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Thursday 14 December 2017
Saugus Man Charged with Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Saugus man was charged today in federal court in Boston with dealing firearms.
Leny Soares, 49, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license. Soares was initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Nov. 21, 2017, and has been detained since his arrest.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating the sale of firearms by Soares with the assistance of a cooperating witness. Over a period of six months, at the direction of law enforcement, the cooperating witness purchased seven firearms from Soares.
The charge of dealing firearms without a license provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sanger, Texas Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of an Indian Gaming EstablishmentRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kristi Michelle Juarez, age 32, of Sanger, Texas pled guilty to Theft By Officers Or Employees Of An Indian Gaming Establishment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1168(b), punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, and up to a $1,000,000.00 fine or both.
The Indictment alleged that on January 2, 2017, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Kristi Michelle Juarez, defendant herein, while an employee of the Chickasaw Nation WinStar World Casino and Resort, did embezzle, abstract, purloin, willfully misapply, and take and carry away in excess of $1,000.00 of moneys belonging to the Chickasaw Nation WinStar World Casino and Resort, an Indian gaming establishment operated by the Chickasaw Nation, pursuant to an ordinance or resolution approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
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 John David Luton represented the United States.
Roanoke Man Sentenced for Theft of Social Security Administration FundsRead the Press Release
Roanoke, VIRGINIA – A Roanoke man, who stole more than $100,000 of Social Security Administration funds intended for his deceased wife after he failed to report her death to that agency, was sentenced today in federal court, United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Walter J. Doran, 77, was sentenced today to six months in prison, three years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $108,787. Doran previously pleaded guilty to one count of with theft of government money, willfully and knowingly steal and convert for his own use money of the Social Security Administration.
According to evidence presented at a previous hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day, Doran failed to report his wife’s death to the Social Security Administration in 2009. The defendant continued to receive his late wife’s Social Security Retirement benefits from 2009 through April 2016 and use the funds for his own use. In all, Doran received $108,787 in Social Security Administration benefits to which he was not entitled.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Social Security Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case for the United States.
Riverview Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury today found Chris J. McDonald, Sr. (53, Riverview) guilty of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and nine related substantive counts of theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each theft count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
This case is related to the earlier federal prosecution of Jeanette Hevel, a former Tampa Police Department (TPD) corporal with more than 20 years’ experience who stole 13 United States Treasury tax refund checks, money orders, and a refund anticipation loan check from various locations inside TPD, including its secure evidence property room. Her unlawful conduct occurred over an approximately 9-month period beginning in September 2011. In April 2015, Hevel pleaded guilty for her conduct pursuant to a plea agreement in which she agreed to cooperate in the government’s ongoing investigation of those responsible for cashing the stolen tax refund checks. (See United States v. Jeanette Hevel, Case No. 8:15-cr-59-T-33MAP).
On December 9, 2015, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against McDonald and Joseph Lugo for their roles in the criminal conduct. According to the indictment and other court records, Hevel provided 9 of the 13 stolen tax refund checks to Lugo who then delivered them to Robert Sanders and McDonald. McDonald deposited the checks into one of his bank accounts and then typically returned to the bank the next business day and withdrew the funds and shared them amongst the conspirators, including Hevel. None of the conspirators knew any of the payees listed on the tax refund checks nor did they have permission from any of the payees to possess or deposit the checks.
In June 2017, Lugo pleaded guilty for his role in this case. Sanders pleaded guilty in 2014 and testified for the government during the trial. (See United States v. Robert Sanders, Case No. 8:14-cr-411-T-23AEP).
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant and Frank Murray.
Rapid City Man Sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor was sentenced on June 2, 2017, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Shane Davison, age 37, was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Davison was charged on May 24, 2016, and pleaded guilty on February 24, 2017. The conviction stems from Davison attempting to entice multiple minor females in the Phillipines to engage in criminal sexual acts using the internet, for financial payment.
This case was investigated by the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Davison was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Raleigh Blood Gang Member Sentenced to 15 Years Imprisonment for Felon in Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that yesterday in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced ERNEST JAMES HOLLAND, III, 27, of Raleigh to 180 months of imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release.
HOLLAND was named in a one-count Indictment filed on January 26, 2016. On May 19, 2016, HOLLAND subsequently pled guilty to one-count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
On January 5, 2016, an officer with the Raleigh Police Department Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) saw HOLLAND in court at the Wake County Justice Center. The GSU was conducting surveillance in the downtown area due to recent firearm related violence in the area. The GSU was further interested in communicating with HOLLAND, as they were aware that HOLLAND was a member of the Bloods gang. The GSU decided to surveil HOLLAND as he left the courthouse with a female. They surveilled HOLLAND to his mother’s residence where HOLLAND stayed on occasion. The GSU was aware of two prior suspected gang related incidents when gunshots were fired into HOLLAND’s mother’s residence on March 11, 2015, and on December 13, 2015. During surveillance, officers observed HOLLAND exiting the residence, where HOLLAND then retrieved an object from a vehicle parked in the driveway. HOLLAND then walked to the Moore Square Transit Mall. Based on the officers’ training and HOLLAND’s behavior, the officers believed that HOLLAND was concealing a firearm. An officer approached HOLLAND at the Moore Square Transit Mall and asked him for identification, which HOLLAND provided. When the officer told HOLLAND that he was going to conduct a weapon’s frisk, HOLLAND fled on foot. Several officers assisted in the foot pursuit as HOLLAND ran outside into Moore Square Park. During the chase, an officer observed HOLLAND reach into his waistband and retrieve a handgun. HOLLAND continued to run with the handgun for approximately 45 feet before throwing it into a flowerbed in the park. While officers were chasing HOLLAND, they were yelling at him to drop the gun, while also instructing bystanders to move to the sidewalks and to clear the park. Shortly thereafter, HOLLAND was apprehended and taken into custody. Another officer recovered a .40 caliber handgun, which was loaded with ten rounds of ammunition.
This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.
The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the criminal investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced for Victim TamperingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Tampering with a Victim by Threat was sentenced on December 11, 2017, by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.
Daelan High Wolf, age 30, was sentenced to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
High Wolf was charged on April 19, 2016, and pleaded guilty on July 13, 2017. The conviction stems from High Wolf robbing and assaulting a man with a dangerous weapon in March of 2016 at Pine Ridge, and then later threatening him.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Eric Kelderman prosecuted the case.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Kenneth Reyes, 43, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged today by Indictment with three counts of bank robbery, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrea G. Foulkes.
Owner of Beverly’s Gun Archery and Pawn Shop Pleads Guilty to Federal ChargeRead the Press Release
Abingdon, VIRGINIA – The owner of a local gun archery and pawn shop, who failed to maintain proper records, will have to give up his federal firearms license after he pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.
Bruce Alva Beverly, 64, of Coeburn Virginia, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of failing to maintain proper records as a federal firearms licensed dealer, a misdemeanor. During the same hearing, Beverly was also sentenced yesterday. The defendant will serve a period of probation of one year, pay a fine of $5,500, be required to relinquish his federal firearms license, and agree to never again become a federal firearms licensee and never work in a business that has a federal firearms license.
Beverly, through his work with Beverly’s Gun Archery & Pawn Shop in Coeburn failed to maintain records concerning the acquisition and/or sale of multiple firearms.
This case was investigated by the Bristol Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.
Oseceola Man Sentenced to 102 Months ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND - The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch II, announced that Jason Arthur Keltz, age 36, of Osceola, Indiana, was sentenced before South Bend District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Keltz was sentenced to 102 months imprisonment followed by two (2) years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, on March 20, 2017, the St. Joseph County Police initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Keltz. Keltz exited the vehicle and ran from the officer. During the foot pursuit, Keltz pointed a firearm at the officer. Keltz continued to run away from the officer but was ultimately detained, at which time it was discovered that Keltz was wearing a bulletproof vest. Keltz has multiple prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Joseph County Police Department, with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly E. Donnelly.
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Oklahoma City Man Charged with Seven Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – A federal grand jury has charged DEVON BOWMAN, 22, of Oklahoma City, with a series of armed robberies of Oklahoma City businesses in April and May of 2017, announced Mark A. Yancey, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to a 16-count indictment filed today, Bowman, also known as Marcus Hunter, used a gun to rob four convenience stores, two Family Dollar Stores, and a Fast Cash Pawn store over the course of six weeks. At the convenience stores and the Family Dollar Stores, he is alleged to have demanded and received cash and cigarettes. During all but one of these robberies, he allegedly discharged a firearm. At Fast Cash Pawn, he allegedly discharged a firearm and then demanded and received firearms and jewelry. Because of Fast Cash Pawn’s federal firearms license, a separate count charges Bowman with theft of 23 firearms from the inventory of a federal firearms licensee. He is also charged with possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.
Each of the seven robbery counts carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Each of the six counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence carries a sentence of ten years to life in prison and five years of supervised release; a second conviction under this statute, however, carries a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison. Bowman would be subject to a sentence of seven years to life for the one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The allegations that he stole firearms from a licensed dealer and that he possessed a firearm after a felony conviction carry maximum sentences of ten years in prison and three years of supervised release. If convicted on all counts, Bowman would be subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 157 years in prison. He could also be fined up to $250,000 on each count.
The public is reminded these charges are merely accusations and that Bowman is presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a unanimous jury.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David McCrary and Jacquelyn M. Hutzell are prosecuting the case. Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Ocean Springs Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Brett Michael Sekinger, 26, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U. S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to serve 8 years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release for possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze and Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. Sekinger was also ordered to pay restitution to a victim in the amount of $5,000.
Through an investigation conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which began in January 2015, a user was identified via an internet protocol address as being associated with activity linked to a child pornography "bulletin board". This bulletin board was used by an online community of individuals regularly sending and receiving child pornography via a website that operated on an anonymous online network. The website was accessible only to users within the subject network who had to use appropriate software and who had to create a user name and a password to get on this anonymous website.
A federal search warrant was executed on February 5, 2016, on the residence associated with a particular internet protocol address and user name located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. At that time, Brett M. Sekinger was found to knowingly possess computers and other electronic components containing visual depictions in digital still and video format of minors, to include minors who had not attained 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Brett M. Sekinger faced a maximum sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and not less than 5 years to life supervised release. This case was investigated by agents of the FBI Jackson Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which is made up of agents from the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, officers from the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea C. Jones.
Norwich Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JAVON MORSE, 22, of Norwich, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early 2017, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Safe Streets Task Force and Norwich Police Department conducted three controlled purchases of cocaine from MORSE. The investigation revealed that MORSE was utilizing storage units at two separate storage facilities in Waterford to hide drugs and cash.
On April 24, 2017, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of MORSE’s rented storage units. A search of one unit revealed two kilogram packages of cocaine, a quantity of marijuana, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, and a loaded .25 caliber handgun. A search of the second unit revealed a loaded .357 magnum caliber handgun, two types of loose ammunition, digital scales, an empty kilogram wrap with cocaine residue, and empty bank cash wraps.
MORSE has been detained since his arrest on May 24, 2017. On August 8, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
North Ridgeville man indicted for downloading multiple videos of young children being raped and sexually assaultedRead the Press Release
A North Ridgeville man was indicted for downloading multiple videos of young children being raped and sexually assaulted, law enforcement officials said.
Dana F. Cain, 48, was indicted on one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of a computer that contained child pornography.
Cain downloaded nearly 500 movie files from May 2015 through January 2017. These movies include images of toddlers and young girls being rapes and sexually assaulted, according to court documents.
The indictment also alleges that Cain possessed an Apple Macbook computer at his home on Avon Belden Road in North Ridgeville which contained child pornography.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Sullivan following an investigation by the FBI, the North Ridgeville Police Department and the Avon Police Department.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Nineteen Men Charged in White Plains Federal Court with Narcotics Conspiracy in New RochelleRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr., the Westchester County District Attorney, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Patrick J. Carroll, the Commissioner of the New Rochelle Police Department, announced the a coordinated operation earlier today in which federal, state, and local law enforcement officers arrested 36 defendants in Westchester County. Nineteen defendants are charged in a federal indictment, unsealed today, charging them with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams and more of powder cocaine and 28 grams and more of crack cocaine in and around New Rochelle, New York, since at least in or about September 2017. The Westchester County District Attorney has charged an additional 23 defendants. Those defendants arrested today who are charged in the federal indictment are expected to be presented in White Plains federal court today before Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “Today, we have charged 19 defendants with running a narcotics organization in New Rochelle, New York. These men allegedly conspired to sell large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine. I commend our law enforcement partners for their work to keep our streets free of illegal drugs and the dangers they present.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The speed with which this group of alleged drug dealers was investigated and arrested should serve as a warning to others who look to fill the void. Our FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and our outstanding partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies allow everyone to act with an agility that only gets sharper with each new case. These arrests will have a significant impact on the criminal underbelly in the Westchester County area, and we won't stop working each day to make these communities safer.”
Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. said: “I congratulate the New Rochelle Police Department and the FBI for the success of this important effort to stop the flow of illegal narcotics into our communities. We are pleased to join with our colleagues in law enforcement in an ongoing collaborative effort to combat this serious problem.”
New Rochelle Police Commissioner Patrick J. Carroll said: “I am proud of the dedicated efforts of our members and those of our law enforcement partners which resulted in the indictments and arrests of these individuals. New Rochelle will not tolerate the sale of drugs, or the violent crimes that are associated with the narcotic trade. This sends a strong message of our dedication to clearing our community of these dangerous substances.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court[1]:
From at least in or about September 2017 up to and including December 2017, ANDRE FRANCIS, a/k/a “Huddy,” a/k/a “Hut,” RAYMOND GILKES, a/k/a “Fresh,” KRISHNA RAGHUBAR, JOSE ACEVEDO, a/k/a “Cake,” ANTHONY JACKSON, a/k/a “Razor,” a/k/a “Worm,” DEVAUGHN BLAKEY, a/k/a “Natron,” CHRIS MABRY, ERIC LANDRINE, a/k/a “E Waterz,” DAVID TUCKER, a/k/a “Prince,” KAREEM PARNELL, a/k/a “Goofy,” JERRY AUGUSTINE, a/k/a “Juice,” JASON ORTEGA, a/k/a “Fetty,” RAKEEM JONES, RYAN HINES, a/k/a “Mooch,” DAVID THOMAS, CHANJU CARROL, a/k/a “Choo,” JACK BENJAMIN, KENDALL MILLER, a/k/a “Swin,” and TROY WILCOX conspired to distribute 28 grams and more of crack cocaine and 500 grams and more of powder cocaine.
The defendants each face a maximum term of 40 years in prison, and a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants would be determined by the respective judges.
The Indictment arises from a joint investigation by the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force and the City of New Rochelle Police Department.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the New Rochelle Police Department. Mr. Kim also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for its ongoing coordination in the case.
These cases are being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Celia V. Cohen and Berit W. Berger are in charge of the prosecutions.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Participating in Business Email Compromise ScamsRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DAVID CHUKWUNEKE ADINDU was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 41 months in prison for participating in a wire fraud conspiracy and identity theft conspiracy. These charges stemmed from ADINDU’s participation in fraudulent business email compromise scams that targeted thousands of victims around the world, including the United States. Collectively, the scams attempted to defraud victims of more than $25 million. Today’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “As part of a business email compromise scam, David Chukwuneke Adindu tricked thousands of victims around the world into fraudulently wiring him over $25 million. As Adindu learned today, building a business based on fraud can come with a steep price, and that is years in a federal prison.”
According to publicly filed court documents and statements made at public court proceedings:
Between 2014 and 2016, ADINDU participated in Business Email Compromise scams (“BEC scams”) targeting thousands of victims around the world, including in the United States. As part of the BEC scams, emails were sent to employees of various companies directing that funds be transferred to specified bank accounts. The emails purported to be from supervisors at those companies or third party vendors that did business with those companies. The emails, however, were not legitimate. Rather, they were either from email accounts with a domain name that was very similar to a legitimate domain name, or the metadata in the emails had been modified so that the emails appeared as if they were from legitimate email addresses. After victims complied with the fraudulent wiring instructions, the transferred funds were quickly withdrawn or moved into different bank accounts. In total, the BEC scams attempted to defraud over $25 million from victims.
ADINDU and others carried out BEC scams by exchanging information regarding: (1) bank accounts used for receiving funds from victims; (2) email accounts for communicating with victims; (3) scripts for requesting wire transfers from victims; and (4) lists of names and email addresses for contacting and impersonating potential victims.
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In addition to the prison term, ADINDU, 30, of Lagos, Nigeria, and Guangzhou, China, was ordered to pay over $1.4 million in restitution.
Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Kim also thanked the Yahoo! E-Crime Investigations Team, and noted that the investigation is continuing.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew K. Chan is in charge of the prosecution.
Niagara Falls Man Sentenced on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that James Smith, 27, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of being a felon-in-possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who handled the case, stated that on February 25, 2016, New York State Parole Officers and others conducted a search at Smith’s residence on Orleans Avenue in Niagara Falls. The defendant was under the supervision of New York State Parole following a July 2010 federal conviction and an August 2014 Niagara County Conviction.
As officers entered, Smith attempted to go into the basement. The defendant was stopped and the basement was searched. Officers recovered a Colt, .32 caliber, semi-automatic handgun with a magazine loaded with two rounds of ammunition. As a result of his previous convictions, Smith is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division; the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Chief Bryan DalPorto; and New York State Parole, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci.
Niagara Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Antonio Carr, 24, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm, before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that on July 28, 2017, Niagara County Probation Officers performed a home visit for a woman living at 1224 Niagara Avenue, Upper Apartment, in Niagara Falls. As they entered the residence, officers observed the defendant, the probationer's boyfriend, in the bedroom of the apartment. Carr attempted to leave the apartment, telling officers he needed to go and get his children who were in the lower apartment. An officer accompanied the defendant, who was holding a blue jacket in his hand, to the lower apartment. Carr knocked on the door and handed the blue jacket to the occupant of the lower apartment. The officer witnessed the occupant of the lower apartment take the blue jacket down a hallway and place it on a staircase. When the officer asked the occupant of the lower apartment for the blue jacket, they denied having it. The occupant eventually turned it over. The officer discovered a .380 caliber pistol in the right inside pocket of the jacket.
Carr has a previous felony conviction in Niagara County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was on the list of top offenders in Niagara County.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Probation Office, under the direction of Director John Cicchetti; the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Bryan DalPorto; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco. Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ashan Benedict, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 6, 2017, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
New Garden Township, PA Man Charged with Illegal Re-entry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Miguel Angel Vasquez-Camacho, of New Garden Township, PA, was charged today by Indictment with illegal reentry after deportation, announced United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. The indictment alleges that on or about November 29, 2013, Vazquez-Camacho, an alien, and native and citizen of Mexico, was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States on or about January 5, 1999.
If convicted the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of two years.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (“ERO”), and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bea Witzleben.
An Indictment, Information or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nephews of Venezuela First Lady Each Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Import Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that EFRAIN ANTONIO CAMPO FLORES (“CAMPO FLORES”) and FRANQUI FRANCISCO FLORES DE FREITAS (“FLORES DE FREITAS”) was each sentenced to 216 months in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. A jury convicted CAMPO FLORES and FLORES DE FREITAS on November 18, 2016, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty, who imposed today’s sentences.
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “In part to fund an election campaign for the First Lady of Venezuela, Efrain Antonio Campo Flores and Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas devised a plan to work with the FARC terrorist organization to send literally tons of cocaine to the United States. At their trial last November, a unanimous jury saw their plot for what it was – a massive drug distribution conspiracy. With today’s sentencing, for participating in this brazen cocaine trafficking scheme, they will spend many years in an American prison.”
According to the evidence presented at trial and in connection with sentencing proceedings:
Beginning in August 2015, CAMPO FLORES and FLORES DE FREITAS worked with others in Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras, and elsewhere – including at least one member of Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (“FARC”), a designated foreign terrorist organization – in an effort to dispatch large loads of cocaine via private aircraft from premises controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela. The defendants’ aunt, Cilia Flores, is the First lady of Venezuela, and during the investigation, CAMPO FLORES and FLORES DE FREITAS told individuals acting at the direction of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) that they intended to use part of the proceeds of their drug trafficking to fund her December 2015 campaign for a position in the Venezuelan National Assembly. Electronic communications seized from the defendants’ phones also demonstrated, among other things, that CAMPO FLORES and FLORES DE FREITAS had engaged in a scheme to solicit bribes from debtors of Venezuela’s state-run oil and natural gas company, Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (“PDVSA”), in exchange for promises that a cousin, Carlos Erik Malpica-Flores, would cause PDVSA to approve and make payments on certain debts.
In early October 2015, an individual who was cooperating with the DEA in Honduras (“CW-1”) reported to the DEA that a Honduran national had introduced CW-1 to two Venezuelans – later identified as the defendants – who were interested in sending cocaine-laden aircraft with legitimate-seeming flight plans from Venezuela to Honduras. On October 3, 2015, CAMPO FLORES and FLORES DE FREITAS traveled to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, via private jet to meet with CW-1 to discuss sending hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Simón Bolívar International Airport to Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport in Roatan, Honduras. Two days after the meeting, CAMPO FLORES sent text messages to CW-1 that stated: “What I want is to start work because the electoral campaign is almost here and I always contribute . . . [w]ith money if you know what I mean that is why I want to start work.”
In late October 2015, two confidential sources working at the direction of the DEA (“CS-1” and “CS-2”) traveled to Caracas, Venezuela, to meet with the defendants. CS-1 purported to be the Mexican boss of the drug trafficking organization with which CW-1 was affiliated, and CS-2 purported to be an associate of CS-1. On October 23, 2015, during a recorded meeting with CS-1 and CS-2 regarding potential drug shipments, CAMPO FLORES explained: “[M]y mom,” i.e., Cilia Flores, “is running for the election and I need . . . $20 million. . . . In other words, the issue of the money . . . we need it by December [2015].” During the same meeting, CAMPO FLORES reiterated: “[W]e want to take possession again of the . . . National Assembly and . . . several places with power.” In another recorded meeting in Caracas on October 26, 2015, CAMPO FLORES described the defendants’ plan to use some of the drug proceeds to bribe local Venezuelan officials who they anticipated would assist Cilia Flores in connection with the upcoming election. CAMPO FLORES also told CS-1 and CS-2 that there had been an “agreement” involving Venezuelan official Diosdado Cabello that allowed the defendants’ family to “control the oil completely in Venezuela.” At a third recorded meeting in Caracas, on October 27, 2015, CAMPO FLORES and FLORES DE FREITAS presented CS-1 and CS-2 with a kilogram of cocaine, referring to it as a “little animal,” so that they could test the quality of the drugs.
On November 6, 2015, FLORES DE FREITAS and a bodyguard traveled to Honduras via private jet in order to meet with individuals acting at the direction of the DEA as well as co-conspirators, including co-defendant Robert de Jesus Soto Garcia, to further discuss the cocaine shipment. During the recorded meeting, Soto Garcia indicated that numerous officials at the airport in Roatán, including military and police personnel, would participate in receiving the defendants’ drug load. FLORES DE FREITAS and Soto Garcia proceeded to make precise plans for the shipment during the meeting, and FLORES DE FREITAS agreed to send the first load of cocaine on November 15, 2015.
On November 10, 2015, CAMPO FLORES and FLORES DE FREITAS flew on a private jet to Haiti intending to pick up an initial multimillion-dollar payment for the cocaine. During a recorded meeting, CAMPO FLORES described the defendants’ connection to a “supposedly high ranked” “commander for the FARC,” and both defendants indicated that the first drug shipment, consisting of 800 kilograms, was prepared to be dispatched from Venezuela. Following the meeting, CAMPO FLORES and FLORES DE FREITAS were arrested by Haitian law enforcement officers, expelled from Haiti, and flown to Westchester County International Airport in White Plains, New York, on a DEA jet.
* * *
In addition to the prison terms, CAMPO FLORES, 31, and FLORES DE FREITAS, 33, was each ordered to pay a fine of $50,000.
Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, and New York Strike Force. Mr. Kim also thanked the DEA’s Port-au-Prince Country Office, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s National Targeting Center, DEA’s Airwing, the Government of the Republic of Haiti and the Haitian National Police, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III and Brendan F. Quigley are in charge of the prosecution.
17-398 rrorism and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emil J. Bove III and Brendan F. Quigley are in charge of the prosecution.
Napoleon man indicted on child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
A Napoleon man was indicted for child pornography crimes, said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony.
Nicholas Evanoff, 33, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of possession of child pornography. Evanoff possessed the child pornography between September and November 2017, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Ballard Tangeman.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Monongalia County woman sentenced for her role in an oxycodone distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Bobbie Jo Phillips, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months incarceration for oxycodone and cocaine distribution, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Phillips, age 31, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility” in September 2017. She admitted to using a phone to aide in the distribution of oxycodone and cocaine in Monongalia County in March 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Mission Woman and Rapid City Man Sentenced for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mission, South Dakota, woman, and a Rapid City, South Dakota, man, convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance were sentenced on December 11, 2017, and December 12, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
June Swalley, a/k/a June Einspahr, a/k/a June Dmytrasz, age 31, and Jeremey White Horse, age 41, were sentenced to 15 months in custody, followed by 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $1,000, forfeiture in the amount of $964, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Swalley and White Horse were indicted by a federal grand jury on February 15, 2017. They both pled guilty on October 2, 2017.
The convictions stem from two different traffic stops. On June 30, 2016, a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Officer initiated a traffic stop of a black SUV. White Horse was driving and Swalley was a passenger. A K9 officer arrived on scene, and the K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics. During the execution of a vehicle search, 21 plastic baggies containing a white crystal substance, a digital scale, pipe, and drug paraphernalia were found in a bag in the vehicle near where Swalley was seated. United States currency in the amount of $870 was found hidden in the front console, and $94 was located in the back seat.
On July 21, 2016, a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services Officer conducted a traffic stop of White Horse’s vehicle. A K9 officer and his K9 arrived on scene, and the K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics. Upon a search of the vehicle, a black pouch was found containing several plastic baggies of a white crystal substance, a digital scale, drug paraphernalia, and a brick of green leafy substance. The items field-tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana.
White Horse admitted that the drugs in the vehicle were his and that he had purchased them from Rapid City.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Swalley and White Horse were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on December 12, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Adrian William Fast Dog, age 37, was sentenced to 18 months in custody, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Fast Dog was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 16, 2017. He pled guilty on October 30, 2017.
The conviction stems from Fast Dog failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between July 7, 2017, and August 4, 2017. Fast Dog had previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court, which requires him to register for the rest of his life.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Fast Dog was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Sentenced to 21 Months for Reentering the United States After Previous DeportationsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Humberto Nunez-Ocampo (38, Mexico) to 21 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after he had been deported. He pleaded guilty to the offense on September 28, 2017.
According to court documents and information presented at sentencing, Nunez-Ocampo was encountered by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer in July 2017, following Nunez-Ocampo’s arrest in Suwannee County for domestic battery. Further investigation revealed that Nunez-Ocampo had previously been deported in 2008, 2010, and 2012. In 2012, he received a felony conviction for leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury. Additional criminal convictions after his initial deportation included domestic battery, third-degree burglary, and fourth-degree assault.
“This case highlights ICE’s commitment to getting criminal illegal aliens out of our communities,” said Michael W. Meade, acting field office director for the Miami Field Office of ERO.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, with assistance from the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 33 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker today announced the sentencing of ELFRED WILLIAM PETRUK, 39, to 31 years in prison for methamphetamine-related trafficking offenses. PETRUK was found guilty on June 12, 2017, following a four-day trial, of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. PETRUK was sentenced to 31 years for each count and will serve those terms concurrently. PETRUK was indicted on these counts while on supervised release for a previous federal conviction. As a result, he will serve an additional two-and-one-half years consecutively for violating his supervised release terms and conditions. He was sentenced on December 13, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery.
“Methamphetamines are destroying lives across Minnesota. Today’s sentence highlights our commitment to prosecuting individuals, such as Mr. Petruk, who are intent on bringing these dangerous drugs into our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Gregory G. Brooker. “This case reflects the collaborative work of federal, state, and local task forces and their dedication to combating drug trafficking.”
“Mr. Petruk has had a history of criminal behavior dating back two decades. Getting him off the streets is a big win for these communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard of the Saint Paul Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “In fact, our local ATF office has built a number of cases on Mr. Petruk resulting in three separate federal indictments. We are extremely happy with the sentencing. We owe a big thanks to the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force with whom we worked closely during this investigation. This is a big win for them, too.”
As proven at trial, in July 2016, law enforcement agents received information that PETRUK, who then had only recently been released from prison and placed on federal supervised release, was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from the Twin Cities area to the Twin Ports area. In September 2016, on at least three separate occasions, law enforcement agents observed PETRUK traveling from the Twin Ports area to the Twin Cities, making short-duration stops at remote locations and at homes of known methamphetamine users and dealers. On September 20, 2016, agents stopped and detained PETRUK and, upon execution of a search warrant, recovered more than 800 grams of highly pure methamphetamine hidden in a compartment under the hood of PETRUK’S vehicle.
As proven at trial, following PETRUK’S arrest, law enforcement agents executed search warrants at several of the locations in Duluth, Minn. and Superior, Wisc. believed to be related to PETRUK’S drug-trafficking activities. During the course of the searches, law enforcement agents seized a loaded 9mm handgun, methamphetamine, cash, digital scales, drug-packaging materials, and other drug-trafficking paraphernalia.
The defendant has multiple prior criminal convictions in state and federal courts. In September 2006, PETRUK pleaded guilty in federal district court to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in prison. In July 2015, PETRUK was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of corruptly attempting to obstruct an official proceeding and was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Duluth Police Department; the Superior, Wisconsin Police Department; and the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allen A. Slaughter and Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
ELFRED WILLIAM PETRUK, 39
Duluth, Minn.
Convicted:
- Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
- Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 1 count
Sentenced:
- 402 months in prison (372 months each count to be served concurrently, plus 30 months for violation of supervised release conditions to be served consecutively)
- 10-year term of supervised release (10 years each count, served concurrently)
###
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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600
Mental Health Facility to Pay Almost $7 Million to Resolve Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss - Region 8 Mental Health Services has agreed to pay the United States government in excess of $6.93 million under the False Claims Act to resolve allegations that it was paid for services that it either did not provide or that were not provided by qualified individuals as part of its preschool Day Treatment program, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Today’s announcement is believed to be the largest False Claims Act healthcare settlement in the history of the State of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health reports that nearly 35,000 Mississippi children and adolescents suffer mental health issues that are "severe and persistent." Day Treatment is defined by Medicaid as "a behavioral intervention program, provided in the context of a therapeutic milieu, which provides children/adolescents with serious emotional disturbances the intensity treatment necessary to enable them to live in the community." Day Treatment services covered by Medicaid provide a vital service to the citizens of Mississippi, enabling the State’s youth to live productive lives and grow to become healthy, productive adults.
Region 8, a regional community health center covering Copiah, Lincoln, Madison, Rankin and Simpson Counties, operated a Day Treatment program for preschool age children. During its investigation, the United States Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, discovered that many of the claims submitted for payment from 2004 to 2010 were for services that were either not provided or were not provided by qualified individuals.
"Our children are among the most valuable and vulnerable in our society, and it is imperative that we do all that we can to protect the programs that offer them the services that they need," says U.S. Attorney Hurst. The Office of the United States Attorney says that it continues to increase its efforts to investigate allegations of fraud and protect the federal programs serving the citizens of this State and country. "The work we do in combatting waste, fraud and abuse in government programs is among some of the most important work this office does, and we will continue to vigorously investigate all allegations of fraud," says U.S. Attorney Hurst.
Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, adds, "It is imperative that these children receive the behavioral intervention services they need. We will continue to monitor Region 8 Mental Health Services to ensure the organization is providing intervention services by qualified staff and properly billing Medicaid."
The allegations settled today arose from a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, who was a former employee of the company, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. Such private citizens are referred to as relators. The relator in this case will receive more than $1 million from the recovery announced today. The case is styled United States v. Madison-Simpson-Copiah Mental Health Commission Region 8, et al., 3:09cv441- HTW-LRA (S.D. Miss.).
The investigation and settlement were the result of a coordinated effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. There were also significant contributions to the investigation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The United States government was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Givens Williams, with contribution from Auditor Kim Mitchell. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid will receive a portion of the settlement in proportion to its contribution to the Medicaid fund.
Moving forward, Region 8 will be subject to oversight under its Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. This agreement is designed to increase accountability and transparency and prevent future fraud and abuse.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Members of Robbery Crew Exiled to 13.5 Years and 10 Years in Prison for Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Nathan Antonio Davis, age 38, of Seat Pleasant, Maryland, today to thirteen and a half years in prison, followed by eight years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more cocaine and for conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Davis was also convicted of possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon due to his additional criminal conduct while incarcerated on this pending federal indictment. Co-defendant Raymond Dexter Parker, age 33, of District Heights, Maryland, was sentenced earlier this week to 10 years of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised released for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The sentences were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Schenning M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Daniel Board, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Henry P. Stawinski III of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to their plea agreements, between November 2015 through May 3, 2016, Parker conspired with Davis and others to rob certain drug dealers operating in Maryland, and conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition, between March and April of 2016, Parker and Davis met with an undercover agent at various locations in Maryland to discuss robbing a drug dealer.
On May 3, 2016, the day of the planned armed robbery, Parker and Davis along with others met with the UC at a location in Maryland. During this meeting, the crew discussed, in detail, plans for the upcoming robbery. During the conversation, the UC observed Parker with a firearm in his hand and observed Parker wiping off the firearm with his search. Parker began to remove the license plates from a rental vehicle that they planned to use for the robbery and replace them with license plates from an unaffiliated vehicle parked in the parking lot to evade detection by law enforcement during and after the robbery. The men confirmed their desire to conduct the armed robbery of a drug dealer.
After the men’s arrest, law enforcement recovered a Sabre stun gun from the scene and three loaded firearms from Parker’s vehicle. From the conspirators and their vehicles, officers also located a black ski mask, nylon stockings, gloves, disinfecting wipes, duct tape, a 60,000 volt taser, paracord, and screwdrivers.
Davis and Parker have been detained since their arrest.
While detained on the above-described offenses, Davis wrote letters to individuals, which were intercepted by the Government. In one of the letters, Davis instructed one individual to retrieve a firearm from a residence in Suitland, Maryland, and bring it to the residence in Waldorf, Maryland, for safekeeping. Davis wrote another letter to a different individual and instructed the individual to retrieve a package from a dresser in the Washington, D.C. residence, weigh out a certain quantity of cocaine from the package, and sell that amount to a different individual. Davis further instructed the individual to send some of the proceeds from the sale to Davis in jail and to use the remainder of the proceeds to fund the marijuana grow operation. Based on this information, law enforcement executed three search warrants on three residences in Maryland and Washington, D.C. and recovered five firearms, ammunition, cocaine, cocaine base, drug paraphernalia, and over 3,000 in cash.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen Schenning commended the ATF and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Sykes and Menaka Kalaskar, who prosecuted the case.
Member of Lawrence Kidnapping Crew Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of a Lawrence-based kidnapping crew was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a 2012 kidnapping.
Luis Reynoso, a/k/a “Prieto,” 27, of Lawrence, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 11 years in prison and three years of supervised release. In August 2015, Reynoso pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Reynoso was charged in connection with a wide-ranging investigation targeting violent kidnapping and home invasion crews operating in Lawrence. According to court documents, these crews – often referred to as “joloperros,” which loosely translates to “stick-up guys” – were organized, armed and violent.
Reynoso was identified as part of a violent, sophisticated kidnapping crew that included Danny Veloz, a/k/a “Maestro;” Jose Guzman, a/k/a “Cano;” Jose Matos, a/k/a “Boyca;” and Gadiel Romero, a/k/a “TC,” all of Lawrence; Henry Maldonado of Manchester, N.H., and Thomas Wallace of Raymond, N.H.
On July 23, 2012, armed with firearms and wearing t-shirts with the word “police” on them, the crew kidnapped two men at gunpoint in Lawrence. The victims were transported to Manchester, N.H., and held overnight – during which time one was burned with a hot iron – before being rescued by law enforcement. Several cooperating defendants advised that the July 23, 2012, kidnapping was one of several kidnappings or attempted kidnappings committed by this crew in Lawrence in 2012.
A federal investigation identified this crew as one of several kidnapping and home invasion crews operating in Lawrence. The crews typically kidnapped drug dealers for large ransoms that were paid in cash or drugs; used safe houses to stash their victims; and used sophisticated tracking techniques, such as GPS devices, to follow their victims. The crews targeted drug dealers because they believed that the drug dealers were unlikely to cooperate with law enforcement, were subject to deportation, or feared reprisals, either against themselves or their families. Numerous kidnapping victims described how they were abducted, tortured, and forced to pay ransoms of hundreds of thousands of dollars (either in the U.S. or in the Dominican Republic) to joloperros crew members. Victims were burned, scarred, bruised, and given other significant physical injuries marking them as kidnapping victims. During the investigation, law enforcement seized dozens of firearms, including shotguns, GPS devices, irons used to torture victims, masks, zip ties, t-shirts with the word “police” on them, fake police badges, handcuffs and drugs.
Veloz was sentenced to life in prison in November 2017; Romero was sentenced to 23 years in prison; Guzman was sentenced to 16 years in prison; Wallace and Maldonado were each sentenced to 13 years in prison; and Matos was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger; Lawrence Police Chief James X. Fitzpatrick; and Manchester (N.H.) Police Chief Nick Willard made the announcement. The cases are being prosecuted by Weinreb’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit.
Matthew Shaffer Sentenced to 35 Years for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. — Matthew Wesley Shaffer, 39, of Walton, Ky., was sentenced today, to 35 years in prison, by United States District Court Judge David Bunning. In August of 2017, Shaffer was convicted by a jury of two counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute it, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
At his trial, Shaffer was identified as the president of the Florence, Kentucky, chapter of the Iron Horsemen motorcycle club and as a national enforcer for that organization. He has multiple prior felony convictions. The evidence at trial further established that Shaffer directed a group that was transporting large amounts of crystal methamphetamine from California to Northern Kentucky and distributing it, during 2015 and 2016. The evidence also established that, on August 25, 2016, Shaffer possessed more than 180 grams of crystal methamphetamine in his Walton, Kentucky residence, along with two loaded firearms, body armor, and $8,920.00 in currency. Additionally, the evidence established that Shaffer led a group of individuals who smuggled approximately ten grams of crystal methamphetamine into the Boone County Detention Center for distribution, in October 2016. The jury convicted him after five days of trial.
“This investigation and prosecution highlights the importance of a strong partnership between local, state, and federal law enforcement in reducing violent crime and drug trafficking activities,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our communities are made safer through the cooperative efforts of law enforcement, and I commend the officers and agents for their hard work and dedication on this case and others like it.”
Under federal law, Shaffer must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for ten years.
United States Attorney Duncan; Timothy J. Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; and Stuart Lowrey, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, the ATF, and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Tony Bracke.
Marion County man admits to firearm chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Fairmont, West Virginia man has admitted to an illegal firearm charge, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
Rocmond Lewis, Sr., age 40, pled guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Lewis, having previously being convicted of a felony in the Circuit Court of Marion County, West Virginia, admitted to possessing a .45 caliber pistol, a 9mm pistol, and a .380 caliber pistol. The crime occurred in March 2017 in Marion County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Joel Torres Diaz, 30, of Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. Parisi, who is handling the case, stated that on May 12, 2017, the defendant attempted to enter the United States from Canada at the Peace Bridge port of entry. Diaz was referred to a secondary inspection during which Customs and Border Patrol officers observed a shoebox inside a plastic bag on the rear seat of the vehicle. Inside the box, officers recovered three packages of cocaine weighing approximately one kilogram.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly.
Maine Harvester Enters Guilty Plea, Maine Dealers Sentenced for Illegally Trafficking American EelsRead the Press Release
Yarann Im was sentenced to six months imprisonment and three years of supervised release and Thomas Choi was sentenced to six months in prison with a fine of $25,000 today for trafficking juvenile American eels (also called “elvers” or “glass eels”) in violation of the Lacey Act, following a hearing in federal district court in Portland, Maine. The sentence was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
In October 2016, Im pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act by purchasing elvers in interstate commerce that had been harvested illegally in Virginia, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. Court documents indicate that Im trafficked at least 480 pounds of elvers, which is almost one-million individual eels, and worth more than $500,000. Im subsequently sold these elvers to international buyers and exported them from the United States.
This sentencing follows the entry of a guilty plea on December 12, 2017, by Albert Cray in federal district court in Portland, Maine, to trafficking elvers in violation of the Lacey Act. As part of his guilty plea, Cray admitted to illegally transporting or selling elvers in interstate commerce, which had been harvested illegally in New Jersey. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Cray was a fisherman from Maine, who travelled to locations near Millville, New Jersey, to illegally harvest elvers. Cray then sold the elvers to a dealer from Maryland, who exported them from the United States to buyers in Asia. In 2013, Cray trafficked approximately $253,518 worth of illegally-harvested elvers.
“The poaching and illegal selling of American eels negatively impacts not only the species but also the economies of our East Coast states and the livelihood of local U.S. fishermen who legally harvest these eels,” said Edward Grace, Acting Chief of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “These recent court actions should serve as a warning to those who illegally profit from our country’s natural resources. You will be caught and held accountable.”
Eels are highly valued in East Asia for human consumption. Historically, Japanese and European eels were harvested to meet this demand; however, overfishing has led to a decline in these populations. As a result, harvesters have turned to the American eel to fill the void.
American eels spawn in the Sargasso Sea, an area of the North Atlantic Ocean bounded on all sides by ocean currents. They then travel as larvae from the Sargasso to the coastal waters of the eastern United States, where they enter a juvenile or elver stage, swim upriver, and grow to adulthood in fresh water. Elvers are exported for aquaculture in East Asia, where they are raised to adult size and sold for food. Harvesters and exporters of American eels in the United States can sell elvers to East Asia for more than $2,000 per pound.
Because of the threat of overfishing, Atlantic Coast states have cooperatively prohibited elver harvesting in all but two states: Maine and South Carolina. Maine and South Carolina heavily regulate elver fisheries, requiring that individuals be licensed and report all quantities of harvested eels to state authorities. Other Atlantic coast states, including Virginia, have commercial fisheries for adult or “yellow” eels.
This case was the result of “Operation Broken Glass,” a multi-jurisdiction U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigation into the illegal trafficking of American eels. To date, the investigation has resulted in guilty pleas for 19 individuals whose combined conduct resulted in the illegal trafficking of more than $5.25 million worth of elvers.
Operation Broken Glass was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section in collaboration with the Maine Marine Patrol, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police, Virginia Marine Resources Commission Police, USFWS Refuge Law Enforcement, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Massachusetts Environmental Police, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Law Enforcement, New York State Environmental Conservation Police, New Hampshire Fish and Game Division of Law Enforcement, Maryland Natural Resources Police, North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Yarmouth, Massachusetts Division of Natural Resources, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Police Department and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
The government is represented by Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorneys Cassandra Barnum and Shane Waller.
Louisiana Return Preparer Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Filing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Louisiana tax return preparer was sentenced to seven years in prison today for filing fraudulent returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to documents filed with the court, Shawanda Nevers, aka Shawanda Hawkins, Shawanda Bryant, and Shawanda Johnson, 49, operated a series of businesses in the LaPlace area, including 3LJ’s Café Services & Sports Bar LLC and 3LJ’s Industrial Service Solutions LLC. Between 2011 and 2016, Nevers filed fraudulent income tax returns that included fake business losses, deductions and tax credits and sought refunds to which her clients were not entitled. Despite a federal judge permanently enjoining her from preparing federal tax returns in 2014, Nevers continued to file fraudulent returns.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan ordered Nevers to serve one year of supervised release and to pay restitution to the IRS for $6,934,764 in losses that she caused. She also was ordered to pay $128,900 to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust and $964 to the Social Security Administration. Nevers pleaded guilty to filing fraudulent tax returns in August.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Evans commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hayden Brockett and Loan “Mimi” Nguyen, and Trial Attorney Grace Albinson of the Tax Division, who prosecuted this case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Long Island Woman Indicted for Bank Fraud and Money Laundering to Support TerroristsRead the Press Release
A five-count indictment was unsealed earlier today in federal court in Central Islip, New York, charging Zoobia Shahnaz with bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and three substantive counts of money laundering. As alleged in the indictment and court filings, the defendant defrauded numerous financial institutions and obtained over $85,000 in illicit proceeds, which she converted to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. She then laundered and transferred the funds out of the country to support the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”), which has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of State as a foreign terrorist organization. After consummating the scheme, the defendant attempted to leave the United States and travel to Syria. Shahnaz, a U.S citizen, was arrested yesterday, and her initial arraignment is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson.
Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendant Zoobia Shahnaz engaged in a bank fraud scheme, purchased Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and laundered money overseas, intending to put thousands of dollars into the coffers of terrorists,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde. “The indictment reflects the resolve of this Office, together with our law enforcement partners, to investigate and prosecute anyone who would seek to support terrorists, including those who would perpetrate financial crimes to do so.” Ms. Rohde extended her grateful appreciation to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force comprising a large number of federal, state and local agencies from the region.
“Syria is a perilous and violent war-torn country, but the subject in this investigation was allegedly so determined to assist ISIS that she planned a covert, illegal entry into Syria,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney. “On top of which, she allegedly tried to launder virtual currency to bolster terrorists’ dwindling financial support. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force kept this woman from her dangerous and potentially deadly goal. We will do all we can to stop the next person hoping to do the same. We want to thank our law enforcement partners Suffolk County Police Department, with whom we worked this case side-by-side.”
As set forth in the indictment and court filings, in or about and between March 2017 and the date of her attempted travel to Syria on July 31, 2017, the defendant engaged in a scheme to defraud numerous financial institutions. Specifically, Shahnaz obtained a loan for approximately $22,500 by way of materially false representations. She also fraudulently applied for over a dozen credit cards, which she used to purchase approximately $62,000 in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies online. She then engaged in a pattern of financial activity, culminating in several wire transactions, totaling over $150,000, to individuals and apparent shell entities in Pakistan, China and Turkey. These transactions were designed to avoid transaction reporting requirements, conceal the identity, source and destination of the illicitly obtained monies, and, ultimately, benefit ISIS.
After conducting these financial transactions, the defendant sought to travel to Syria herself. She was questioned by law enforcement at John F. Kennedy International Airport when she attempted to board a flight to Islamabad, Pakistan. Her itinerary included a multi-day layover in Istanbul, Turkey – a common point of entry for individuals travelling from Western countries to join ISIS in Syria.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Shahnaz faces a maximum of 30 years for the bank fraud charge and 20 years on each money laundering count.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
Zoobia Shanaz
Age: 27
Brentwood, NYE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-0690
Local Man Arrested for $30 Million Securities and Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 62-year-old Houston man has been taken into custody following the return of a federal indictment charging him for his role in a securities fraud and wire fraud scheme involving more than $30 million, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
A grand jury returned a 21-count indictment Dec. 7, 2017, against Ray Charles Davis. He was taken into custody this morning and is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena H. Palermo at 10:00 a.m. today.
According to the indictment, the scheme involved defrauding investors in Behavioral Recognition Systems Inc. (BRS) by making false and misleading statements to investors in order to fraudulently induce them to purchase shares of BRS. He also unlawfully embezzled money from BRS, according to the charges.
Pursuant to the scheme, Davis allegedly made false statements to investors regarding his salary, how the proceeds of their investments would be used and the financial condition of BRS. As a result of the scheme, Davis defrauded investors out of a total of approximately $32 million and unlawfully embezzled more than $11 million from BRS during the scheme, according to the indictment.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the securities fraud charge as well as each of the 20 counts of wire fraud. The charges also carry a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. The Securities and Exchange Commission also provided information that assisted in the overall investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Lebanon Sex Offender Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Lebanon, Mo., sex offender has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving and distributing child pornography over the Internet.
George Wayne Scott, 62, of Lebanon, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017.
The federal indictment alleges that Scott received and distributed child pornography over the Internet on Feb. 28, 2017.
Scott has prior felony convictions for crossing state lines to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor, transporting a minor across state lines for illicit sexual activity, coercion and enticement, receiving and distributing child pornography and possessing child pornography. Due to his status as a convicted sex offender, the indictment carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in federal prison without parole upon conviction.
Larson cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Lebanon, Mo., Police Department and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Last Member of Taos County-Based Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Ring Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Jason Duran, 43, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty yesterday afternoon in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to a drug trafficking charge as the result of a 15-month DEA-led multi-agency investigation into a Taos County-based drug trafficking organization led by Ivan Romero, 41, of El Prado, N.M. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Duran will be sentenced to a maximum of 100 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Duran, Ivan Romero and six co-defendants initially were charged with methamphetamine trafficking, heroin trafficking and money laundering offenses in an eight-count indictment filed in Dec. 2015. The indictment was superseded in Feb. 2016 to add a ninth defendant, Elena Carabajal, 27, of El Prado, and five additional charges. The superseding indictment charged Ivan Romero, Duran and his seven co-defendants with conspiring to distribute heroin and methamphetamine from at least June 2012 through Dec. 2015. It also charged Ivan Romero, Ricco Romero, 28, of Taos, Melissa Romero, 38, of El Prado, and Wilma Romero, 67, of Taos, with conspiring to launder heroin trafficking proceeds. The superseding indictment also included substantive heroin trafficking charges against specific defendants as well as provisions seeking forfeiture to the United States of any and all assets and property derived, either directly or indirectly, from proceeds obtained from the criminal activities charged.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Duran pled guilty to an information charging him conspiracy to possess heroin with intent to distribute. In entering the guilty plea, Duran admitted that he conspired with others to distribute heroin in Taos County from 2012 through 2015. As part of the conspiracy, Duran admitted that he purchased bulk quantities of heroin from heroin suppliers in Bernalillo County, N.M., then transported the heroin to Taos County where it was sold and distributed by other individuals. Duran further admitted that after the heroin was sold, he transported the cash proceeds from the sale of heroin in Taos County back to the suppliers in Bernalillo County. Duran remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
Duran’s codefendants have all entered guilty pleas, and the following five have been sentenced:
- Nicholas Baca, 31, of Cerro, N.M., pled guilty in Feb. 2017, to participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy, and was sentenced on June 14, 2017, to time served followed by five years of supervised release;
- Juanita Romero, 36, of Chamisa, N.M., pled guilty in Feb. 2017, to participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy, and was sentenced on June 14, 2017, to time served followed by five years of supervised release;
- Melissa Romero pled guilty in Dec. 2016, to participating in the money laundering conspiracy, and was sentenced on June 14, 2017, to three years of probation;
- Elena Carabajal pled guilty in Jan. 2017, to possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and was sentenced on June 13, 2017, to a year and a day in prison followed by five years of supervised release; and
- Wilma Romero, pled guilty in Jan. 2017, to participating in the money laundering conspiracy and possessing heroin with intent to distribute, and was sentenced on Nov. 9, 2017 to 24 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
The following three defendants remain in custody pending sentencing hearings:
- Tyler Baker, 36, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty in Oct. 2016 to participating in the heroin trafficking conspiracy;
- Ivan Romero pled guilty in Dec. 2016, to participating in a heroin trafficking conspiracy and a money laundering conspiracy. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Ivan Romero will be sentenced to a prison term within the range of 120 to 144 months; and
- Ricco Romero, pled guilty in Dec. 2016, to participating in the heroin trafficking conspiracy and the money laundering conspiracy, and to possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Ricco Romero will be sentenced to a 120-month prison term.
Under the terms of their plea agreements, the defendants to this case are required to forfeit $431,870 in heroin proceeds and firearms to the United States.
According to the admissions contained in the plea agreements of the defendants who have entered guilty pleas as well as other court filings, Ivan Romero was the leader of a heroin trafficking organization based in Taos County. Ivan Romero and his brother Ricco Romero were responsible for purchasing quantities of heroin from suppliers in Albuquerque and Los Lunas, N.M. Other members of the organization acted as couriers and regularly transported large quantities of heroin to Ivan Romero and Ricco Romero in Taos County. Upon receiving the bulk heroin, Ivan Romero and Ricco Romero prepared the heroin for distribution by mixing or “cutting” it with other substances, repackaged it in smaller portions, and distributed it both directly and through a network of other drug dealers. Juanita Romero was one such dealer who distributed heroin in and around Penasco.
In April 2015, law enforcement officers executed a state search warrant at Ivan Romero’s residence where they seized drug paraphernalia, 461 grams of marijuana, 30 grams of hashish, more than 300 grams of heroin and $64,920 in cash. Ivan Romero was arrested on state charges that day, and Ricco Romero subsequently assumed a greater managerial role in the heroin trafficking organization at that time.
Following Ivan Romero’s arrest on April 2, 2015, a state court set his bond at $90,000. Wilma Romero, Ricco Romero and Melissa Romero conspired to launder $90,000 in heroin proceeds to post that bond and secure Ivan Romero’s release from state custody. Ivan Romero soon violated the conditions of his release, was remanded back to state custody and a second bond was set at $150,000. In May 2015, Wilma Romero, Ricco Romero and Melissa Romero again conspired to launder an additional $150,000 in heroin proceeds to post that bond
On June 29, 2015, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Wilma Romero’s residence. In the course of that search, agents seized approximately 97.5 grams of heroin, a small amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, $73,288 and gold coins.
On Nov. 17, 2015 and Dec. 1, 2015, Ricco Romero distributed heroin to an individual working with law enforcement agents. Thereafter, on Dec. 18, 2015, law enforcement agents obtained and executed a federal search warrant at Ricco Romero and Carabajal’s residence and at another residence as well as at another residence where Ricco Romero and Carabajal maintained a safe. During those searches, agents seized 96.8 grams of heroin, $70,562 in cash, and two firearms.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Albuquerque office of the DEA, the HIDTA Region III Drug Task Force, New Mexico State Police, Taos Police Department, Taos County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Vasquez is prosecuting the case as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico. Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities. Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico.
The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative. Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.
Kirtland woman indicted for her role in a group that stole mail in Lake CountyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging a Kirtland woman for her role in a group that stole mail in Lake County, said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Corey Lauren Whalen, 18, was indicted on one count of aiding and abetting the theft of mail and one count of possessing stolen mail.
Whalen aided others in stealing a package in Painesville on Nov. 27 and a letter in Mentor on Dec. 5, according to the indictment.
The case remains under investigation.
“People should be vigilant about collecting their mail and packages, particularly during the holidays,” Herdman said. “Customers are reminded not to send cash through the mail, use a secure mailbox and consider using security cameras.”
“While mail theft is at a very low rate in the Cleveland area, Postal Inspectors work aggressively with local agencies to combat any reports of mail theft. The Postal Service is always a very safe and secure way of conducting commerce” said Tommy Coke, Inspector in Charge, Pittsburgh Division.
Mentor Police Chief Kevin Knight said: “Hopefully the charges send a clear message to those who think they can just go around and steal other people’s property that they worked so hard to get.”
“This case was solved when a good neighbor called in, which is what it’s all about, and a lot of cooperation among law enforcement agencies,” said Lake County Sheriff Daniel A. Dunlap.
Assistant United States Attorney Elliot Morrison is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Lake County Sherriff’s Office, the Mentor Police Department, and the Painesville Police Department.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jury Convicts Columbus Man for Trafficking Crack, CocaineRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A United States District Court jury convicted Deandre Forrest, 39, of Columbus, of seven counts related to the distribution of cocaine and crack and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Trevor Velinor, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs announced the verdict reached today following a three-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge James L. Graham.
According to court documents and testimony, from October 2016 until June 2017, Forrest conspired to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine and cocaine. Forrest also possessed three revolvers and two pistols, which were used in furtherance of the drug trafficking.
Conspiracy to distribute more than 280 grams or more of crack, and actual distribution of that amount of the drug, are each crimes punishable by 10 years to life in prison.
Distributing cocaine and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it are each crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory five-year sentence up to life in prison, to be served consecutively to any other sentence.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the ATF and Columbus Division of Police, as well as Assistant United States Attorneys David M. DeVillers and Noah R. Litton, who are representing the United States in this case.
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Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Michael Ervin a/k/a Michael Irving of Jackson, Mississippi, pled guilty Tuesday, December 12, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 13, 2017, while attempting to execute an arrest warrant, the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Taskforce discovered multiple firearms in the possession of Michael Ervin at a residence in Jackson. During that search, officers recovered two handguns, two semi-automatic rifles, eight magazines (six loaded), and approximately 150 rounds of ammunition.
Ervin was previously convicted in the First Judicial District of Hinds County for possession of cocaine and for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
He will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III on March 12, 2018, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Taskforce. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha D. Middleton.
Irving Woman Admits to $1 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
DALLAS —Nemelee Liwanag Jiao, 47, of Irving, Texas, pleaded guilty today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver, to orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that cost at least 35 investors more than $1,000,000, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Jiao pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She faces a maximum statutory penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Jiao will remain on bond pending her sentencing, which is scheduled for April 4, 2018.
According to the plea agreement factual resume, beginning in February 2009 and continuing through September 2016, Jiao devised a scheme to cause individuals to invest in promissory notes purportedly issued by Shepherd’s Light Learning Center and Lord of Peace Learning Center, two non-profit schools located in the Philippines, but instead used the invested funds for her personal benefit. Jiao raised at least $1,000,000 from at least 35 investors.
Specifically, Jiao represented to investors that she was a representative of Shepherd’s Light and Lord of Peace and entered into investment contracts, also known as promissory notes, with investors falsely promising rates of return of 10% to 100% on investments. Jiao also promised repayment of principle and interest resulting from the investment within 30 days to one year following the investment. Many of the investment contracts were notarized to make the investments appear legitimate. Jiao then directed investors to write checks and wire funds to bank accounts controlled by her. Jiao used the investors’ funds for her own benefit, including a country club membership and personal expenses.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters is in charge of the prosecution.
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Irvin Mayfield and Ronald Markham Indicted for Defrauding New Orleans Public Library FoundationRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that IRVIN MAYFIELD, age 40, and RONALD MARKHAM, age 39, both residents of New Orleans, were charged today by a federal grand jury in a 19 Count Indictment for Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Mail Fraud, Money Laundering, and Obstruction of Justice.
According to court documents, MAYFIELD founded the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) in 2002. MAYFIELD acted as NOJO’s Artistic Director and featured performer. MARKHAM, a long-time friend of MAYFIELD, served as NOJO’s President and CEO. Both defendants received a $100,000 annual salary from NOJO. MAYFIELD also received income and other benefits through his companies Mayfield Production Company, Inc. and Mayfield Publishing Co., as well as through his affiliation with Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, a nightclub formerly in the French Quarter.
Between December 2008 and May 2010, NOJO relied heavily on grants from the Edward Wisner Donation, a charitable trust administered by the City of New Orleans, to pay its operating costs and expenses. In February 2011, support for NOJO through the Edward Wisner Donation was terminated by the City of New Orleans, causing great financial distress to NOJO and its ability to pay expenses. MAYFIELD and MARKHAM then began a search for new sources of funding.
In or about August 2006, MAYFIELD became a board member of New Orleans Public Library Foundation (NOPLF), later becoming Chairman of the Board in or about November 2010. During his time on the NOPLF Board, MAYFIELD also maintained his position with NOJO. In or about December 2009, MARKHAM also became a board member of NOPLF. He later became Chairman of the Board in or about September 2013 upon MAYFIELD’s resignation as Chairman of NOPLF. During his time on the NOPLF Board, MARKHAM also maintained his position with NOJO.
Between August 2011 and January 2013, MAYFIELD and MARKHAM caused approximately $1,382,971 to be transferred from the NOPLF investment account to unlawfully enrich themselves, pay the operating costs of NOJO without approval, and while misleading NOPLF and others with regard to the purpose of the transfers.
According to the Indictment, MAYFIELD and MARKHAM obstructed justice in November 2013 by altering and falsifying NOPLF Board of Director’s meeting minutes with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the federal investigation that had begun by that time.
The charges detail that MAYFIELD and MARKHAM used the NOPLF investment account funds to:
- purchase a 24k gold-plated trumpet for MAYFIELD;
- fund MAYFIELD and MARKHAM’s NOJO salaries;
- make payments into MAYFIELD’s personal bank accounts;
- make payments to Mayfield Productions;
- fund NOJO’s performance at Carnegie Hall;
- pay for stays at the Ritz Carlton and Park Central Hotel;
- fund expenditures made by MAYFIELD at Saks Fifth Avenue and Harrah’s Casino, and
- pay for the general operating expenses of NOJO.
If convicted, the defendants face five years of imprisonment as to Count 1, 20 years of imprisonment as to Counts 2 through 6, ten years of imprisonment as to Counts 7 through 18, and 20 years imprisonment as to Count 19. All counts also carry a possible $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane Evans reiterated that the Indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Inspector General’s Office, and thanked the Metropolitan Crime Commission for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer, Deputy Chief of the Fraud Unit, Brandon Long, and Hayden Brockett.
Inland Empire Man Faces Federal Child Exploitation Charges after Posting Internet Ad and Offering Sex Tutor Services to 12 Year OldRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man faces federal sex trafficking charges after he allegedly posted an advertisement on Craigslist that offered “sexual tutoring” to females of any age and later agreed to provide “training” to a 12-year-old girl.
Jacob Aaron Schaffran, a 20-year-old resident of Highland, was named in a two-count indictment returned yesterday by a federal grand jury. The indictment charges Schaffran with attempted sex trafficking of a child and use of the internet to attempt to induce a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Schaffran was arrested in this case on December 5 after he arrived at a Riverside fast food restaurant to meet the mother of the purported 12-year-old. The “mother” was an undercover law enforcement officer who had engaged in a series of email, text and phone communications with Schaffran. According to court documents, Schaffran repeatedly said that he wanted to meet with the girl and explained in detail how he wanted to engage in sexual activity with the 12-year-old girl.
The investigation in this case started in mid-November when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a tip to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office about a posting on Craigslist that sought females of any age he could “teach about sex.”
The investigation quickly uncovered the online ad with the heading “Sex Lesson, Sexual Tutoring, Sex Training, Sexual Education, Sex ed,” and specifically stated, “Age is not an issue however young or old I just like to know because each age and experience group should be handled a little bit differently.”
In late November, a law enforcement official responded to the ad and started a series of communications with a person later identified as Schaffran. The law enforcement officer assumed the persona of the mother of a fictional 12-year-old girl named “Robin.”
In the communications, Schaffran allegedly agreed to have sex with the girl in exchange for $100, explaining to the undercover officer that he previously had taught two other girls and that the 12-year-old girl’s lack of prior sexual experience did not pose a problem.
On December 5, Schaffran made final plans to meet with the undercover officer and agreed to bring condoms and a rose for the child. After meeting with the purported mother, reiterating his intention to have sex with the 12-year-old and receiving payment of $105, authorities took Schaffran into custody.
Schaffran was initially charged in a criminal complaint filed in federal court. During his first court appearance on December 6, he was ordered released on a $115,000 bond.
Schaffran is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on January 3.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If he were to be convicted, Schaffran would face a potential sentence of life in federal prison. The charge of attempted sex trafficking of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. The charge of attempted enticement of a minor carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The investigation in this case is being conducted by the FBI and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children/Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Teresa K.B. Beecham of the Riverside Branch Office.
Illegal Alien Convicted of Illegally Reentering Country for Second TimeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal judge yesterday found Noe Blas-Jahuey (30, Mexico) guilty of illegal reentry of a deported alien. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 9, 2018.
Blas-Jahuey was indicted on May 19, 2016.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Blas-Jahuey was deported twice, once in August 2013, and again in December 2013. He reentered the United States illegally after his December 2013 deportation without receiving permission to return. Immigration authorities found Blas-Jahuey in the United States after he was arrested by local law-enforcement officers in Pinellas County for aggravated assault. He has a prior conviction for illegal reentry into the United States.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
I.T. Specialist Arrested for Allegedly Hacking into Servers of North Suburban Company Where He Formerly Worked as ContractorRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An information technology specialist has been arrested on cyber hacking charges for allegedly damaging the servers of a north suburban company where he formerly worked as a contractor.
EDWARD SOYBEL illegally accessed the servers of Lake Forest-based W.W. Grainger Inc., on multiple occasions last year, according to an indictment returned Tuesday in federal court in Chicago. Soybel intentionally caused damage to Grainger’s automated inventory management program, which operates on-site dispensing machines and has approximately 18,000 customers throughout the United States, the indictment states. The dispensing machines provide customers with secure access to durable products, such as safety equipment. Soybel had worked as a technical support contractor at Grainger’s facility in Niles until he was terminated in early 2016.
The indictment charges Soybel, 34, of Chicago, with ten counts of intentionally causing damage to protected computers, one count of attempting to cause damage to protected computers, and one count of attempting to access a protected computer without authorization.
Soybel was arrested Wednesday morning and he remains in federal custody. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during a Wednesday afternoon arraignment before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in Chicago. A status hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. today before Judge Kennelly.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the indictment, Grainger maintained computer servers related to the dispensing machines at its facility in Niles. Soybel worked at the facility as a contractor from November 2014 to February 2016, after which his access to Grainger’s servers was deactivated. Soybel hacked into the servers on several occasions in July 2016, the indictment states.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Intentionally causing damage to protected computers and attempting to cause damage are each punishable by up to ten years in prison, while attempting to access a protected computer without authorization is punishable by up to one year. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Eichenseer.
Houston Men Sentenced in East Texas Gas Pump Skimmer CasesRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – Two Houston men were sentenced today in separate cases for their involvement with gas pump skimmers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. A skimmer is a device capable of reading and recording account information, including customer names, account numbers, and personal identification numbers, from credit and debit cards.
“These devices victimize individual cardholders as well as the issuing financial institutions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas will continue to partner with federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat this threat.”
On June 22, 2017, Dennys Miguel Arias Gonzalez, 46, of Houston, was indicted along with Tomas Falcon Casanova for violations related to their possession of skimmers and stolen account information. On September 5, 2017, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to possession of counterfeit and unauthorized access devices. Today, he was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark to 11 months in custody. Casanova has also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. He faces a term of imprisonment for up to 10 years.
According to information presented in court, Gonzalez and Casanova were traveling together in Smith County, Texas, when they were found to be in possession of multiple skimmers, counterfeit credit cards, and a laptop computer, containing stolen credit and debit card account information.
On June 22, 2017, Beniurkis Hernandez Rodriguez, 31, of Houston, was indicted along with Tamara Valle for violations related to their use and possession of skimmers and stolen credit and debit card information. On Sep. 5, 2017, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to possession of counterfeit and unauthorized access devices. Today, he was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark to 10 months’ imprisonment. Valle has also pleaded guilty and was sentenced last week to approximately 10 months’ imprisonment. Upon release from confinement, Rodriguez and Valle are required to surrender to immigration officials for deportation proceedings.
According to information presented in court, Rodriguez and Valle had traveled together to a gas station in Longview, Texas, to retrieve two skimmers from pump terminals that had been installed for the purpose of stealing customer account information. Stolen account data was then downloaded onto a laptop computer that was recovered from their vehicle.
These matters were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, the Longview Police Department, the Overton Police Department, and the Tyler Police Department. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Coan and Nathaniel Kummerfeld.
Hollywood Resident Sentenced for Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
A Hollywood resident was sentenced yesterday to 24 months imprisonment for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and Dexter M. Williams, Chief, Miramar Police Department, made the announcement.
Frantz Felix, Jr., 23, of Hollywood, was convicted at trial of one count of use of one or more unauthorized access devices to obtain anything of value aggregating $1,000 or more, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2), and one count of aggravated identity theft, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 1028A(a)(1).
The evidence at trial established that between September 20, 2012 and September 24, 2012, Felix used a fraudulent credit card to obtain more than $5,000 in merchandise from vendors in Miami-Dade County.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and the Miramar Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yeney Hernandez and Joshua Rothstein.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Guatemalan national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Elmer Noe Esquivel-Mendoza, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to six months in prison and one year of supervised release. Esquivel-Mendoza will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. In October 2017, Esquivel-Mendoza pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Esquivel-Mendoza was previously deported on May 20, 2013. In January 2017, law enforcement officers in Boston encountered Esquivel-Mendoza and determined him to be illegally present in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Greenville Drug Trafficker SentencedRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that in federal court today, United States Chief District James C. Dever III sentenced RICHARD LENZY, 41, from Greenville, NC, to 100 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of cocaine base (crack) and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. LENZY will be supervised for 4 years upon his release from the Bureau of Prisons.
On November 5, 2013, the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force used a confidential informant to buy 22.48 grams of crack cocaine from two other drug traffickers in Greenville. Officers saw the two other traffickers meet with LENZY at a convenience store prior to the purchase during which LENZY supplied the crack cocaine. On the same date, officers received consent from LENZY’S girlfriend to search their residence. During the search, officers seized 67.23 grams of cocaine, a loaded .45 caliber handgun, and $1,500. After his arrest, LENZY admitted to buying 4.5 ounces of cocaine three times and 5 ounces of cocaine once. LENZY also admitted to converting an ounce of the cocaine into crack cocaine that was sold to the informant.
On June 23, 2015, LENZY sold 3.4 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant working at the direction of the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force. On July 8, 2015, LENZY sold 13.9 grams of cocaine to the informant. On the same date, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office obtained and executed a search warrant for LENZY’S motel room in Greenville. During the search of the motel room, deputies seized 10 grams of crack cocaine, 158 grams of marijuana and 25 pills of Desoxyn (methamphetamine), $7,972.31, a loaded 9mm handgun, digital scales and drug paraphernalia. LENZY is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his 1998 conviction for second-degree murder.
The investigation was conducted by the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Special Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Perry handled the prosecution. Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office. Pitt County District Attorney Kimberly Robb has assigned Mr. Perry to the United States Attorney’s Office, pursuant to funding provided by the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.