another vehicle located at the Maple Avenue residence consistent with manipulating a mechanical hidden compartment. Officers then observed ARANA placing two duffel bags into that second vehicle and then driving off. At approximately 8:30 p.m., a Hartford Police cruiser pulled the car over. The vehicle also contained a hidden trap, but a search revealed no contraband.
A subsequent search of 1091 Maple Avenue revealed more than six kilograms of heroin, approximately 500 grams of cocaine and a “finger press,” which is used to process bulk quantities of heroin into 10-gram-bags known as “fingers.” Agents also seized drug distribution materials, including sifters, grinders, scales, vacuum sealers and kilo wrappers, which were coated in heroin residue and field-tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.
Agents then searched the Malibu, which was located in the garage of 1091 Maple Avenue, and recovered approximately $260,000 in cash from inside the trap.
Laboratory testing of the seized heroin revealed that some of it contained fentanyl.
The investigation revealed that in October 2013, a U.S. Border Patrol agent encountered ARANA near Hidalgo, Texas, and determined that ARANA had unlawfully entered the U.S. from Mexico. He was removed to Mexico on November 2, 2013.
ARANA pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, one kilogram or more of heroin, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. He also pleaded guilty to one count of illegal reentry, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years. Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for May 1, 2018.
ARANA has been detained since his arrest on January 20, 2017.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Hartford Police Department and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Baldwin County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Gustafson and David T. Huang.