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24 January 2018
Georgia Woman Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Methamphetamine Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that U.S. District Judge Martin L. C. Feldman sentenced LORI DEXTER, age 53, of Decatur, Georgia, to 60 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on September 7, 2013, DEXTER and an associate, James Woolf, agreed to drive from Georgia to Metairie, Louisiana to deliver one-half pound of methamphetamine to an undercover agent. After DEXTER and Woolf arrived in Metairie, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, Drug Enforcement Administration Agents found approximately 600 grams of a methamphetamine cutting agent. After obtaining a search warrant for DEXTER and Woolf’s hotel room, agents searched the room and found 250 grams of methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Andre’ Jones was in charge of the prosecution.
Gansevoort Man Arrested for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joshua Brackett, age 33, of Gansevoort, New York, was ordered detained on Monday following his January 19 arrest on charges of distributing and possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Vadim D. Thomas, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The complaint filed against Brackett alleges that he distributed and possessed child pornography on a homemade desktop computer that has peer-to-peer file-sharing software. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted on all charges, Brackett faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum $250,000 fine, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. If convicted, Brackett would also have to register as a sex offender.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Supervisory Deputy Jailer at Kentucky River Regional Jail Pleads Guilty to Assaulting an InmateRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A former supervisory deputy jailer at an Eastern Kentucky detention center has entered a guilty plea to a federal charge related to his role in an unprovoked violent assault of a detainee.
Matthew B. Amburgey, 29, entered his guilty plea today, before U.S. District Chief Judge Karen K. Caldwell.
In his plea, Amburgey admitted that, on October 10, 2011, he used excessive force against a pretrial detainee at the Kentucky River Regional Jail, after he witnessed another Supervisory Deputy Jailer, Damon Hickman, assault the inmate without justification during the booking process. Hickman punched the inmate on the side of his head with such force that it broke his hand and caused the inmate’s ear to bleed. Amburgey and other deputies then knocked the inmate to the ground and repeatedly kicked him. Amburgey admitted that he kicked the inmate without justification.
The Kentucky River Regional Jail houses pre-trial detainees from Perry and Knott Counties. As a supervisory deputy jailer, Amburgey was responsible for the custody, care, safety and control of the inmates at the jail.
Hickman pleaded guilty last year for his role in a separate assault at the same jail. The victim of that assault died.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John M. Gore, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; and Amy Hess, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins of the United States Attorney’s Office and Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case on behalf of the federal government.
Sentencing for Amburgey is scheduled for April 12, 2018 at 1:00 pm. He faces up to 12 months imprisonment. The U.S. District Court will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes before imposing sentence.
Former IRS Employee Charged with Impersonating A Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former IRS attorney appeared in federal court today to face charges related to his alleged unauthorized use of a federal agency identification card during multiple traffic stops, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Deon Owensby, 42, of Trenton, New Jersey, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of impersonating a federal officer and one count of possessing an official identification card of a federal agency without authorization. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court and was released on $20,000 unsecured bond.
According to the complaint:
From August 2015 to April 2017, after the termination of his employment with the IRS, Owensby allegedly pretended to be an IRS employee and displayed federal employee identification, including an official IRS identification card known as an “IRS Pocket Commission,” to law enforcement officers after committing traffic violations.
Owensby obtained the IRS Pocket Commission during his employment as an attorney with the IRS. The IRS Pocket Commission, which IRS employees use as a means of identifying themselves to the public when performing official duties, was to be returned to the IRS upon the end of his employment in April 2015. However, Owensby told his supervisor that it was stolen.
Afterwards, Owensby allegedly displayed the IRS Pocket Commission or some form of federal employee identification to state or local police on three separate occasions from August 2015 to April 2017 after he was stopped for committing traffic infractions, once by a Millburn police officer and twice by N.J. State Police officers. During one of the encounters, Owensby claimed that the IRS Pocket Commission was still valid even after the police officer pointed out that the expiration date on it had passed.
The count of impersonating a federal officer is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of possessing an official identification card of a federal agency without authorization is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Rodney A. Davis, with the investigation. He also thanked the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, and the Millburn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gilfedder, for their assistance.The government is represented by Jihee G. Suh of the U.S. Attorney Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Patrick McMahon Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Former Executive of New York Hotel Company Admits Stealing over $13 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted embezzling millions of dollars from a New York-based hospitality company where he was the chief operating officer, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
George Dfouni, 47, of Wayne, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. He was released on $150,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From 1996 through 2015, Dfouni worked as the chief operating officer for a company identified in the information as “Company A,” which owns and operates hotels in New York and New Jersey.
From 2007 through September 2015, Dfouni negotiated multiple contracts on behalf of Company A, whereby two other companies – identified as “Company B” and “Company C” in the information – leased New York hotel properties from Company A. As consideration for the leases, Company B and Company C agreed to pay millions of dollars to Company A. Each contract included a signing bonus for Dfouni, who arranged for Company B and Company C to transmit their payments directly to him in New Jersey.
Dfouni was expected to keep his signing bonus and pay the remaining balances to Company A. Instead, Dfouni skimmed a portion of the payments due to Company A to support his lavish lifestyle and gambling expenses. In total, Dfouni embezzled approximately $13,807,034 from Company A.
In addition, Dfouni willfully failed to report $27,739,114 in income to the IRS between 2007 and 2014, including the funds that he embezzled from Company A.
The wire fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The tax evasion charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for April 30, 2018.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Navarro of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Peter Carter Esq., Newark, New Jersey
Former Contractor at Military Sealift Command Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy, Bribery, and Honest Services FraudRead the Press Release
A former contractor at the Military Sealift Command (MSC) pleaded guilty today for accepting bribes totaling approximately $2.8 million in the course of a bribery and fraud scheme that lasted more than a decade.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dana Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Agent in Charge Martin Culbreth of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr. of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Clifton J. Everton, III of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement.
Scott B. Miserendino, Sr., 58, formerly of Stafford, Virginia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard of the Eastern District of Virginia to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy, one count of bribery, and three counts of honest services mail fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 8 before Chief District Court Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.
For more than a decade, Miserendino was a contractor at the MSC, an entity of the U.S. Department of the Navy that supports and supplies the Navy and other U.S. military forces in their global warfighting and disaster relief missions. According to the plea agreement, Miserendino and Joseph P. Allen, the owner of a government contracting company, conspired to use Miserendino’s position at MSC to enrich themselves through bribery.
Specifically, beginning in about 1999, Miserendino used his position and influence at MSC to help Allen obtain and expand commission arrangements with a telecommunications company from which MSC purchased maritime satellite communications services. Through these arrangements, Allen received a commission based on the amount of services that MSC purchased from the telecommunications company. For more than a decade, Miserendino then used his position and influence at MSC to perform official acts to benefit the telecommunications company, which through the commission agreement also benefitted Allen and his company.
Unknown to MSC or the telecommunications company, throughout the scheme, Allen paid half of the commissions he received from the telecommunications company to Miserendino as bribes. In total, Miserendino received almost $3 million in bribes from Allen between 1999 and 2014.
For his role in the scheme, Allen, 56, formerly of Panama City, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery in April 2017, and was sentenced on July 28, 2017, to five years in prison by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen, in Norfolk.
The FBI, DCIS and NCIS are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Sean Mulryne and Molly Gaston of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Haynie for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Former Bookkeeper Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling over $750,000 and for Submitting False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that an Anchorage woman was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to serve three years in federal prison for embezzling more than $750,000 from her employer, and for submitting false tax returns to the IRS.
Raenette K. Yangson, 42, of Anchorage, was employed between 2006 and 2012 as a bookkeeper for Western Construction and Equipment, an Anchorage business. Soon after joining the company, Yangson began creating multiple false checks drawn on the business’ bank account which were made payable to herself or to her husband. Yangson then forged the signatures of owners of the business on the checks and made false entries into the business’ computer accounting program to make the checks appear to be legitimate payments to vendors. Yangson continued the scheme for more than six years. Yangson also submitted false income tax returns to the IRS for several years by failing to report the embezzled income.
In addition to the three-year prison sentence, Judge Gleason ordered Yangson to pay $206,987 in restitution to the IRS for taxes owed on the stolen money. The exact amount of the restitution Yangson owes to Western Construction and Equipment will be determined at a later hearing.
Judge Gleason commented that Yangson had seriously abused the trust which Western Construction and Equipment had placed in her and described her actions as a calculated effort to steal money from the victims. Judge Gleason also noted that Yangson’s embezzlement from a relatively small business had seriously affected the company’s financial well-being during the period of time that she was stealing money.
“IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to investigating individuals who use their employers as personal piggy banks," said Darrell Waldon, Special Agent in Charge, Seattle Field Office. “Ms. Yangson spent years enriching herself and her husband by stealing from her employer and from honest Americans who pay their tax obligations. The IRS and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously pursue criminals like Ms. Yangson and hold them accountable for their actions.”
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and APD conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case.
Former Bank of Oswego Executive Receives Federal Prison Sentence for FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. – On Wednesday, January 24, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon sentenced Geoffrey S. Walsh, a former vice president of the Bank of Oswego, to 30 months in federal prison followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Walsh had previously pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to make false entries in bank records, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and wire fraud on July 22, 2015.
“Geoff Walsh intentionally and repeatedly perpetrated large financial crimes that cheated individual investors and deceived bank regulators and the Bank of Oswego’s Board of Directors,” said Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “He achieved this largely while retaining a position of trust as a bank executive. The imposition of this sentence demonstrates that stealing from investors and lying to regulators about a bank’s financial condition are grave matters and subject to felony charges and a prison sentence. Today’s sentencing is many years’ in the making and a testament to the hard work and persistence of federal law enforcement.”
"Today's sentencing helps to shed light on the sophisticated world of complex financial fraud at a bank where certain executives were more committed to their personal interests than those of their customers," said Steve Goldman, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. "Geoff Walsh's deal-making during these long-running schemes damaged the bank itself and hurt the friends and clients who had entrusted him with their money."
Facts Related to Conspiracy to Make False Entries in Bank Records Conviction
From January 2009 to May 2012, Walsh served as the Bank of Oswego’s Vice President and Director of Mortgage Services and later as its Vice President of Business Development and Lending Services. As an institution insured and regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the bank was required to submit quarterly call reports detailing the financial condition of the bank.
From 2009 through 2010, the bank was in second position on a mortgage secured by real property located on A Avenue in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The borrower’s failure to make timely payments and her deteriorating financial condition were discussed weekly by Walsh and other members of the bank’s Internal Loan Committee (ILC), including the CEO, Dan Heine and CFO, Diana Yates. In October 2010, the first mortgagee declared the borrower in default and foreclosed on the property. In order to avoid a loss of nearly $100,000 and avoid reporting the loss to the FDIC and the board of directors, Walsh, Heine and Yates formulated a plan to acquire and sell the property to recover the remaining balance on the loan. Walsh was put in charge of obtaining the property for the bank.
Walsh initially attempted to purchase the property directly from Fannie Mae, but was told it could only be sold to an individual who planned to occupy the property, and could not be sold to an institution until the property had been on the market for 15 days. On behalf of the bank, Walsh arranged for another bank employee to serve as a straw buyer, purchasing the property in the employee’s name. To accomplish this, Walsh, Heine and Yates agreed to and submitted false information to Fannie Mae about the true buyer, the source of the funds to purchase the property and the buyer’s intent to remain in the home as an occupant. Records of the sale were purposefully not maintained by Walsh, Heine and Yates in order to conceal the transaction from the bank’s board of directors and the FDIC.
On November 28, 2017, a federal jury found Heine and Yates guilty of a conspiracy to deceive the bank’s board of directors, shareholders and regulators as well as 12 counts of making false entries in the bank’s records to the FDIC and the board of directors. The verdict was based, in part, on the A Avenue transaction. Heine and Yates will be sentenced on March 5, 2018.
Facts Related to Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud Conviction
According to court documents, Walsh worked with his brother Gregory Walsh, a former Vice President at Morgan Stanley, to persuade an Arizona woman into loaning him more than $764,000 for a real estate investment scheme. The woman, a recent widow and client of Greg Walsh’s, was told the money would be used to purchase two condominiums in the Palm Springs, California area that would be titled in her name and sold within one year.
Contrary to the promises made, Walsh titled each of the properties in the name of his business and never provided any loan or title documentation to his investor. Between May and July 2012, he sold the properties without the knowledge or permission of his investor and used the proceeds to satisfy personal financial obligations.
In January 2013, Walsh contacted his brother to gauge the same investor’s interest in loaning him an additional $2 million for a real estate development project in Oregon. Greg Walsh transferred the money from the investor’s Morgan Stanley account to his brother without the investor’s knowledge or approval. On March 5, 2013, the majority of these funds – over $1.7 million – were used to pay the balance of a line of credit at the bank. Walsh spent the remainder of the funds.
Greg Walsh has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for these same transactions. His will be sentenced on February 6, 2018.
Facts Related to Wire Fraud Conviction
In May 2012, Walsh secured a commercial loan for $500,000 from an Oregon resident, using the first two Palm Springs properties as collateral. In securing the loan, he failed to disclose that the properties were already pledged as security for loans he had obtained from the Arizona investor and that he was already in negotiations to sell one of the properties. Soon after receiving the loan, Walsh sold both properties and used the proceeds for his own benefit.
Between November 2012 and July 2013, the Oregon resident was repeatedly in contact with Walsh in an attempt to obtain repayment. Walsh assured his lender that he would repay the loan in full with interest. In May 2013, the lender met with the FBI to discuss Walsh’s default on the loan. Walsh made a partial repayment of $300,000 after the lender met with the FBI.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the FDIC Office of Inspector General (OIG-FDIC) and prosecuted by Claire M. Fay, Michelle Holman Kerin, and Quinn P. Harrington, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced RAYMOND DEMONT NEAL, 38, of Fayetteville to 78 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
NEAL was named in a three-count Indictment filed on March 7, 2017. On September 11, 2017, NEAL subsequently pled guilty to one-count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition and one-count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime.
On October 16, 2016, an officer from the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD), observed a vehicle fail to stop for a stop sign. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop; however, the driver, NEAL, did not immediately stop, instead pulling into the driveway of his home and exiting the vehicle. The officer ordered NEAL to stop, but the defendant continued to walk towards the door of the residence. NEAL attempted to unlock the door and officers tried to place NEAL into custody, but he was uncooperative. It took several officers to handcuff NEAL, who refused to place his hands behind his back or get into the patrol vehicle. Officers suspected NEAL was intoxicated due to his blood shot eyes and the strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Officers stayed on scene until a search warrant for NEAL’s vehicle was granted and served. A search of the vehicle revealed a .45 caliber pistol loaded with 6 rounds of ammunition, 40.26 grams of Dibutylone, 13.48 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, a pocket knife, baggies, and a box cutter.
NEAL, a convicted felon, illegally possessed a firearm and ammunition during and in relationship to a drug-trafficking crime. NEAL also possessed a firearm during and in relationship to a shooting incident on January 22, 2016.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The Fayetteville 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.
Fayette County woman pleads guilty for role in federal drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Fayette County woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Tiffany D. Ramsey, 27, of Boomer, entered her guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of heroin, and a quantity of oxycodone. Ramsey is one of 23 defendants indicted in June 2017 after a comprehensive investigation of drug trafficking in Southern West Virginia.
U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of several agencies. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Beckley Police Department, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Postal Inspection Service provided assistance throughout the investigation.
Ramsey admitted that between May 2017 and June 28, 2017, she took part in a drug trafficking conspiracy with multiple participants. During this time period, Ramsey admitted to working with Cheyenne Fragale and others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and oxycodone in and around Fayette County. Ramsey admitted that she and Cheyenne Fragale sold the controlled substances from their house near Boomer. Ramsey also admitted that on June 28, 2017, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at various locations related to this drug trafficking conspiracy. During the searches, officers seized over 300 grams of crystal methamphetamine, as well as heroin, fentanyl, and over $29,000 in cash. The methamphetamine was later analyzed and confirmed to be 94% pure.
Ramsey faces at least five and up to 40 years federal prison when she is sentenced on May 2, 2018.
Other individuals implicated as a result of this drug investigation have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Cheyenne Fragale and Macon Fragale, two brothers from Boomer in Fayette County, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of oxycodone, and a quantity of heroin. They both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when they are sentenced on March 14, 2018. Donald Scalise, of Montgomery, previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of oxycodone. Scalise faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 25, 2018. Dominic Copney, of Beckley, previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 100 grams of heroin. He faces a mandatory minimum of five and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 17, 2018. Detria Carter, of Beckley, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than five and up to 40 years in federal prision when she is sentenced on April 24, 2018. Velarian Carter, the brother of Detria Carter, previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 280 grams of crack, and more than 100 grams of heroin. He faces a mandatory minimum of not less than 20 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 17, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is in charge of these prosecutions. The Ramsey plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Irene C. Berger.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.
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Detroit-Area Podiatrist Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A Detroit-area podiatrist pleaded guilty today to health care fraud for his participation in a $1 million scheme involving podiatry services that were never rendered.
Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge David P. Gelios of the FBI’s Detroit Division and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office made the announcement.
Lawrence Young, D.P.M., 70, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy of the Eastern District of Michigan. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 22 before Judge Levy.
As part of his guilty plea, Young admitted that from approximately January 2010 through April 2017, he engaged in a scheme to defraud the Medicare program by causing the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for the application of an “Unna Boot,” which is a type of medicated dressing typically applied after surgery to control swelling of the leg or foot. Young admitted regularly submitting these claims for reimbursement even though he knew that his patients routinely received nothing more than a non-medicated dressing. The scheme involved the submission of more $1 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, he admitted.
This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG. Trial Attorneys Tom Tynan and Steve Scott of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
Coral Gables Resident Charged with Wire Fraud in Connection with Hurricane Relief Efforts for Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
Emilio I. Vazquez, of Coral Gables, was arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud in connection with hurricane relief efforts to Puerto Rico.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), made the announcement.
According to the allegations contained in the criminal complaint, in or around September 2017, Vazquez contacted a group of volunteers working to provide hurricane relief aid to Puerto Rico. Vazquez claimed that he was part of the Serralles family, who are the owners of Destileria Serralles, which distills, manufactures, bottles and distributes Don Q rum in Puerto Rico. Vazquez claimed to have significant resources and the ability to rent warehouses, and charter planes and trucks to transport relief supplies.
According to the complaint, in or around September 2017, Vazquez, using the name Emilio Serralles, contacted Commercial Property Group in Doral, Florida, regarding the rental of warehouse space. The warehouse space was purportedly to be used to store relief supplies for Puerto Rico. On or about September 29, 2017, Vazquez provided Commercial Property Group with a counterfeit and fraudulent UBS bank cashier’s check in the amount of $122,050.50, to pay for the warehouse space. It is alleged that the next day, Vazquez signed a lease under the name Emilio Serralles, renting five warehouse spaces from Commercial Property Group.
According to the complaint, in or around October 2017, Vazquez contacted Miami Air International, a local charter airline. Vazquez again identified himself as Emilio Serralles and claimed to own a company called Puerto Rico Relief Committee. Subsequently, Vazquez chartered multiple flights from Miami to Puerto Rico to purportedly deliver relief supplies. As payment for these flights, Vazquez provided a counterfeit and fraudulent American Express Centurion Bank cashier’s check in the amount of $564,036.05 to Miami Air International, which was rejected as fraudulent by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private wealth management.
On January 23, 2017, a New York City Police Department officer arrested Vazquez in Brooklyn, New York. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance on Thursday, January 25, 2018, at 2 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Viktor V. Pohorelsky, of the Eastern District of New York, in Brooklyn, New York.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the USSS. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida atwww.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Citizen of Mexico Sentenced to Time Served for Entering the United States after RemovalRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Eliud Lopez-Baez, 32, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to time served (about two months) in prison for illegally entering and being found in the United States after having been removed. The defendant pleaded guilty to the crime on December 11, 2017.
Court documents reveal that on November 28, 2017, at about 7:50 a.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents found the defendant in a swamp in Hodgdon, Maine, a short distance from the international boundary. The defendant had no immigration documents and admitted that he was a citizen of Mexico. Immigration records showed that he had been removed from the United States in February 2017.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Citizen of Ecuador Charged with Harboring Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Segundo Francisco Caguana, a citizen of Ecuador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with harboring aliens, encouraging illegal aliens to reside in the United States, and hiring or recruiting unauthorized aliens for employment. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on October 5, 2017, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), received information from the Caledonia Police Department regarding possible illegal aliens residing at 246 North Street in Caledonia, NY, and working for Sunset Roofing Corp. Surveillance operations were conducted between October 30 and November 9, 2017. Special agents observed Caguana arrive at the residence in a brown Toyota Tundra at approximately 6:30 a.m. each morning and enter the residence, before departing approximately a half hour later. Thereafter, multiple Hispanic adult males would depart the residence in two work vans parked in the driveway.
On November 14, 2017, ICE-HSI agents and ICE Enforcement Removal Officers (ERO) conducted a joint enforcement operation in an attempt to encounter illegal aliens residing at the 246 North Street residence. ICE-HSI agents and ERO officers identified themselves and conducted interviews with the individuals. Seven of the individuals admitted to being illegally present and illegally working within the United States. Six of the undocumented aliens were arrested for entry without inspection, and one was arrested for visa waiver overstay. All seven were transported to the Batavia Detention Facility for processing.
The complaint states that all seven of the illegal aliens worked for Caguana and paid him rent to stay at the 246 North Street residence.
A records check found that Caguana and his wife are citizens and nationals of Ecuador, currently involved in immigration proceedings, but authorized to work within the United States.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director Thomas E. Feeley.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chinese national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to misuse of a passport and visa fraud.
Yinyan Wang, 25, a Chinese national studying in Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of misuse of a passport and one count of passport fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for April 25, 2018. In November 2017, Wang was arrested in Pennsylvania.
On Oct. 20, 2017, Wang took the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in Boston for another Chinese citizen. At the testing site, Wang presented a counterfeit Chinese passport containing a counterfeit nonimmigrant visa purportedly issued by the United States in the identity of the other student. On five prior occasions between July 2017 and August 2017, Wang took either the GRE or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam under assumed names for other people.
Each charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Wang will be subject to deportation upon completion of her sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Office of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Chinese Company Sinovel Wind Group Convicted of Theft of Trade SecretsRead the Press Release
A manufacturer and exporter of wind turbines based in the People’s Republic of China was convicted today of stealing trade secrets from AMSC, a U.S.-based company formerly known as American Superconductor Inc., announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Scott C. Blader for the Western District of Wisconsin.
Following an 11-day trial, a jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin, convicted Sinovel Wind Group Co. Ltd., dba Sinovel Wind Group (USA) Co. Ltd. (Sinovel) of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, theft of trade secrets, and wire fraud. Sentencing is set for June 4.
“Sinovel nearly destroyed an American company by stealing its intellectual property,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan. “As today’s jury verdict demonstrates, this type of conduct, by any corporation – anywhere – is a crime, and won’t be tolerated. The Department is dedicated to helping foster innovation and growth in our economy by deterring and punishing intellectual property theft from American companies.”
“Today’s verdict sends a strong and clear message that the theft of ideas and ingenuity is not a business dispute; it’s a crime and will be prosecuted as such,” said U.S. Attorney Blader. “Sinovel’s illegal actions caused devastating harm to AMSC. I commend the efforts of the investigation and prosecution team, and reaffirm the commitment of this office to protect American commerce and prosecute those who would seek to steal intellectual property.”
As proven at trial, Sinovel stole proprietary wind turbine technology from AMSC in order to produce its own turbines powered by the stolen intellectual property. AMSC developed the technology – software that regulates the flow of electricity from wind turbines to electrical grids – in Wisconsin and elsewhere. At the time of the theft in March 2011, Sinovel had contracted with AMSC for more than $800 million in products and services to be used for the wind turbines that Sinovel manufactured, sold, and serviced.
Sinovel was charged on June 27, 2013, along with Su Liying, the deputy director of Sinovel’s Research and Development Department; Zhao Haichun, a technology manager for Sinovel; and Dejan Karabasevic, a former employee of AMSC Windtec Gmbh, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AMSC. The evidence presented at trial showed that Sinovel conspired with the other defendants to obtain AMSC’s copyrighted information and trade secrets in order to produce wind turbines and to retrofit existing wind turbines with AMSC technology without paying AMSC the more than $800 million it was owed and promised. Through Su and Zhao, Sinovel convinced Karabasevic, who was head of AMSC Windtec’s automation engineering department in Klagenfurt, Austria, to leave AMSC Windtec, to join Sinovel, and to steal intellectual property from the AMSC computer system by secretly downloading source code on March 7, 2011, from an AMSC computer in Wisconsin to a computer in Klagenfurt. Sinovel then commissioned several wind turbines in Massachusetts and copied into the turbines software compiled from the source code stolen from AMSC. The U.S.-based builders of these Massachusetts turbines helped bring Sinovel to justice. Su and Zhao are Chinese nationals living in China, and Karabasevic is a Serbian national who lived in Austria, but now lives in Serbia.
According to evidence presented at trial, following the theft, AMSC suffered severe financial hardship. It lost more than $1 billion in shareholder equity and almost 700 jobs, over half its global workforce.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Madison, Milwaukee, and Boston Offices; the FBI Legal Attachés’ Offices in Vienna, Austria and Beijing; the FBI Criminal Investigative Division; the FBI Intellectual Property Rights program; the Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Criminal Intelligence Service) and the Bundesministerium Fuer Justiz (Federal Ministry of Justice) in Austria; the Landeskriminalamt - Klagenfurt and the Staatsanwaltschaft - Klagenfurt (Criminal Investigative Police and State Prosecutor’s Office – Klagenfurt, Austria); and with the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Cybercrime Laboratory of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).
Senior Counsel Brian L. Levine of CCIPS and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy M. O’Shea and Darren Halverson for the Western District of Wisconsin prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from CCIPS Trial Attorney Joss Nichols and Digital Investigative Analyst Laura Peterson.
The Department of Justice’s Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force) contributed to this case. The IP Task Force is led by the Deputy Attorney General to combat the growing number of domestic and intellectual property crimes, to protect the health and safety of American consumers, and to safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation, and hard work. To learn more about the IP Task Force, go to https://www.justice.gov/iptf.
Chicago Futures Trader Pleads Guilty to Causing More Than $13 Million in Losses from Fraudulent Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago futures trader admitted in federal court that he caused more than $13 million in losses through a fraudulent trading scheme that resulted in the collapse of his firm.
THOMAS LINDSTROM used deep out-of-the-money options on ten-year Treasury Note futures to make it fraudulently appear that his trading at Chicago-based Rock Capital Markets LLC was profitable, thereby obtaining greater financial compensation for himself. Over a six-month period in 2014 and 2015, Lindstrom obtained compensation of $285,000, while his fraud scheme caused a loss of more than $13.7 million and led to the collapse of Rock Capital.
Lindstrom, 55, of Winnetka, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber set sentencing for June 19, 2018. Lindstrom acknowledged in the plea agreement that at the time of sentencing, the Court will order him to make full restitution in the amount of $13,776,518.
The guilty plea 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. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunil Harjani and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Evans of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which filed a civil enforcement lawsuit against Lindstrom, provided assistance.
A tick is the minimum price increment at which an option on a futures contract could trade. Prior to 2016, the Chicago Board of Trade set the minimum settlement value of all options on futures contracts at one tick, even if the actual value of the option was considerably less. For options on ten-year Treasury Note futures contracts, one tick was approximately $15.63.
Lindstrom admitted in a plea agreement that he acquired hundreds of thousands of deep out-of-the-money options on ten-year Treasury Note futures, and on certain occasions he used spread transactions to pay effectively less than one tick apiece. Lindstrom made the trades knowing that these options would likely expire worthless – resulting in losses – but would temporarily appear to have substantial value in his trading account because the minimum settlement value was one tick.
Lindstrom concealed the scheme by telling Rock Capital’s owner that the options were profitable, when in reality Lindstrom’s trading was causing substantial losses.
Wire fraud is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Buffalo Man Sentenced for Selling Drugs Near A Buffalo SchoolRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Thomas Cox, 50, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school or playground, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Astorga, who handled the case, stated that in February 2017, law enforcement officers began an investigation into the cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana distribution activities of the defendant out of a residence at 45 A Street in Buffalo.
On March 3, 2017, officers conducted surveillance of the residence at 45 A Street and witnessed the defendant discussing the sale of cocaine with an individual. Cox was then observed getting into vehicle and driving a short distance to a residence at 325 Mills Street. After a few minutes inside, the defendant left the Mills Street residence and returned to the A Street residence. Cox was then observed selling a plastic sandwich bag containing a quantity of cocaine.
A few days later, on March 8, 2017, officers once again surveilled the A Street address and noticed traffic coming and going from the residence. Cox was observed exiting the front door of the residence and traveling once again to 325 Mills Street. Once again, the defendant eventually returned to the A Street residence and provided cocaine to another individual.
On March 10, 2017, officers executed a search warrant at 325 Mills Street and discovered a small safe in the attic area which contained $24,000 in cash, and a blue canvas bag containing two plastic baggies of suspected crack cocaine, a digital scale with drug residue, and numerous empty plastic sandwich bags. A search of 45 A Street revealed a large quantity of small Ziploc bags commonly used for packaging crack cocaine. A DVR video recording system which recorded the interior and exterior of 45 A Street was also seized. The defendant was found in 45 A Street and arrested.
The residences at 325 Mills Street and 45 A Street are located within about 230 feet and 72 feet of Buffalo Public School 59, The Science Magnet School located at 50 A Street.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Byron Lockwood; Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy; and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack.
Buffalo Man Indicted on Cocaine ChargesRead 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 a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Larry Smith, Jr., 39, of Buffalo, NY, with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine; possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between June 9 and July 27, 2017, the defendant possessed and distributed crack cocaine in the Buffalo area. In addition, on October 5, 2017, Smith possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it. The indictment further charges that the defendant used 56 Burgard Place in Buffalo for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, and using cocaine.
The defendant was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Broward Resident Found Guilty of Stealing Deceased Grandparents’ Social Security FundsRead the Press Release
After a three-day trial, a federal jury today convicted a Broward County resident of stealing social security benefits years after her grandparents died.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Margaret Moore-Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), made the announcement.
Myriam Etienne, 49, of Pompano Beach, was convicted of ninety counts of theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. Senior U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn presided over the trial. The defendant’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 5, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. At sentencing, the defendant faces up to ten years imprisonment on each count, a $250,000 fine as to each count and restitution.
According to evidence presented at trial, Etienne received Social Security Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) benefits for her grandparents since 2004. The Social Security Administration administers numerous programs to provide for the material needs of individuals and their families, including SSI. SSI is a federal program that provides assistance to lower income individuals to meet basic food, shelter, medical and clothing needs. Monthly SSI benefits are paid to eligible individuals.
The evidence presented at trial revealed that these benefits were paid to the defendant’s grandmother and grandfather and the defendant controlled their funds as a representative payee. The SSI funds were direct deposited into a joint bank account the defendant shared with her deceased grandparents. The trial evidence revealed that the defendant’s grandfather died in Haiti in 2006 and the defendant’s grandmother died in Haiti in 2009. The defendant, however, kept receiving their SSI benefits and did not report the deaths to the Social Security Administration.
The evidence showed that the defendant signed representative payee accounting records, years after their deaths, verifying that the SSI money was being utilized for her grandparents food, shelter, clothing and medical treatment. After her grandmother’s and grandfather’s deaths, the defendant received approximately over $130,000 in SSI payments. The evidence at trial further revealed that the defendant made several mortgage payments and additional payments on her BMW X6 vehicle utilizing the SSI funds direct deposited into the joint account.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the SSA-OIG, the U.S. Department of State and the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Brooklyn Gang Leader Convicted of Murder for Hire and Marijuana TraffickingRead the Press Release
Earlier today, following a two-week trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts against Ronald Williams on five counts, including murder-for-hire conspiracy, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice murder, and conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Williams, a leader of a street gang in Brooklyn known as the ‘90s Crew that engaged in large-scale marijuana trafficking, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, announced the verdict.
“Ronald Williams, a violent gang leader and marijuana trafficker, showed his utter disregard for human life when he accepted without hesitation a $5,000 contract to kill someone suspected of being an informant for federal law enforcement,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “The outstanding work by this Office, together with our law enforcement partners, prevented a murder from taking place and has made our streets safer as a result of the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the defendant.” Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Marshal Service, and the New York City Police Department, for their assistance during the investigation.
“This conviction sets the record straight,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Hunt. “As a high level gang member, Ronald Williams will pay the price for his crimes. And this investigation demonstrates how DEA arrests those responsible for the by-products of drug trafficking: addiction, overdoses, crime, murders and violence.” SAC Hunt also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office EDNY, HSI, NYPD and ATF for their tireless efforts on this investigation.
“This drug pushing convicted felon was up to his old tricks, leading the notorious ‘90s Crew in Brooklyn. And, he put a dollar value on an individual’s life by agreeing to have the murder of a suspected informant carried out,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Melendez New York. “No one is invincible. We will continue working with the DEA and our other law enforcement partners to ensure that those who think they are above the law are brought to justice.”
The evidence at trial established that on April 26, 2013, DEA agents followed the co-defendant as he was making a delivery of marijuana to a customer in Brooklyn. The co-defendant spotted federal agents who were conducting surveillance and he fled, suspecting that his marijuana customer was an informant providing information to federal law enforcement. On April 30, 2013, the co-defendant called Williams and offered to pay him $5,000 to kill the individual he believed was a federal informant. Williams agreed to commit the murder and began planning the murder including selecting a gang member to carry out the contract. When the co-defendant told Williams that he would personally kill the suspected informant but wanted to have an alibi, Williams responded that it would better to pay someone else to kill the informant and “get it right.” However, federal agents were able to identify the potential victim, and the murder was not carried out.Williams was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition found during the execution of a search warrant at his residence, and using a firearm in connection with the charged drug trafficking crime. The items recovered during a search of Williams’ residence on East 96th Street in Brooklyn included three handguns and several pounds of marijuana, a drug ledger, a safe, and a police scanner. The co-defendant is awaiting trial.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan D. Reilly and Hiral D. Mehta are in charge of the prosecution.The Defendant:
RONALD WILLIAMS (also known as “Blackman,” “Jermaine,” “Leon Gordon,” and Marcus Reese”)
Age: 43
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 13-CR-419 (LDH)
Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Heroin to Seymour Overdose VictimRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD ESTABA, also known as “Raw,” 23, of Bridgeport, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin.
This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 9, 2017, Seymour Police and emergency medical personnel responded to a residence in Seymour on a report of a suspected drug overdose. In the bathroom of the residence, responders encountered a 29-year-old male who was not breathing and did not have a pulse. The male was pronounced deceased. Investigators seized the victim’s cellphone, multiple folds of suspected heroin marked with two different brand stamps, and other drugs. Subsequent cell phone analysis and witness interviews determined that ESTABA supplied the heroin consumed by the victim shortly before he was found dead.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that the victim’s death was caused by acute intoxication due to the combined effects of cocaine, etizolam, fentanyl, flubromazolam and heroin.
In August 2017, investigators made a controlled purchase of 10 wax folds of heroin from ESTABA. The folds were marked with a brand stamp that was found on some of the wax folds at the victim’s residence.
ESTABA was arrested on September 20, 2017. On that date, he possessed approximately 400 folds of heroin and $1,300 in cash.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for April 18, 2018, at which time ESTABA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force and the Seymour and Shelton Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Bradenton Man Sentenced for Pretending to Be Blind to Steal Money from the Department of Veterans AffairsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Doyle Mullins, Jr. (71, Bradenton) to nine months of home detention and five years of probation for theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment against him in the amount of $583,485.74, which constitutes the proceeds of the theft from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mullins pleaded guilty on October 16, 2017.
According to court documents, from approximately 1995 through 2017, Mullins, a veteran of the Vietnam War, repeatedly lied to the Department of Veterans Affairs by falsely claiming that he was totally and permanently blind and that he was unable to drive, work, or perform household tasks. As a result, for more than 20 years, Mullins has obtained thousands of dollars per month in recurring disability payments from the government, grants from the VA for a car and adaptive housing, and medical benefits payments for his wife. During the course of their investigation, law enforcement agents observed Mullins regularly driving, mowing his lawn, running errands, and banking.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan K. Kistler.
Biloxi Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – Dandre Dshon Evans, 34, of Biloxi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 151 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms as a felon, U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst announced.
On August 24, 2017, D’Iberville police officers responded to a domestic call at the home of Evans’ girlfriend and found Evans in possession of illegal drugs and a firearm, as well as a magazine to a second firearm belonging to Evans. A search was later conducted on Evans’ Biloxi residence pursuant to a search warrant, which uncovered two additional loaded firearms. Further evidence proved that Evans possessed additional firearms, to include an SKS rifle.
When arrested on these most recent charges, Evans was on state probation for drug offenses and was thus facing a possible 30-year sentence in federal prison. The court ordered that the 12½- year sentence be served consecutive to his state probation revocation sentence.
The case was investigated by the D’Iberville Police Department, Biloxi Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Biloxi Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Donte L. Evans, 43, of Biloxi, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Henry T. Wingate for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Annello of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.
This case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed AOperation Pipeline,@ which began as an operation targeting illegal narcotics distribution in central Mississippi that involved the distribution of cocaine and marijuana. The distribution network encompassed the States of California, Texas and Mississippi. Evans received a quantity of cocaine for distribution from a co-conspirator that traveled from Jackson to Biloxi.
Evans will be sentenced by Judge Wingate on April 23, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison followed by four years of supervised release and a $5,000,000 fine.
This case was a joint investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Jackson Police Department, and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk is prosecuting the case.
Bay St. Louis Man Sentenced to 65 Months in Prison for Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss – Tony Coles, 40, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to serve 65 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division. Coles was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
In 2015, the DEA began an investigation when Tony Coles was identified as a dealer of methamphetamine in the Hancock County, Mississippi area. During the course of this investigation, it was discovered that Coles received large amounts of methamphetamine and distributed it primarily in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. On September 8, 2015, a DEA confidential source purchased 24.2 grams of methamphetamine from Coles in Pearlington, Mississippi. Coles pled guilty to the federal charge on October 24, 2017.
The case was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.
Augusta Woman Sentenced to Three Months for Stealing MailRead the Press Release
Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Amanda K. Wentzell, 26, of Augusta, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., to three months in prison and three years of supervised release for stealing mail when she was a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee. She was also ordered to pay $510 in restitution. She pleaded guilty to the charge on May 10, 2017.
According to court documents, in February 2016, the defendant began working as a retail clerk in the post office in Temple, Maine. In July 2016, a Temple resident complained that his son had not received a prepaid debit card sent to him by U.S. mail. Investigation revealed that the defendant activated the debit card and used it to make two purchases totaling the $100 value of the debit card, she had been “rifling” mail, and between about April and August 2016, she took and opened several pieces of mail that were being processed by the post office. On August 9, 2016, the defendant resigned her USPS position.
The case was investigated by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the USPS, Office of Inspector General.
Appalachian State University to Receive $1.5 Million Distribution Resulting from U.S. Attorney's Office Civil Forfeiture ActionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray announced that $1,542,442.33 will be distributed to Appalachian State University (ASU) following successful civil forfeiture proceedings against money seized from bank accounts controlled by alleged fraudsters and money launderers who targeted the higher education institution.
U.S. Attorney Murray is joined in making today’s announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte office.
“Today’s announcement is an example of the results we get when we use civil forfeiture laws to swiftly stop crime and provide financial relief to victims of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “In this case, the FBI located and seized the stolen funds even before criminal investigative targets had been identified or a criminal case had been filed. Under these circumstances, civil forfeiture is the only area of law that enables law enforcement to swiftly obtain warrants to secure stolen funds, and to prevent the perpetrators of fraud from accessing them. Identifying and seizing ill-gotten gains and returning forfeited funds to victims is a priority for my office. I will use all of the tools at my disposal to make victims whole, and civil asset forfeiture is an invaluable tool in that arsenal.”
According to allegations contained in the civil forfeiture complaint, beginning in or around December 2016, one or more alleged fraudsters convinced ASU staff to forward over $1.9 million to one or more companies operated by them. According to court records, the fraudsters posed in emails as a legitimate construction company building ASU’s new health sciences facility. After receiving the funds, the alleged fraudsters used numerous bank wire transfers to launder the money among various companies.
Court records indicate that, upon discovery of the fraud, ASU notified the FBI and fully assisted in the investigation. The FBI ultimately located $1,542,442.33 of the money dispersed in multiple bank accounts and obtained forfeiture seizure warrants for it, preventing the wrongdoers from absconding with ASU’s funds. Following that, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil complaint in federal court. Upon conclusion of the civil forfeiture case, the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section authorized distribution of all forfeited funds to ASU.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray commended the work of the FBI. U.S. Attorney Murray also thanks ASU officials for their prompt efforts to notify law enforcement of the fraud.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bain-Creed of the United States Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the proceedings. (Docket No. 5:17-cv-81)
Criminal and Civil Actions Collections in Fiscal Year 2017
In Fiscal Year 2017, the Western District of North Carolina (WDNC) collected $23,476,979.90 in criminal and civil actions. Of this amount, $4,719,016.01 was collected in criminal actions and $18,757,963.89 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, WDNC worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $7,216,680.36 in cases pursued jointly with these offices. Overall, the Justice Department collected just over $15 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2017.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Justice Department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with partner agencies and divisions, also collected $2,768,013 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2017. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
“Every day, federal prosecutors and staff in the U.S. Attorney’s Office work hard to protect the citizens of the Western District of North Carolina and to ensure that criminals do not profit from their illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Their diligent efforts enable us to achieve justice, recover taxpayer dollars, secure restitution for victims of federal crimes, and protect the public from fraud, waste and abuse.”
Aliens Indicted on Misuse of a Social Security Account Number, False Claim of United States Citizenship, Aggravated Identity Theft, Fraud and Misuse of Visas, Permits, and other Documents, and Illegal and Unlawful Alien in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned an indictment charging ELISEO HERNANDEZ-LORENZO, age 28, of Guatemala, with misuse of a Social Security account number, false claim of United States citizenship with intent to engage unlawfully in employment in the United States, aggravated identity theft, and fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. Additionally, a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging LEOPOLDO GARCIA-ALTAMIRANO, age 56, of Mexico, with Unlawful and Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm.
If convicted of misuse of a Social Security account number, false claim of United States citizenship with intent to engage unlawfully in employment in the United States, aggravated identity theft, and fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, HERNANDEZ-LORENZO, found in Duplin County, would face maximum penalties of forty-nine years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
If convicted of Illegal and Unlawful Alien in Possession of a Firearm, GARCIA-ALTAMIRANO, found in New Hanover County, would face maximum penalties of ten years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The cases are being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Albertville Man Indicted on Heroin Distribution and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted an Albertville man on heroin distribution and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Gerido.
A three-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges MICHAEL DILLEN MOORE, 60, with possessing with intent to distribute heroin in Marshall County on April 8, 2016. The indictment also charges Moore with possessing a firearm, a Reck .22-caliber derringer, in furtherance of the drug-trafficking offense, and as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Moore was convicted in Marshall County Circuit Court in 1983 for the felony offenses of third-degree burglary and second-degree forgery.
“Where there are illegal narcotics, there are illegal firearms,” Town said. “There’s no such thing as a non-violent drug dealer, and those who possess either guns or drugs illegally will find themselves in federal court.”
The maximum penalty for possession with intent to distribute heroin is 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The prison penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense is a minimum of five years. The maximum prison penalty for being a convicted felon in possession of a gun is 10 years.
ATF investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Becher Sr. is prosecuting.
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Additional Charges Filed Against Hazleton Man for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Rafael Lora, age 42, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, was charged in a superseding indictment on January 23, 2018, with additional cocaine trafficking offenses.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Lora and a co-defendant, Luis Santos, were charged on April 14, 2016, with conspiring to distribute cocaine, and with possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. The conspiracy allegedly lasted throughout the month of March 2015.
The superseding indictment alleges that Lora possessed with the intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of cocaine, and conspired to do the same. Lora also was charged with the unlawful use of a cellular telephone to facilitate the cocaine trafficking offenses, and with maintaining a drug premises.
Santos, who is scheduled to plead guilty on February 27, 2018, was not included in the superseding indictment.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Customs and Border Patrol, Pennsylvania State Police and the Hazleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The penalty for the most serious superseding offense is a minimum of five years and maximum of 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the judge also is required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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23 January 2018
Zephyrhills Man Sentenced to Five Years for Viewing Child Sexual Abuse Videos and Images Using the “Dark Web”Read the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Joseph Michael Griffin (30, Zephyrhills) to five years in federal prison for accessing child sexual abuse videos and images over the Internet using the “dark web.” He was also sentenced to a 20-year term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Griffin pleaded guilty on September 28, 2017.
According to court documents, FBI agents began an online undercover investigation to identify individuals who were using a particular website on the “dark web” to access and download images and videos depicting child pornography. Further investigation revealed that Griffin had accessed child pornography on this website between August 2014 and March 2015. FBI agents executed a search warrant at Griffin’s residence and, during a subsequent interview, Griffin admitted to viewing child pornography. A forensic examination of his laptop computer revealed that it contained at least 45 images and 17 videos depicting children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Yukon Woman Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Stealing over $450,000 from Union’s Welfare FundRead the Press Release
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – SUSAN MICHELLE TYSON, 51, of Yukon, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for stealing $467,352.43 from the Oklahoma Operating Engineers Welfare Plan, announced Robert J. Troester, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to charges filed on June 12, 2017, Tyson worked as a bookkeeper in Oklahoma City for Zenith American Solutions, Inc., a company that managed assets owned by the Oklahoma Operating Engineers Welfare Plan. This Plan provided health and welfare benefits to participants whose employers contributed money under collective bargaining agreements with Local Union 627 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Between July 2014 and January 2017, Tyson used her position to make 33 transfers, totaling $467,352.43, from the Plan’s bank account to her personal bank accounts. She also submitted duplicate invoices from Plan vendors SavRX and CVS CareMark to hide her fraud.
Tyson pleaded guilty to these charges on June 26, 2017.
Today Chief U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Tyson to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Tyson was also order to pay full restitution. At today’s hearing, the court noted that Tyson’s fraud against the Plan was similar to a prior embezzlement case against her, which resulted in a 2000 conviction in Oklahoma City federal court. The court also considered the fact that Tyson stole from a third employer, which came to light during the 2000 investigation. Furthermore, the court noted that her dishonest behavior when interacting with the U.S. Probation Office in this case, which resulted in her incarceration pending sentencing, demonstrated her lack of respect for the law.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma City Economic and Identity Crimes Task Force, which includes the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS–Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Edmond Police Department, the Moore Police Department, and the Norman Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Hale and William E. Farrior prosecuted the case.
Wood County man sentenced to federal prison for possession of stolen mailRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Wood County man who stole mail in November 2016 was sentenced yesterday to six months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Richard Thomas Morris, Jr., 38, of Washington, previously pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $50 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, for the investigation.
Morris was a relief driver for a United States Postal Service contractor whose job it was to collect outgoing mail from post offices along a rural route between Ravenswood and Parkersburg. On November 17, 2016, Morris was stopped at the Belleville Post Office by law enforcement officials with the United States Postal Inspection Service. Morris consented to a search of the truck he was driving, and the search turned up a piece of mail addressed to a home in St. Mary’s. The mail had been opened and contained a greeting card. Morris had stolen the greeting card, as well as $50.00 in cash that had been put inside the card by the sender.
Assistant United States Attorneys Eumi L. Choi and R. Gregory McVey handled the prosecution. United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence.
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Woman Pleads Guilty to Lying about Former Husband’s Whereabouts During Fugitive InvestigationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The ex-wife of a man who was a fugitive for 20 years until his arrest in April 2017, has pleaded guilty to lying about the whereabouts of her former spouse.
Cecily Sturge, 70, of Delray Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty in federal court today to making a materially false statement to a federal agent about the whereabouts of her ex-husband, Scott J. Wolas, who was a fugitive for 20 years in connection with a New York investment scheme until his arrest in April 2017. Wolas, who is also charged in federal court in Boston with operating a fraudulent $1.7 million real estate investment scheme in Quincy, remains in custody while his case is pending.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled Sturge’s sentencing for April 18, 2018.
According to court documents, a federal investigation into Wolas began in early September 2016 when Wolas fled Massachusetts after defrauding at least 19 investors of about $1.7 million in connection with his purported efforts to develop two Quincy properties, including the site of the former Beachcomber Bar. Sturge was interviewed by law enforcement on Nov. 17, 2016, at which time she stated that she had not been in contact with her ex-husband for approximately 15 years. Sturge continued to say that this was so, despite evidence of contact between her cell phone and one known to belong to Wolas that demonstrated more recent communication between the two.
After further investigation, Wolas was arrested on April 7, 2017, at a condominium he was renting in Delray Beach, Fla. Investigators learned that Wolas had first rented a room in the condo from Nov. 12 through Nov. 21, 2016, through an online rental website account in the name of Cecily Sturge. Messages exchanged between the condo owner and Sturge included a photo of Sturge and messages claiming that Wolas (using the name Cameron Sturge) was Sturge’s brother and a retired paleontologist in need of a place to stay. The owner of the condo told authorities that Sturge and Wolas arrived at the condo together in the same car on Nov. 12, 2016, five days before Sturge’s interview with law enforcement.
Sturge was divorced from Wolas in 2001 by default judgment in Palm Beach County, Fla. In February 2017, Sturge filed a petition to modify the judgment in order to obtain the contents of Wolas’ retirement account, which had a balance of approximately $647,000, from the New York law firm where he worked prior to being indicted in 1997 by New York authorities. In pleadings filed in February and March 2017 in that matter, Sturge swore that Wolas’s whereabouts were unknown to her, despite telephone records showing frequent contact between the two. Bank surveillance photos also showed the two of them together at a Florida bank where some of the pleadings were notarized. In addition, copies or drafts of documents filed in the Florida proceeding were found in the room and on a USB drive taken from the room where Wolas was arrested. The United States has obtained a court order freezing the retirement account until the resolution of the criminal proceedings.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the US sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra S. Bower of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Wichita Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse on McConnell Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man who lived in base housing at McConnell Air Force Base was sentenced Monday to 30 years in federal prison for sexually abusing two teenage girls, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Random Shane Smith, 38, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse. In his plea, Smith admitted using force to make the two 16-year-old victims have sex with him. The assaults took place in base housing.
Beall commended the FBI, Air Force OSI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
West Boylston Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A West Boylston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to his role in a methamphetamine conspiracy.
Brian Zukowski, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for April 19, 2018. Zukowski was arrested and charged in June 2017.
Between July 2016 and June 2017, Zukowski acquired methamphetamine from various suppliers, including, allegedly, Adam Germano, of Worcester. Zukowski purchased methamphetamine for his own use and for resale to others, including individuals in Massachusetts and Florida, where Zukowski spent a significant amount of time. In September 2016, while in Florida, Zukowski arranged for multiple shipments of methamphetamine to Florida. Zukowski also allegedly received a portion of methamphetamine from Germano in exchange for making travel arrangements for Germano to go to Texas to retrieve a supply of methamphetamine.
Germano has pleaded not guilty and has a hearing scheduled for March 5, 2018.
Zukowski faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, a minimum of four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Shelly Binkowski, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely of Lelling’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Weare Resident Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. - Jody Swett, 38, of Weare, New Hampshire, has been sentenced to an 18- month term of imprisonment for possessing multiple firearms and ammunition following convictions for crimes of domestic violence, announced Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley.
According to court records, on April 30, 2015, Swett pleaded guilty to a crime that involved domestic violence in Nashua District Court. On October 14, 2016, Swett pleaded guilty in the same court to another crime that involved domestic violence. As a result of the convictions, it was unlawful under federal law for Swett possess firearms and ammunition.
Nevertheless, in a private transaction that occurred in Manchester in July 2016, Swett bought a Ruger pistol for $375. In another private transaction that occurred in Hillsborough in October 2016, Swett bought a shotgun for $250 and a bulletproof vest. Additionally, during a search of Swett’s residence in Weare on February 10, 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized two .22 caliber rifles, a 9 millimeter pistol, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
On July 17, 2017, Swett pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing firearms following a conviction for a crime of domestic violence. After serving his sentence, Swett will be on supervised release for a period of 3 years. The firearms and ammunition were forfeited to the United States.
“It is vital to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals who present a risk of violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “Those who have committed acts of domestic violence are prohibited from possessing guns. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who possess firearms unlawfully and to protect the safety of the community.”
“This case is a testament to the priority we place on addressing violent crimes to keep our communities safe. Mr. Swett's actions in illegally possessing firearms shortly after his convictions for domestic crimes is a clear violation of the law,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI), Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to collaborate with the ATF to prevent gun offenses and protect the public from dangerous criminals.”
The FBI and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert Kinsella prosecuted the case.
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Watertown Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Offense Related to Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KEVIN DUNN, 49, of Watertown, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to a conspiracy offense related to a bribery scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, DUNN is the president of Delmar Electrical Contractors in Watertown. Javed Choudhry was employed by a construction company in the Stamford area. Between approximately 2011 and 2014, DUNN paid between $200,000 to $300,000 in bribes to Choudhry, either directly or through another contractor, to receive approximately $21 million in contracts on construction projects in Stamford.
DUNN pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford on April 16, 2018.
DUNN is released on a $150,000 bond.
On May 16, 2017, Choudhry, of Glastonbury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax offenses stemming from this scheme. He awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.
Waldorf Man Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact ELIZABETH MORSE
www.justice.gov/usao/md at (410) 209-4885
Greenbelt, Maryland –Carlos DeAngelo Bell, 30, of Waldorf, Maryland pleaded guilty today to 10 counts of Sexual Exploitation of Minors for the Purpose of Producing Child Pornography.
The plea was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Charles County State’s Attorney Anthony B. Covington, Sr.; Sheriff Troy D. Berry of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Baltimore.
According to the plea agreement, from the period of January 1, 2014 to December 22, 2016, Bell used and coerced minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Bell is charged with committing this offense against ten minors. During the relevant period, Bell was employed as an Instructional Assistant in Charles County Public Schools, and a track and field coach at a Charles County Public High School.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, attorneys for the Unites States will recommend that Bell serve a term of imprisonment of 150 years. United States District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for March 27, 2018.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning thanked the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police, and HSI. Mr. Schenning also commended Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy F. Hagan and Joseph R. Baldwin of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, who are prosecuting this case.
Volunteer Wrestling Coach in Rockland County Sentenced to 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MARCUS STROUD, 20, was sentenced to 13 years in prison by United States District Judge Cathy Seibel for his receipt of files containing sexually explicit images of a minor. The sentencing today followed STROUD’s guilty plea on June 5, 2017.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Marcus Stroud’s crime is the nightmare of every parent. Stroud used social media platforms to prey upon and exploit a teenage boy for his own sexual gratification. As today’s sentencing underscores, we will continue to use every tool available to law enforcement to prosecute and punish those who sexually exploit children.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
In late December 2015, STROUD met Victim-1 at a youth wrestling tournament in Rockland County, New York. STROUD and Victim-1 connected online on SnapChat and Instagram. Thereafter, Victim-1 connected with a SnapChat user using the account name “thechsenpug.” (“Pug”). In fact, unbeknownst to Victim-1, STROUD was Pug. Purporting to be Pug, STROUD sent Victim-1 nude photos of a female and requested nude photos in return. After Victim-1 provided several nude photos, STROUD, purporting to be Pug, told Victim-1 that Pug would release the photos on social media unless Victim-1 provided a video of Victim-1 engaging in a sexual act with another person.
In January 2016, STROUD told Victim-1 that he would be willing to help Victim-1 by performing the sexual act with Victim-1 to prevent the photos from being released. On or about February 20, 2016, STROUD told Victim-1 that he had been notified that nude photos of Victim-1 had been posted on an online web page. STROUD told Victim-1 that he had been able to delete the photos. STROUD told Victim-1 that they should just do the sexual act and get it over with. Later that day, STROUD met with Victim-1 in Rockland County, New York, engaged in sexual activity with Victim-1, and recorded it. STROUD told Victim-1 that he would send the video to the female who had requested it and would put a virus on the video so that, when she opened it, STROUD would be able to take control of her phone and delete Victim-1’s photos.
In sentencing STROUD, Judge Seibel underscored the “predatory” nature of STROUD’s offense. In addition to the prison term, STROUD, 20, was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release.
Mr. Berman praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Clarkstown Police Department, and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
Virginia Business Owners Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A jury in the Western District of Virginia convicted two business owners of tax evasion and conspiring to structure currency transactions, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Jeffrey and Karen Dalton owned Blue Ridge Stainless Inc. (BRS), a subcontracting business that provided labor to renovate large retail department and grocery stores. The Daltons operated BRS out of their home in Hillsville, Virginia. The Daltons filed their 2009 through 2014 personal tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reporting the income earned from BRS, but failed to pay the taxes, penalties, and interest owed. Despite an IRS revenue officer repeatedly contacting the Daltons over a period of years about their delinquent taxes and pending IRS liens, the Daltons refused to pay their outstanding tax liabilities, used nominees to conceal their ownership of property, and filed false documents with the IRS. After the IRS levied the Daltons’ personal bank accounts, they used funds from the BRS business bank account to start a cattle business and pay their children’s wedding expenses.
The evidence at trial also proved that during a six-month period in 2015 the Daltons repeatedly withdrew cash from BRS’s business bank account in amounts less than $10,000 to evade federal bank-reporting requirements, thereby structuring more than $250,000 in withdrawals.
U.S. District Court Judge James P. Jones scheduled sentencing for April 24. Jeffrey and Karen Dalton face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on the tax evasion and conspiracy charges. They also face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman thanked special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Daniel McGraw and Sean Beaty of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
U.S. Attorney's Office announces Lisa Johnston as First Assistant United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia announced today that Lisa G. Johnston has been named First Assistant United States Attorney.
“Lisa Johnston was not given this opportunity – she earned it,” said United States Attorney Stuart. “She is tough on crime and she knows how to lead a team, which is why she will be advising me every step of the way as we crack down on drug trafficking, corruption, and predators, and ensure that public safety is our driving goal.”
Johnston’s experience includes, but is not limited to:
- 30 years working as an Assistant United States Attorney in West Virginia U.S. Attorney’s Offices in both the Northern and Southern Districts. She began working in the Southern District in 2006 and is extremely familiar with the office, its personnel, and its operations;
- Serves as the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Southern District of West Virginia and provides guidance to other attorneys in the office who handle child pornography cases. She is considered to be very knowledgeable in this area and is often contacted by state prosecutors seeking her advice in these types of cases;
- Established, developed and led the Crimes Against Children Task Force in the Northern District of West Virginia, which was comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as victim advocate groups; and
- Was detailed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where she provided guidance to agents and inspectors.
“I am excited by this step – one of many I am taking to address the needs of law enforcement in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Stuart. “I have a sense of urgency in my new role as I fight to protect and defend the people of West Virginia. Lisa Johnston shares my vision and sense of urgency to take bold action to deliver results for the people of our district. I have great confidence in Lisa in helping spearhead my team.”
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U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart issues statement on the passing of Huntington Police Chief Joe CiccarelliRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is filled with heavy hearts at the passing of our friend and colleague, Huntington Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Huntington Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli. He spent his distinguished public service career tirelessly working to keep our communities safe,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “Chief Ciccarelli was a hero and a champion of law enforcement. He exemplified the leadership and commitment to justice that all of us should strive to achieve. His passing is a loss to everyone who was privileged enough to have known and worked with him, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
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Two defendants appear in federal court in Huntington on drug chargesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Two defendants appeared in federal court in Huntington yesterday for drug crimes, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Lurduea Appling, 37, of Detroit, previously pleaded guilty to distribution of oxycodone, and was sentenced to two years and 10 months in federal prison. In a separate prosecution, Joseph Mitchell, 44, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the investigative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the West Virginia State Police Violent Crime and Drug Task Force in the Appling case. He also commended the Marshall University Office of Public Safety and the Huntington FBI Drug Task Force for the investigation of Mitchell.
On March 20, 2017, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the West Virginia State Police Violent Crime and Drug Task Force used a confidential informant to make a controlled buy of oxycodone from Appling. The drug deal took place at 1342 15th Street in Huntington. Appling provided the informant with the oxycodone in exchange for $3,750 in cash. As part of the plea agreement, Appling admitted to all the drug trafficking activity charged in the indictment.
In a separate prosecution, on August 2, 2017, an officer with the Marshall University Office of Public Safety conducted a traffic stop of Mitchell on the 500 block of 20th Street in Huntington. Upon searching the vehicle, the officer discovered approximately 11.5 grams of suspected heroin and a digital scale. Mitchell admitted that he intended to sell the heroin. As part of the plea agreement, Mitchell also admitted to all the other drug trafficking activity charged in the indictment. Mitchell faces up to 20 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on April 23, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is in charge of these prosecutions. The hearings were held before United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers.
These cases are part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Two Parkersburg men plead guilty to federal heroin conspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Parkersburg men pleaded guilty today to a federal heroin conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Joseph Reeder-Shaw, 32, and Bernard Spann, 34, entered their guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the collaborative investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Parkersburg Drug Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, and the Police Departments of the cities of Parkersburg, Vienna, and Williamstown.
Reeder-Shaw and Spann admitted to their respective involvement with several other individuals in distributing heroin at various locations throughout the Parkersburg area. In addition, Reeder-Shaw admitted to arranging sales of heroin to a confidential informant working with the Parkersburg Drug Task Force and the FBI on numerous occasions between November 2016 and November 2017. Reeder-Shaw further admitted involvement in the distribution of between one and three kilograms of heroin, while Spann, who did not join Reeder-Shaw and others until October 2017, admitted to distributing between 100 and 400 grams of heroin.
Both Reeder-Shaw and Spann face at least five and up to 40 years in federal prison when they are sentenced on April 19, 2018.
Debra Martin, a codefendant involved in the same conspiracy, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and also faces at least five and up to 40 years in federal prison when she is sentenced on April 5, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney John Frail is in charge of these prosecutions. The plea hearings were held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
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Two Indian Citizens and India-based Corporation Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Smuggle Counterfeit CigarettesRead the Press Release
Abhishek Shukla and Harish Shabhai Panchal, both citizens of India, entered guilty pleas, along with the India-based company, Jubilee Tobacco Industries Corp., to conspiring to smuggle counterfeit cigarettes into the United States.
Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Peter H. Kuehl, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.
All three defendants pled guilty to conspiring with each other, with the intent to defraud and mislead, sell and cause the sale and dispensing of a counterfeit tobacco product (cigarettes), the containers and labeling of which bore the trade name and marks of the American brand of Newport cigarettes, a tobacco product listed with the FDA pursuant to Title 21, United States Code, Section 387(e)(i)(1), (approximately 68,600 cartons of cigarettes), while knowingly using a counterfeit mark on and in connection with such cigarettes, the use of which marks was likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake, and to deceive. The counterfeit marks were substantially indistinguishable from the marks of the United States domestic manufacturer of Newport brand cigarettes, which marks were then in use by and registered to that manufacturer on the principal register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
According to court records, including a Joint Factual Statement submitted by the parties, beginning in March 2015 and continuing through August 16, 2017, the defendants initiated contact with an individual cooperating with FDA-OCI, offering counterfeit cigarettes for sale. Through internet negotiations, an agreement was reached for a 20-foot container filled with counterfeit Newport brand cigarettes to be shipped from India to Miami. Payment for the shipment was made in installments through international wire transfers to bank accounts in India and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. On November 1, 2016, the container arrived and was seized at the Port of Miami with the assistance of U. S. Customs and Border Protection Officers. If distributed in the State of Florida, the un-taxed importation would have an approximate value of $1.2 million. Analysis conducted by FDA’s Forensic Chemistry Center determined that the cartons, packs, and cigarettes were all counterfeit.
Within two weeks of the arrival, the coconspirators sought out FDA-OCI undercover agents offering another shipment, twice as large. By April 2017, deposits totaling $55,000 had been made for more counterfeit Newport cigarettes. On June 9, 2017, the container arrived at the Port of Miami and was again seized with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Officers, and turned over to FDA-OCI Special Agents. If distributed in the State of Florida, the un-taxed importation would have an approximate value of $3.2 million.
According to acts described in the conspiracy charge, Shukla and Panchal traveled to Miami in August 2017 to meet with the undercover agents to promote further business dealings. During the recorded meeting, they advised the agents that they had been partners for twelve years and personally oversaw the production of all the products being offered. They also assured the agents that they could counterfeit any American-made menthol cigarette with no problem, as well as other trademarked brands, and that they could produce tobacco blends, which would closely match the legitimate product.
Shukla and Panchal each face potential prison sentences of up to five years imprisonment. Additionally, they face possible fines of up to $250,000, followed by supervised release of up to five years. Jubilee faces a fine of up to $500,000. In its Plea Agreement, Jubilee agreed to forfeit $300,000, to the United States. Sentencing in this case is scheduled for February 12, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams.
Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of FDA OCI, ICE-HSI and BSO, for their assistance with this long-term investigation. Mr. Greenberg also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their support. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Two Former Tuskegee Police Lieutenants Charged with Civil Rights Offenses for Assaulting ArresteeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that two former Tuskegee Police Department lieutenants, Alex Huntley, 53, and Darian Locure, 44, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in the beating of an arrestee and an attempted cover-up.
The five-count indictment charges that on or about Dec. 24, 2014, Huntley physically assaulted an arrestee, while Locure willfully failed to intervene to stop Huntley’s assault. The assault caused the arrestee to suffer bodily injuries.
Huntley and Locure are also charged with directing and encouraging other Tuskegee Police Department officers and recruits who witnessed the assault to keep it a secret. Finally, the indictment charges that Huntley gave false testimony under oath about the assault in a state court proceeding regarding criminal charges against the arrestee.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation has also assisted the investigation. The matter is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Samantha Trepel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant United States Attorney Denise Simpson of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Two Former Tuskegee Police Lieutenants Charged with Civil Rights Offenses for Assaulting ArresteeRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – The Justice Department today announced that two former Tuskegee Police Department lieutenants, Alex Huntley, 53, and Darian Locure, 44, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in the beating of an arrestee and an attempted cover-up.
The five-count indictment charges that on or about December 24, 2014, Huntley physically assaulted an arrestee, while Locure willfully failed to intervene to stop Huntley’s assault. The assault caused the arrestee to suffer bodily injuries.
Huntley and Locure are also charged with directing and encouraging other Tuskegee Police Department officers and recruits who witnessed the assault to keep it a secret. Finally, the indictment charges that Huntley gave false testimony under oath about the assault in a state court proceeding regarding criminal charges against the arrestee.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation has also assisted the investigation. The matter is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Samantha Trepel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant United States Attorney Denise Simpson of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Two Former Employees of House Member Plead Guilty to Charges in Cyberstalking CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two former staff employees of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives pled guilty today to charges stemming from the circulation of private, nude images and videos of the member and the member’s spouse, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Matthew R. Verderosa, Chief of the United States Capitol Police.
Juan R. McCullum, 36, of Washington, D.C., and Dorene Browne-Louis, 45, of Upper Marlboro, Md., entered the guilty pleas in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. McCullum pled guilty to two federal cyber-related charges and two District of Columbia offenses, including conspiracy to disclose sexual images and attempted first-degree unlawful publication of a sexual image. Browne-Louis pled guilty to one federal cyber charge and the District of Columbia offense of conspiracy to disclose sexual images. The Honorable John D. Bates scheduled McCullum’s sentencing for March 8, 2018 and scheduled Browne-Louis’s sentencing for April 23, 2018. Each of the federal charges carries a statutory maximum of a year in prison and each District of Columbia offense carries up to 180 days in jail.
McCullum’s plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of one year and 361 days of incarceration, with all but one year and a day suspended on the condition that he successfully completes two years of supervised probation. During his probation, McCullum would be required to perform 100 hours of community service.
Both defendants were indicted in July 2017 following an investigation by the United States Capitol Police.
According to statements of offense filed as part of the guilty plea, McCullum worked from April 2015 until June 2016 in the House member’s legislative office in Washington, D.C. Browne-Louis worked in the same office from January 2015 until April 2016.
According to the documents, during the course of his employment, McCullum offered in March 2016 to assist the House member in repairing the member’s malfunctioning, password-protected iPhone by taking the device to a local Apple store. The House member provided McCullum with the device solely to have it repaired. The House member later provided the password so that the device could be unlocked by the Apple store solely for the purpose of having the iPhone repaired. McCullum was not given permission to take, copy, or distribute any of the contents of the iPhone. The iPhone contained the private, nude images and videos.
In July 2016, the documents state, after McCullum left the House member’s staff, he engaged in a course of conduct that included creating a Hotmail account and a Facebook social media account, using a fictitious name, to distribute and post the private, nude images and videos. In addition, he made Browne-Louis aware that he was in possession of the images from the iPhone. Further, McCullum encouraged others on social media to redistribute the private, nude images and videos in the member’s congressional district. Browne-Louis assisted by providing McCullum with e-mail addresses and other contact information to distribute the images. Browne-Louis also distributed one of the private, nude images to a person who was working on the campaign of a challenger to the member’s primary election. McCullum and Browne-Louis understood their actions did cause, and were likely to cause, emotional harm to the House member and spouse, as well as the member’s re-election, the plea documents state.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Liu and Chief Verderosa commended the work of those who investigated the case from the United States Capitol Police. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who assisted with the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina, Criminal Investigator John Marsh, Paralegal Specialists Bianca Evans, Diane Brashears, and Matthew Ruggiero, and Litigation Technology Specialists Leif Hickling, Thomas Royal, and Paul Howell. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla, Youli Lee, and Veronica Jennings, who investigated and prosecuted the case.